Frequently Asked Questions about Peer Programs
Below are questions the PEER Center and three training sites have received during Webcasts and via email. The answers to these questions are based on the experience of the three peer education training sites, particularly as they relate to the peer programs at the Kansas City Free Health Clinic, Harlem Hospital in New York, and WORLD in Oakland, CA. If you have a question that is not addressed here, please contact us.
Planning a peer program
- What are some of the major challenges in starting a peer program?
- What strategies have you used to encourage medical providers to accept peers?
The role of peers
- How do peers work in cooperation with Ryan White case managers?
- Do your peers facilitate groups? Alone or with a professional?
- How do you make sure that peers are integrated into the health care team?
- What is the average caseload of peers in your programs?
- Are your peers accessible to clients during evening hours or weekends?
- Do your peers transport clients? If so, do they use their own vehicles, and are there any liability issues?
- How can a peer discuss disclosure with a client?
Recruitment/hiring of peers
- What are the main challenges you face in recruiting peer advocates and how do you overcome these?
- Are the peers in your program full- or part-time?
- Do you distinguish between peers that are paid and volunteers?
- What benefits do the peers in your programs receive?
- What screening procedures do you use to help you select individuals that are appropriate for the peer role?
- What is the average pay for a peer educator?
- Is being HIV-positive a requirement for your peers? If so, how do you advertise this requirement in the peer job description?
- Do you have any criteria for hiring peers who have had alcohol or drug problems or mental health issues?
- Do you require that your peers be on a drug regimen?
- Are peers hired and paid by the clinic in which they work?
Training of peers
- What kind of training do peers receive?
- Is there a specific training program utilized by all three sites to train the peers?
- Do you offer peer training?
Supervision
- How often do your peers get clinical supervision?
- How do you help peers maintain appropriate boundaries with clients?
- What do you do when a client is not receptive to the peer?
- How do you ensure that peers continue their own adherence?
- Have you experienced any HIPAA violations with peers?
Evaluation
- How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your programs?
- Do you have any evaluation tools for your programs that you can share?
- Are there specific studies on the efficacy of peers in treatment adherence?
Funding for peer programs
General questions
- Adherence is difficult for some people because of the psychological aspects. How would you help a client with taking medication?
- Do you have transgender clients? If so, what particular challenges do you see with this population?
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