Effectiveness of a Digital Peer Support Training Program Designed for Rapid Uptake Among Peer Support Specialists...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Digital Health
• Peer Support Services

Background:

• Telemental health, including digital peer support (DPS), is increasingly crucial, especially after becoming Medicaid reimbursable during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Standardized training is needed to equip peer support specialists for effective digital service delivery.
• DPS offers a scalable solution to reduce service barriers and broaden the reach of peer support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a 4-hour Digital Peer Support Training program.
• To assess changes in peer support specialists' attitudes, beliefs, and abilities regarding DPS.
• To examine the effect of the training on organizational readiness for DPS implementation.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post survey design was used with 75 peer support specialists.
• Paired samples t-tests analyzed changes in key outcome measures.
• Linear mixed models were employed for further exploration of significant findings.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements (p < .05) were observed in participants' readiness to use DPS.
• Training positively impacted attitudes and beliefs towards digital peer support.
• Participants demonstrated enhanced ability to use and engage in DPS.

Conclusions:

• The 4-hour DPS training program provides a beneficial, standardized framework for diverse peer support specialists.
• Disseminating this short course can rapidly equip specialists with essential skills for expanding telemental health services.
• The training is vital for scaling peer support during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.