No description available.

<p>Peer support has been shown to benefit individuals with mental health challenges. Yet, peer support has failed to be translated into policy. This study investigates the organizational benefits of peer support, the profound significance to individuals receiving peer support, and the barriers that exist toward formalized implementation of peer support. It offers strategies for overcoming these barriers.</p> <p>This study combines data from the lived experience of peer supporters and service providers thus offering a unique contribution to the knowledge of peer support. It uses critical disability theory as a lens to frame the research. Findings suggest that personal transformation occurs in the context of relationships in peer support that foster resiliency within individuals. Yet, peer support is undermined due to a lack of utilization in the mental health system.</p> / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Relying on the perspectives of critical disability studies and mad studies, this graduate thesis seeks to uncover the experiences of youth with undiagnosed mental health issues who have been streamed into alternative education. Guided by methodological principles of interpretive phenomenological analysis and arts-informed inquiry, the 5 participants in this study were invited to a focus group where they could engage in an arts-based activity, meant to provide the opportunity to reflect on their experience, build rapport with the researcher, express themselves through alternative means, and connect with peers who have shared experience. Participants were then invited to discuss their experiences with the topic in a one-on-one, semi-structured interview. This study reveals the ways in which the system of education, school communities, teachers, and social workers can support youth who are not diagnosed with a mental illness but still experience mental health challenges that impede on their school experience. Supported by mad studies, this study reveals how peer support has become the method of mental health response and treatment through which students feel is most effective. This study also challenges medical hegemony and the ways in which access to services is dependent on medical diagnoses. Finally, this study reminds stakeholders of the value of building trusting and empathic relationships between school staff and students. School communities and school boards are challenged to think about the structuring of their systems, and the ways in which they may present barriers to the success of all students regardless of ability and/or need. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

This dissertation explores frontline nurses' perceptions of peer support in fostering emotional, professional, and organizational support and commitment in different contexts. This study draws together scholarship on street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) and formal and informal training in nursing to build on research demonstrating that internal organizational elements such as formal training and informal peer interaction continuously develop SLBs' professional and organizational personalities. Also, research traditions on SLBs regard peer interaction as policy implementation using "service styles" to build stronger ties with peers to solve problems and better respond to the needs of citizens and communities. Despite the prominent role peers play in scholarly research on SLBs, few empirical studies have contextualized the meaning of peer support in different settings to examine how it affects professional meaning and organizational commitment in a specific industry. This dissertation expands on the findings of several studies that demonstrate that peer relatedness is an important component of frontline work. The distinctive contribution of this dissertation is using narrative analysis to collect and analyze stories of firsthand experiences told by personal narratives from mental health, military, and emergency nurses in public hospitals to thoroughly compare the perception of informal or formal peer support influence and highlight its evaluative aspects across different settings. This dissertation contributes to the street-level bureaucracy theory by providing empirical evidence in contextualizing peer support as a catalyst for emotional support and a buffer for organizational uncertainty in various emotionally charged healthcare settings. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation focuses on the narratives of frontline nurses in mental health, military, and emergency settings to highlight the impact of peer support on nurses' emotional well-being, as well as professional development, fulfillment, and commitment in diverse healthcare environments. This study illuminates how formal (preceptorship) and informal (mentorship) training or peer support shape nurses' professional identities, engagement, and commitment. Despite the acknowledged importance of peer support in public administration scholarly discourse, few studies have explored its nuanced significance across different healthcare settings. This dissertation addresses this gap by employing narrative analysis to examine narratives from mental health, military, and emergency nurses in public hospitals. By comparing informal and formal peer support perceptions of these different types of nurses, this study explores the realities of frontline healthcare delivery, including the emotional toll and systemic challenges they face, personal development lessons learned, and dynamics surrounding co-supporting quality care through peer support. Subsequently, this study highlights the critical role of peer support in developing and enhancing the psychological drivers — autonomy, mastery, purposefulness — and social drivers — supportive workplace, sense of belonging, and psychological safety— of nurses, thereby fostering a supportive environment and enhancing their competency and the quality and safety of patient care.

Yes / Asylum seekers in the UK often have complex health needs but face barriers when accessing health services. A family health programme was established in an initial accommodation centre (IAC) in northern England, by trained volunteers who are refugees and therefore peers. The main focus of the programme is peers educating asylum seekers about health services in the United Kingdom (UK), including maternity services, and evaluation research was undertaken to explore the effectiveness of this. Two sessions were observed and participants provided a short verbal evaluation. Data were thematically analysed. Around 30 people from 17 countries attended the sessions which were evaluated positively. Three themes emerged related to asylum seekers' perceptions of their learning: access to health care, living as a family, and the UK as a caring country. The findings suggest that peers educating asylum seekers within an IAC appears helpful in overcoming barriers to accessing health care in the UK and could facilitate pregnant women to attend for maternity care.

