Overlooked professionalism-Individual factors for success of peer support workers

Background The peer support worker is becoming increasingly more relevant also due to the new personnel regulations. Therefore, the question arises which individual conditions for success are available for the implementation of peer support workers. Method This study is a subproject of ImpPeer-Psy5 study financed by Innovation Funds, which investigates the nationwide requirements for the implementation of peer support workers in care financed by health insurance funds (German Social Act V, SGB V). Using a comparative thematic analysis, 57 problem-oriented interviews with peer support workers (PSW), employees and users as well as a focus group based on this were examined. This study was predominantly implemented by a researcher who already had experience in psychiatry and crises. Results From the perspective of the employees interviewed, sympathy and personality are the core factors for a successful implementation of peer support workers. In contrast, a professional coping with one ' s own crisis and recovery experience as well as diverse previous life and occupational experiences were prioritized by the PSWs. Conclusion In order to effectively incorporate the impulse of peer support workers, a recognition of the professional identity of the PSWs is necessary. In particular, settings that separate the tasks between the professional groups in a less hierarchical manner and rely on building relationships, such as domestic treatment, are particularly suited for the implementation of PSWs.