Exploring Peer Support Needs of Caregivers for Youth with Mental Illness or Addictions Concerns in Family Navigation Services

Roles for peer support workers are increasingly recognized as a valuable component of mental health and addictions (MHA) services. In youth MHA care, caregivers are often closely involved in finding and accessing services and may also require support for themselves, yet caregiver peer support is not...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community mental health journal 2018-07, Vol.54 (5), p.555-561
Main Authors: Markoulakis, R., Turner, M., Wicik, K., Weingust, S., Dobbin, K., Levitt, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Brief Report
Caregivers
Caregiving
Community and Environmental Psychology
Family counseling
Family roles
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health services
Occupational roles
Peer tutoring
Peers
Psychiatry
Qualitative research
Social support
Support workers
Youth
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Summary:Roles for peer support workers are increasingly recognized as a valuable component of mental health and addictions (MHA) services. In youth MHA care, caregivers are often closely involved in finding and accessing services and may also require support for themselves, yet caregiver peer support is not readily available in existing service delivery models. In order to understand the potential role and value of a caregiver peer support worker in a Family Navigation service, a descriptive qualitative study was conducted to explore the needs and potential value of a peer worker from caregiver client perspectives. Study findings indicate that a caregiver peer support worker can provide support for engaging in the caregiving role, utilize lived experience as a skill, and complement navigation support through lived experience. The discussion highlights implications for the implementation of a caregiver peer role at a family-focused service as well as implications for peer work within the MHA system.
ISSN:0010-3853
1573-2789
DOI:10.1007/s10597-017-0191-y