Background: The transition from trainee to newly-registered (novice) practitioner is regarded as the most stressful and challenging of time of a healthcare professional's career. Community pharmacists are unusual in that they transition into roles where they commonly work as the sole pharmacist, manage a team of support staff and are accountable from day one of professional registration (without any formal support structure), yet little research exists in this area. This study aimed to identify the transition challenges faced by novice community pharmacists and to develop and feasibility test an evidence-based intervention to ease their transitions to independent practitioners. Methods: Medical Research Council guidance for developing complex interventions was used to frame this programme of work. During development, evidence from existing literature and an exploratory nominal group study identified and prioritised the challenges faced by novice community pharmacists. Findings informed the iterative design process for a peer-coaching intervention with the following components; a social media group, one-to-one coaching, a handbook, group activities and weekly clinical/practice scenarios for group discussion. Twelve novice community pharmacists were recruited purposively to participate in the draft intervention, which was evaluated using semi-structured telephone interviews. Results: Twenty-five participants took part in homogenous group discussions consisting of novice community pharmacists, early career pharmacists, pre-registration tutors and pharmacy colleagues. Similarly to challenges reported by novice doctors and nurses, nominal group discussions identified the following challenges [in order of importance]; relationship management; lack of confidence; decision-making; being in charge and accountable; and adapting to the workplace. Relationship management was attributed to novices' lack of affective skills. There were some differences however in the challenges reported by novice community pharmacists, such as power struggles (with managers or pharmacy colleagues), inverse hierarchy, professional isolation, target culture and full immediate accountability. A number of factors perpetuating these differences were perceived to increase the weight of professional accountability and augment stress; the retail community pharmacy context, the relative lack of support and isolation from peers. Hence, the draft intervention focussed on supporting the novice community pharmacist to develop cognitive and affective skills. All participants viewed the social media forum as the most valuable component because it provided a confidential space for reassurance, feedback, and sharing or discussing practice experiences. Participants also valued one-to-one discussions with the coach, which supported meaningful reflection and developing self-awareness. Outcomes reported by all participants included increased self-efficacy, increased confidence in decision-making/managing others, an increased sense of preparedness and the ability to cope during transition. Through group components, novice community pharmacists developed and reported feeling less isolated in the workplace. Conclusions: This novel programme of work revealed the challenges faced by novice community pharmacists during transition. Findings suggest that a lack of affective and cognitive skills, the demands of the job and professional isolation caused novices to experience psychosocial stress and high job strain. A group peer-coaching intervention designed to ease the transitions of novice community pharmacists was reported to be acceptable, feasible and beneficial. Study findings led to some recommendations for transition support interventions: incorporate psychosocial support with developmental activities; provide a supportive learning space for developmental discourse that is accessible facilitated and structured; and offer coaching and supported reflection from an experienced pharmacist coach.

No description available.

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) in inclusive classrooms differ in ways of processing information and learning speed compared to their peers without disabilities. Therefore teaching methods must be adapted to their individual needs. Peer support is seen as an additional form of improving students’ academic engagement. This systematic review focuses on peer supported interventions which facilitate academic engagement of children and youth with mild to profound ID. It contains six studies, which met pre-determined inclusion criteria focusing specifically on academic engagement. The studies were analysed to examine (a) different types of peer support, (b) peer support characteristics, (c) definition of academic engagement of students with ID and (d) if a change in academic engagement as an outcome can be evaluated after a peer support intervention. In this review, the data of 18 students with mild to profound ID and their peers in the age of 8 to 17 years, were included. Four different types of peer support intervention were identified, which included different characteristics mostly focussing on supporting students’ communication, access to information and active participation in class. The different definitions of academic engagement which were found hindered comparison of results. Nevertheless, all studies had a positive effect on the academic engagement of students with ID. Future research is needed to investigate the long-term impact of different types of peer support on academic engagement of students with ID and their need in relation to specific forms of ID.

No description available.

The transition from primary to secondary school is regarded as one of the most difficult in children’s educational careers and the negative academic, social and emotional effects of an unsuccessful transition have been widely documented, with many practitioners identifying the transition to secondary school as a key intervention point (Galton, Morrison and Pell, 2000, Turnbull, 2006). Shy and socially withdrawn children are particularly vulnerable at this time. Pyramid Clubs, a short-term selective and preventative therapeutic group intervention offer a promising model of support, but a robust evidence-base is currently lacking (Munoz, Mrazek, and Haggerty, 1999; Shepherd and Roker, 2005). This study evaluated the use of a Pyramid Club to provide a ‘bridge’ of support before, during and following nine children’s transition to secondary school. The study was conducted from a critical realist stance and quantitative and qualitative methodology were adopted within an embedded single-case study design. The study had two aims; to evaluate the effectiveness of the club; and to explore the process, in order to understand the club’s mechanism of effect. Pre-and post-intervention teacher report data were collected in conjunction with club leader, club member and parents’ perspectives, obtained though focus groups and individual interviews. The researcher also observed each club meeting. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings indicate the club offers an effective method of support. The children enjoyed the club experience and a range of social-emotional gains were reported. The findings were used to propose a theoretical framework based on the concept of resilience, to explain how Pyramid Clubs can be successfully used to support vulnerable children’s transition to secondary school. Core elements, which were considered to be essential components of the intervention, were identified to aid future implementation and evaluation of Transition Pyramid Clubs.