Impacts of COVID-19 on the NYC Peer Support Workforce
Keywords:
Peer Support Specialists, COVID-19, pandemic, telehealthAbstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders, peer support specialists (PSS) were required to deliver telehealth peer support and learn new skills to provide
support remotely. A 39-item, online survey was disseminated to PSS in NYC to understand the unique strengths, challenges, and resource needs of the PSS workforce in NYC
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 275 usable responses to the survey, half reported
the inability to meet in-person was the biggest barrier to delivering services during the
pandemic, and 64% said the phone was the most successful method of contacting service
recipients. Nearly half of all respondents indicated that the most critical new skill they
learned was using technology to provide support (48%), and almost half of all respondents stated that they were not very well or only somewhat well supported in learning
how to use technology. Most respondents indicated the top three supports provided
were social/emotional support, sharing their lived experience, and advocating for others
during the pandemic. Results from this survey can inform workforce development and
training initiatives and influence the resources, policies, and procedures needed to support PSS in delivering telehealth services.
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