VA Peer Specialist Toolkit: Download The VA Peer Specialist Toolkit
From the US Dept of Veteran Affairs in the Center for Health Equity Research and Promtion just released their Toolkit for Peer Specialists developed by Matthew Chinman, PhD, Chief of the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion's Implementation Core and Investigator with the VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC), based on the lessons learned from the VA-funded evaluation of their impact on clinical teams.
The toolkit was born out of research done by the VISN 4 and VISN 22 MIRECCs conducted a rigorous study focusing specifically on Veterans within VHA. This study, called Peers Enhancing Recovery, compared 149 Veterans with peer specialists on their mental health case management teams to 133 Veterans whose case management teams did not include peer specialists. The researchers followed both groups over one year and asked Veterans about their quality of life, relationships, symptoms, and their ability to self-manage and be active in their health care.
Veterans who had peer specialists on their treatment teams reported significant improvement in their perceived ability to actively manage their own health care. This suggests that integrating peer support into treatment may play a key role in encouraging Veterans to become more active in their treatment and recovery.
See more at: http://www.cherp.research.va.gov/CHERP/features/FeatureStory_ChinmanAug2014.asp#sthash.nlyj3YnB.dpuf
Comments