Development & Impact

of Peer Mental Health

Support in the
Community
A Review of ras Follin
& Gateway
Dr Rebecca Murphy; Angelika Lindenau; Catherine Corrigan; Carmel
Downes & Professor Agnes Higgins
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin
Study Objectives
The objectives of the study were to:
Describe the model of peer support in operation within Gateway and ras
Follin, and explore if the model
represents a partnership approach to working with mental health
services and;
is compatible with current mental health service priorities;
Explore stakeholders satisfaction with Gateway and ras Follin;
Examine how Gateway and ras Follin deliver on recovery for service
users; and
Identify if the model of multi-agency collaboration is sustainable in respect
of governance and resourcing.
***Co-produced design***
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Study MethodsGateway

Mixed Methods

People who
participate in
the projects

People who
Internal Focus Groups Survey participate in
Stakeholders
the projects

External
Stakeholders

N=3 N=85

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Study Findings Gateway

SATISFACTION IMPACT CHALLENGES

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SatisfactionRecovery in Action

Educative
Sanctuary
Social

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 A sanctuary. A safe place psychologically,
A Sanctuary emotionally safe place, spiritually safe place.

Anybody who engages here does so of [] theres no pressure on you

their own free will. Its absolutely [] the first day I came into the
Non -
voluntary [] and if you are able or if you Prescriptive WRAP group [] it was great to
wish you can also go and fly [leave], no see people saying Im not in the
one will castigate you for it []. humour to say anything today
and I was like Jesus you can say
that? [laughing], great, Ill stay
here

[] it is not focused on the

negative, its more focused on
the positive aspects of your life
Non -
and what your capabilities Choice
Judgmental
could be

Its easy to come in here, whereas some places Id be hmming and hawwing, will I or wont
I? Here I dont have to give it a thought, its just come in and fair enough if I dont like
anything that particular day, usually due to my mood I can just leave, sign out and come
back another day

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A Social Womb

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A Social Womb

Reciprocal []I suppose youd say

outside in public society I
Its like a chain and each Support dont find it easy to interact
of us are a link and we with the world [] what has
are linked together. kept me coming along for
many years is Gateway itself
but Ive made a lot of friends
out of Gateway that I meet
outside here and that is as
important to me as what
happens here.

Understanding
Community & Acceptance

Someone you are talking to has experienced much the same as yourself so youre able to give because you
know, youre able to listen or give because you know kind of what they are going through.

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An Educative Space

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Peer-led
6.79
Focus Group Participant 1: In other day
projects they tell you what to do but in
Gateway youre not told what to do
Focus Group Participant 2: Because
members run Gateway.
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Opportunities to
participate in
organisational aspects
You dont get it [involvement] anywhere else to be
honest you really dont and eh eventually youd get
fed up and leave, whereas I mean Ive been here a
good few years now and I still want to come;
whereas Ive been other places and perhaps Ive said
oh no I think I wont go in today or you just dont
like the fact that its bosses and, and me and others.
Impact on Knowledge
My Mental Health

5.75
6.85

Mental Health Services

5.22
6.42

My Rights & Entitlements

6.36

Education Supports/Services

6.03
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Impact on Skills Coping

Dealing with my Mental

Distress
6.52

Coping with day to day life

issues
6.32

Talking to my Family

5.63

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Impact on Skills Social/Civic Engagement
Making Friends

6.55

Participating in the
community

6.12

Accessing further
education/training

5.51
3.15

Locating work opportunities

4.28
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Impact on SkillsAccessing Support

Asking for what I need

6.30

Accessing mental health

resources

6.22

Knowing how to seek

support

6.49

Talking to professionals

5.94
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Impact on Personal Recovery

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Impact on Personal Recovery
Its through Gateway I sort of began to
understand my own mental health issues
and become aware of them and not feel
theres something wrong with me.
It can give you more confidence to do other things,
like being involved with Mental Health Reform or
meet friends at the weekends, or express your
emotions, talk about how you feel, talk about your
past, all of that is very important. It gives you the
confidence to go to other clubs which are similar, like
the well-being cafe you know.

They [family] see the old [name] has come

back, I didnt think Id get back here but I did.
From being here is was what has helped me.

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Impact on Clinical Recovery..

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Challenges for the Future

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Exciting Potential

Passionate, driven, enthusiastic

people
A bridge into wider civic/social
engagement
A model of organic development
that can be replicated IF
Lets not limit
ourselvesAcknowledge & Support
the Power of the collective
Essential supportive framework for
individual peer support services

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Acknowledgments

Participants
Steering group
Staff and volunteers at ras
Follin and Gateway
Mental Health Ireland
HSE

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 Questions?
What do you think of the study
findings?
Were there
topics/questions/concerns you
wanted to know more about
but the study didnt include
them?
What do you think we should
do next?
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