Peer Support Engagement Skills on Mobile Crisis Teams-Presentation Slides

Presentation Slides
Pdf Summary
This document is a summary of a webinar on the topic of peer support engagement skills on mobile crisis teams. The webinar is part of the Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness (CSS-SMI) initiative, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and implemented by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).<br /><br />Mobile Crisis Teams (MCTs) are a service that provides immediate response to mental health crises in the community. These teams are typically composed of professionals and paraprofessionals, such as social workers and clinical mental health providers. Recently, some MCTs have started incorporating peer specialists into their teams. Peer specialists bring their lived experience and can engage with individuals who may be distrustful or afraid of engaging with clinical team members or law enforcement.<br /><br />The webinar discusses the role of peer specialists on MCTs and their ability to engage individuals in crisis. Peer specialists use various skills and techniques to engage with individuals, such as demonstrating respect, presenting a calm and caring demeanor, active listening without judgement, and providing an understanding based on shared lived experience.<br /><br />The inclusion of peer specialists on MCTs helps build teams that are welcoming, respectful, helpful, accessible, and safe. Peer support has proved to be a promising strategy for engagement and involving individuals in their own healthcare, and it can help sensitize other staff to the needs of people receiving services. Training for peer specialists on MCTs includes basic peer support training, trauma-informed peer support training, communication as an intervention tool training, de-escalation training, suicide assessment and prevention training, safety training, and enhanced self-care training.<br /><br />MCTs often work in conjunction with law enforcement, and it is desirable for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained law enforcement members to accompany the teams when possible. The role of peer specialists on MCTs is primarily one of support, ensuring the individual in crisis feels safe, understood, and informed about the process.<br /><br />The goal of MCTs is to provide safe, compassionate, effective intervention in a mental health crisis, aiming to decrease unnecessary incarceration, emergency room usage, and hospitalizations while providing services in the least restrictive environment. Individuals in crisis require safety, reassurance, helpful attitudes and approaches, respect, support, protection, time, space, and options.<br /><br />Overall, the inclusion of peer specialists on MCTs can improve engagement, outcomes, and the treatment of people in crisis. Peer support on these teams is valued for its ability to provide support, involvement, and understanding to individuals in crisis.
Keywords
Peer support engagement skills
Mobile crisis teams
Clinical Support System for Serious Mental Illness
SAMHSA
APA
Peer specialists
MCTs
Crisis intervention
Trauma-informed care
Peer support training