University of Utah, College of Social Work.
Live and Learn, Inc.
Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2023 Sep;46(3):216-222. doi: 10.1037/prj0000569. Epub 2023 Jun 12.
Peer specialists are people with lived experience of a mental health or substance use disorder who are certified to deliver peer support services under state training programs. This qualitative study explored recently certified peer specialist (CPS) experiences navigating the job market to find postcertification employment, experiences with employment once in the workforce, and reflections on CPS training.
Qualitative data were collected as part of a multistate, 3-year observational prospective cohort study of CPS graduate employment trajectories. We conducted 25 in-depth, semistructured interviews with a subsample of recent CPS graduates who indicated a range of employment experiences in a survey as part of the parent study. Interviews focused on their current employment and satisfaction with the position and experiences looking for work. Data were analyzed using constant comparative methods informed by grounded theory.
Participants described factors that supported or undermined securing employment, which included a shortage of CPS positions, their professional networking skills, financial considerations, and a position's alignment with CPS values. Once employed, participants described how relationships with supervisors and coworkers, which ranged from supportive to confused about the value of the peer specialist role, impacted their work. In general, participants held their CPS training and certification in high regard.
Our findings highlight policy, employment, and practice opportunities to strengthen CPS training to improve their work readiness of graduates and expand their role, while preparing organizations and their staff to hire and work inclusively with CPSs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
同伴专家是指有精神健康或药物使用障碍经历并通过国家培训计划获得同伴支持服务认证的人。这项定性研究探讨了最近获得认证的同伴专家（CPS）在寻找认证后就业、就业后的工作经验以及对 CPS 培训的反思方面的就业市场经验。
定性数据是作为 CPS 毕业生就业轨迹的多州、3 年观察性前瞻性队列研究的一部分收集的。我们对最近的 CPS 毕业生进行了 25 次深入的半结构化访谈，这是作为母研究一部分的调查中表明有一系列就业经验的子样本的一部分。访谈重点关注他们目前的就业情况以及对职位的满意度和找工作的经验。使用扎根理论指导的恒比比较方法分析数据。
参与者描述了支持或破坏就业的因素，包括 CPS 职位短缺、他们的专业网络技能、财务考虑因素以及职位与 CPS 价值观的一致性。一旦就业，参与者描述了与主管和同事的关系如何影响他们的工作，这些关系从支持到对同伴专家角色的价值感到困惑不等。总的来说，参与者对他们的 CPS 培训和认证评价很高。
我们的研究结果强调了政策、就业和实践机会，以加强 CPS 培训，提高毕业生的工作准备度并扩大他们的角色，同时使组织及其工作人员为招聘和与 CPS 合作做好准备。
