Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives
What are management views on the benefits and limitations of Lived Experience workers?
​
Byrne, L., Roennfeldt, H., O'Shea, P., & Macdonald, F. (2018). Taking a Gamble for High Rewards? Management Perspectives on the Value of Mental Health Peer Workers. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(4), 746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15040746
Take home messages
​
-
Lived Experience employment contributes to more recovery-oriented and person-directed service delivery.
-
Management with greater employment of Lived Experience workers identified increased value and understanding of lived experience generally and reduced stigma.
-
Greater exposure to Lived Experience workers led to greater understanding of Lived Experience roles and greater appreciation of the need for organisational readiness and the need for planning and organisational support.
-
Limitations of Lived Experience work were mitigated by strategies that ensured meaningful recruitment, ongoing support, appropriate supervision and flexibility in the workplace.
Aim
This study aimed to better understand the views of management on Lived Experience work and it’s potential benefits.
Background
As Lived Experience work in the mental health sector is increasingly seen as a key part of mental health reform, there is a trend to employ Lived Experience workers.
Lived Experience roles include direct support, advocacy, management, research, education and, training roles.
Research shows that Lived Experience roles effectively support personal recovery and can bring additional benefits such as:
​
Reduced overall service costs
Better recovery orientation for the whole organisation
A greater focus on person-directed care
Increased understanding and empathy towards people accessing services
Given the increase in Lived Experience roles and the benefits they can bring, it is important to understand what meaningful employment and integration of Lived Experience roles actually looks like.
Management plays an important role in the development of a Lived Experience workforce and the effectiveness of job roles.
Method and Results
Twenty-nine people from 24 organisations participated in this study. Participants were employed in a range of management roles and had diverse exposure to Lived Experience Workers. Exposure ranged from Lived Experience-run organisations (with all staff including management in designated Lived Experience roles) to organisations and individuals who had not yet employed Lived Experience Workers.
​
Ten participants were employed in designated Lived Experience management roles (including two in carer informed roles) and 19 participants were in non-Lived Experience roles (such as: doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, executive administrators, etc.).
Twenty-five face-to-face interviews and one focus group was conducted.
Results
Participants were widely of the belief there were benefits of Lived Experience employment to service users and the organisation. Some participants also raised perceived limitations of the roles. Many participants shared strategies to allow the most benefit from the roles.
Benefits to Service Users
Benefits to the Organisation & Service Users
More equitable relationships with service users
A ‘lived understanding’ provided credibility and opportunities for building relationships and trust
Lived Experience workers provide an example of recovery and hope
Ability to empathise deeply and understand experience of service users
Able to initiate difficult conversations in a more effective way than non-lived experience roles
Able to navigate the mental health system and provide helpful strategies
Reduce the time people spend in hospital and accessing community-based services
Contribute to a positive workplace culture
Contribute to a stronger organisational commitment to recovery orientation
Promote colleagues understanding and applying recovery concepts more in practice
Help hold an organisation accountable for their practice and language and inspire more thoughtful use of language and more inclusive workplace and service
​
Provide a bridge of understanding between workers in traditional roles and service users
Build better understanding of how to effectively support people in crisis
Challenge stigmatised attitudes in the community and organisations
Benefits of Lived Experience Workers: Quotes From Participants
The limitations described by some participants were seen to lessen the value and effectiveness of Lived Experience roles. Perceived limitations included:
​
-
A lack of understanding from colleagues and fears that Lived Experience Workers may pose a threat to traditional roles
​
-
Roles that were poorly designed or tokenistic made them less effective
-
Previous negative experiences when Lived Experience workers used their personal story in ways that were not helpful​
-
Previous negative experiences of Lived Experience workers who were seen to be unreliable or become 'unwell'
Participants noted the importance of organisational strategies and supports to increase the effectiveness, benefits and sustainability of Lived Experience roles. Specific strategies for the Lived Experience workforce as well as whole of workforce strategies were identified. These included:
​
Well planned recruitment
Ongoing and appropriate supervision
Reasonable work adjustments and flexible work arrangements
Self-care that is clearly supported by the organisation
Strategies which Minimise Limitations: Quotes From Participants
Discussion
This study supports previous research showing that Lived Experience workers are needed to facilitate the move to more recovery orientated and person-directed service delivery and to reduce service costs. The findings of this study strengthen existing research by including the views of management.
Management described the benefits of Lived Experience roles, including increased understanding and reduced stigma towards people with mental health diagnoses. Perceived limitations were also noted and these were often linked to previous negative experiences employing Lived Experience workers. Importantly management with greater experience employing Lived Experience workers attributed these perceived limitations to poor planning and workforce development on the part of organisations, rather than individual Lived Experience workers.
​
Organisational strategies were identified to increase effective employment of Lived Experience workers, including well-thought out position descriptions and recruitment processes, adequate supervision and flexible workplace arrangements.