SAATHI
Developing a digital curriculum for peer support workers working with persons with severe mental illness
Project Duration: Feb 2023 - Dec 2024
Background
- Peer support enhances people's well-being; individuals benefit from increased networks of support, fewer hospital visits, a decreased risk of involuntary treatment, and improved social skills, self-worth, and confidence.
- Peer support has a significant positive impact on both - the service user participating in engagement, as well as the peer support worker
- There is a lack of uniformity in the training materials, certifications, curriculum, and pre-requisites for becoming a peer support worker
- The goal of our effort is to create this curriculum, digitize it, and test its viability and acceptability with peer support providers
Objectives
The long-term goal is to reduce coercion and involuntary treatment of individuals with serious mental health conditions and to scale up mental health programs by addressing the lack of a standardized peer support training module in India. The objectives are
- The structure of peer support for mental illness in low-and-middle income countries; an
- The key components of global peer support programs in severe mental illness
- To co-develop a peer delivered curriculum to support individuals with severe mental illnes
