Leveraging the Expertise of the Community: A Case for Expansion of a Peer Workforce in Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health

Hillary A. Robertson (), Matthew G. Biel, Katherine R. Hayes, Sara Snowden, Latisha Curtis, Dominique Charlot-Swilley, Elyssa S. Clauson, Arrealia Gavins, Caslin M. Sisk, Noel Bravo, Erica E. Coates and Celene E. Domitrovich ()
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Hillary A. Robertson: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Matthew G. Biel: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Katherine R. Hayes: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Sara Snowden: Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Latisha Curtis: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Dominique Charlot-Swilley: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Elyssa S. Clauson: Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Arrealia Gavins: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Caslin M. Sisk: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Noel Bravo: Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Erica E. Coates: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Celene E. Domitrovich: Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: The rise in child and adolescent mental health concerns has led to the need for an expanded workforce to meet the needs of our nation’s families. Peer paraprofessionals (PPs) have proven to be impactful in the areas of adult mental health (MH) and substance use disorders, and for persons with chronic medical conditions. PPs can contribute to addressing child, adolescent, and family MH needs by being deployed in community settings and providing both emotional and tangible support to families and children. Additional use of PPs can address equity gaps in MH services by improving access to support and enhancing the cultural acceptability of MH interventions. A concentrated effort to expand and develop this workforce may help to alleviate the strain on the current MH system. The Georgetown University Infant and Early Childhood Certificate program is a paraprofessional training program that prepares community members to meet the MH needs of families with young children. The authors will describe the results of a qualitative study examining the landscape of peer paraprofessional services in DC that was conducted to support the expansion of the peer workforce to include individuals with expertise in infant and early childhood mental health.

Keywords: family peer support; community health worker; child mental health; workforce (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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