Evaluation of a Skills Enhancement Training Intervention With Remote Coaching for Young Adults Providing Peer Support

Synopsis: A novel training intervention developed, in part, by young adults who had received intensive mental health services was shown to increase young adult peer support specialists’ confidence and skills in facilitating person-centered planning and to decrease role-related inefficacy and anxiety. TWEET: A training intervention for young adult peer support specialists increased confidence and skills in facilitating person-centered planning and decreased role-related inefficacy and anxiety. This column reports on a study that investigated a skills enhancement and role clarification training intervention for young adult peer support specialists (YPSSs). Young adults who had received intensive mental health services—including young adults who had experience as YPSSs—were partners in developing the intervention and in completing all aspects of the study. Study participants were YPSSs who were already providing one-on-one, person-centered planning in community settings before the study. The results, based on YPSSs’ self-reports and rated video recordings of YPSSs’ practice, showed postintervention gains in participants’ skills and confidence in providing person-centered planning to the young people they worked with as well as reduced job-related anxiety and high training satisfaction.