title: Introducing New Peer Worker Roles into Mental Health Services in England: Comparative Case Study Research Across a Range of Organisational Contexts.
abstract: A wide variety of peer worker roles is being introduced into mental health services internationally. Empirical insight into whether conditions supporting role introduction are common across organisational contexts is lacking. A qualitative, comparative case study compared the introduction of peer workers employed in the statutory sector, voluntary sector and in organisational partnerships. We found good practice across contexts in structural issues including recruitment and training, but differences in expectations of the peer worker role in different organisational cultures. Issues of professionalism and practice boundaries were important everywhere but could be understood very differently, sometimes eroding the distinctiveness of the role.
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, SW17 0RE, UK. sgillard@sgul.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gillard
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holley
authors.affiliation: Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Rethink Mental Illness, London, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health & Social Care Research, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucock
authors.affiliation: Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK.
authors.forename: Eivor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oborn
authors.affiliation: South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Miles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.affiliation: Together for Mental Wellbeing, London, UK.
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stamou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010379:Peer Group; D000068616:Professionalism; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012380:Role; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Comparative case study; Mental health workforce; Organisational culture; Peer support; Qualitative research