Reciprocal Peer Support Wellness (RPS-W)
Keywords:
lived experience, peer supportAbstract
Tis brief report details how a Reciprocal Peer Support Wellness (RPS-W) virtual training program prepared Peer Support Specialists (PSS) to practice strategies personally and engage callers from high-risk groups to address their needs and challenges by focusing on
overall wellness. Tis pilot virtual training program focused on RPS techniques and wellness self-care strategies delivered during regularly scheduled 30-minute shif briefs two times per week for four weeks to equip PSS to address the increasing demands for supports compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative consequences on overall wellness. Twenty PSS and two supervisors completed the training. Data indicated (1) call volume increased, (2) PSS post-session feedback aligned with the objectives of the wellness self-care and RPS-W techniques, and (3) PSS implemented RPS-W techniques and wellness activities for themselves and callers with continued support by supervisors one year post training. Te role of the supervisors in supporting PSS to apply knowledge and
skills, and to embed continuous wellness activities into existing workflows, was essential. Tis article describes some unique aspects of the training, impacts, and feedback gathered one year post training.
References
Brazeau, C. M. L. R., Ayyala, M. S., Chen, P.-H., & Swarbrick, M. (2022). Virtual faculty
development peer programmes support physician well being. MeEduc. htps://doi
.org/10.1111/medu.14748
Brice, G. H., Jr., Swarbrick, M. A., & Gill, K. J. (2014). Promoting the wellness of peer providers through coaching. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services,
52(1), 41–45. htps://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20130930-03
Castellano, C. (2012). Reciprocal peer support (RPS): A decade of not so random acts of
kindness. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 14 (2), 105–110.
Center for Mental Health Services. (2010). Te 10 by 10 Campaign: A national action
plan to improve life expectancy by 10 years in 10 years for people with mental illnesses. A
Report of the 2007 National Wellness Summit. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 10–4476.
Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
Chinman, M., George, P., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., Swif, A., &
Delphin-Ritmon, M. E. (2014). Peer support services for individuals with serious
mental illnesses: Assessing the evidence. Psychiatric Services, 65 (4), 429–441.
Everly, G. S., Flannery, R. B., & Eyler, V. A. (2002). Critical incident stress management
(CISM): A statistical review of the literature. Psychiatr Q, 73, 171–182. htps://doi.org
/10.1023/A:1016068003615
Evans, M., Tang, P. Y., Bhushan, N., Fisher, E. B., Dreyer Valovcin, D., & Castellano, C.
(2020). Standardization and adaptability for dissemination of telephone peer support
for high-risk groups: general evaluation and lessons learned. Translational Behavioral
Medicine, 10(3), 506–515. htps://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaa047
Jonikas, J., Swarbrick, M. A., Cook, J. A., & Nemec, P. B. (2019). Building fnancial wellness.
University of Illinois at Chicago Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy and Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc.
Levenson, R. L., Jr., & Dwyer, L. A. (2003). Peer support in law enforcement: Past, present, and future. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 5(3), 147–152.
Lundquist, M. C., Swarbrick, M., Gould Fogerite, S., Nemec, P., & Pilch, E. (2019). A
self-care guide for professional caregivers. Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
htps://www.care2caregivers.com/self-care/
Mead, S., Hilton, D., & Curtis, L. (2001) Peer support: A theoretical perspective. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25, 134–141. htps://doi.org/10.1037/h0095032
National Association of Peer Supporters (N.A.P.S.). (2019). National practice guidelines
for peer specialist and supervisors. htps://www.peersupportworks.org/wp-content
/uploads/2020/08/National-Practice-Guidelines-for-Peer-Specialists
Peers for Progress, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. What is peer support?
htp://peersforprogress.org/learn-about-peer-support/what-is-peer-support/
Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., Jemison, E., Kaukinen, C., & Knaul, F. M. (March 2021).
Evidence fom a systematic review and meta-analysis: Domestic violence during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Council on Criminal Justice.
SAMHSA. (2015). Core competencies for peer workers in behavioral health setings.
htps://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/fles/programs_campaigns/brss_tacs/core
-competencies_508_12_13_18.pdf
Reif, S., Braude, L., Lyman, D. R., Dougherty, R. H., Daniels, A. S., Ghose, S. S., . . . &
Delphin-Ritmon, M. E. (2014). Peer recovery support for individuals with substance
use disorders: Assessing the evidence. Psychiatric Services, 65(7), 853–861.
Shapiro, J., & Galowitz, P. (2016). Peer support for clinicians: A programmatic approach.
Academic Medicine, 91(9), 1200–1204.
Sparks, S. (2021). Child abuse cases got more severe during COVID-19. Could teachers
have prevented it? Education Week, htps://www.edweek.org/leadership/child-abuse
-cases-got-more-severe-during-covid-19-could-teachers-have-prevented-it/2021/06
Swarbrick, M. (1997). A wellness model for clients. Mental Health Special Interest Section
Quarterly, 20(1), 1–4.
Swarbrick, M. (2006). A wellness approach. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 29(4), 311–
314. htps://doi.org/10.2975/29.2006.311.314
Swarbrick, M. (2012). A wellness approach to mental health recovery. In A. Rudnick
(Ed.), Recovery of people with mental illness: Philosophical and related perspectives (pp.
30–38). Oxford University Press.
Swarbrick, M. (2013). Wellness-oriented peer approaches: A key ingredient for integrated
care. Psychiatric Services, 64(8), 723–726.
Swarbrick, M. (2019). Wellness. In C. Brown, V. Stoffel, & J. Munoz (Eds.), Occupational
therapy in mental health: A vision for participation (2nd ed., pp. 772–786). F. A. Davis.
Swarbrick, M. (2019). Peer support, recovery, wellness: Training manual and workbook. Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.
Swarbrick, M., Castellano, C., & Spagnolo, A (2020). Reciprocal Peer Support-Wellness
(RPS- W) training and learning collaborative. Rutgers University.
Swarbrick, M., D’Antonio, D., & Nemec, P. (2011). Promoting staff wellness. Psychiatric
Rehabilitation Journal, 34, 334–36.
Swarbrick, M., Fogerite, S., Spagnolo, A., & Nemec, P. (2021). Caregivers of people with
disabilities: A program to enhance wellness self-care. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(5), 25–32. htps://doi.org/10.3928/02793695
-20210107-04
Swarbrick, M., & Spagnolo, A. (2023) Wellness training learning collaborative W-TLC. Farris
Foundation.
United Nations. (2020). UN Policy Brief: Te impact of COVID-19 on women. htps://
reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/fles/resources/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19
-on-women-en.pdf
Videka, L., Neale, J., Page, C., Buche, J., Beck, A., Wayment, C., & Gaiser, M. (2019).
National analysis of peer support providers: Practice setings, requirements, roles,
and reimbursement. University of Michigan, School of Public Health Behavioral Health
Workforce Research Center. htps://www.behavioralhealthworkforce.org/wp-content
/uploads/2019/10/BHWRC-Peer-Workforce-Full-Report.pdf
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License permitting all use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
