In the evolving landscape of mental health and substance use treatment, peer mentorship has emerged as a transformative tool, particularly for adolescents. Peer Mentorship is a unique form of mental health treatment built on a therapeutic alliance quite unlike any other in the mental health field. It presents opportunities to connect with and help people, especially youth, to heal and grow through simply having a safe, dependable person to talk to, who shows a genuine interest in them and their interests, thoughts, ideas, and emotions. At Antelope Recovery, peer mentorship plays a crucial role in supporting youth struggling with both mental health issues and substance use disorders. This blog explores the role of peer mentorship in treatment, its benefits and challenges, and why it is an important option to consider for young people confronting these issues.
What is peer mentorship?
Peer mentorship involves one-on-one sessions between a mentor between the ages of 19 and 27 and a teen in treatment. The strong connection that comes from shared experiences distinguishes peer mentorship from traditional therapeutic relationships. The mentor, having faced similar struggles, can foster a unique therapeutic alliance based on understanding and mutual respect, creating an environment where the adolescent feels seen and heard.
For many adolescents, peer mentors’ relatability helps break down the barriers that can make formal therapy feel inaccessible or intimidating. Peer mentors’ personal experiences with mental health struggles and substance use provide a level of authenticity and connection that can be critical in encouraging participation in treatment.
Getting your foot in the door is the biggest part of the battle with teens.
Engagement is one of the most challenging ongoing puzzles for those working in teen mental healthcare. When you’re facing a room full of eye-rolling youth zombies wielding their weapons of sass-destruction it can feel impossible to figure out – How do we get these youth to show up and participate?
Peer mentors are our secret sauce – they get our foot in the door with teens.
Our peer mentors are creative. And they get it. They are young people who have been in treatment themselves.
What happens during our peer mentor sessions?
- We might spend an hour bonding over how much therapy sucks.
- We sew patches onto jackets and put stickers on stuff (teens love stickers, as do we).
- We listen to music.
- We go on walks.
- We meet each other’s pets (we recently got to meet a ferret!)
The Validity of Peer Mentorship as a Psychological Intervention
A significant shift is occurring in the treatment world, as Medicaid has begun reimbursing for peer mentorship services, recognizing peer mentorship as a valid psychological intervention. This change legitimizes peer mentorship within the healthcare system and increases access to crucial support services for youth. This development is particularly timely due to the ongoing workforce shortage of licensed therapists. By incorporating peer mentorship into treatment programs, organizations can extend their reach and serve more young people in need. This reimbursement change represents a vital step forward in expanding the range of available services, allowing for a more holistic approach to youth mental health and substance use care.
The evidence shows that peer mentorship can support the following:
Reduced re-hospitalization rates:
- Pierce County, Washington, reduced involuntary hospitalization by 32% by using certified peer specialists offering respite services, leading to a savings of 1.99 million dollars in one year.
- A study of 76 individuals who had been admitted to Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital (all who had at least two psychiatric hospitalizations in the previous 18 months) compared the outcomes of those who had been assigned a peer mentor with the outcomes of those who received standard post-discharge services. The individuals in the peer mentor group had double the average time to psychiatric rehospitalization than those receiving standard care – 270 days compared to 135 days.
Reduced days in inpatient care:
- Participants assigned a peer mentor had significantly fewer hospital days (10.08 vs. 19.08) & re-hospitalizations (average .89 verses 1.53) over nine months.
- WI PeerLink Program showed a 71% decrease in acute inpatient days per month.
- In two of their managed care contracts, Optum saw an 80.5% average reduction of inpatient days for individuals who had at least two hospitalizations on average per year.
Lowered overall cost of services:
- A study of Medicaid claims and enrollment data in New York City found that in the month of peer-staffed crisis respite use and the following 11 months, Medicaid expenditures averaged $2,138 less per Medicaid-enrolled month.
- A Federally Qualified Health Center in Denver (FQHC) that used peer support had an ROI of $2.28 for every $1 spent.
- The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities found that
Patients using certified peer specialists as a part of their treatment vs. patients who received typical services in day treatment cost the state $997 per year on average vs. an
average cost of $6,491 in day treatment, providing an average cost savings of $5,494 per person per year.
When is Peer Mentorship Right for Your Teen?
Parents or guardians should consider peer mentorship for their teens if:
- Have had abusive or scary relationships with adults
- Are defiant, confrontational, or have authority challenges
- Struggle with loneliness and belonging
- Struggle with social anxiety
- Have stigma around therapy from family or friends
Peer mentorship might not be necessary for kids who…
- Have strong social skills and a strong group of friends
- Connect well with adults and are eager to participate in therapy
- Is focusing on very specific skill building or complex trauma in session
How peer mentors are trained:
Peer mentors receive training and are licensed similarly to other mental health professionals. These programs equip peer mentors with the skills to provide guidance, support, and understanding based on their lived experiences. Training typically includes modules on active listening, crisis intervention, mental health awareness, and ethical considerations. Programs emphasize the importance of self-care and maintaining boundaries to prevent burnout among mentors. In Colorado, obtaining a peer mentor license is required, ensuring mentors are recognized for their qualifications and can effectively contribute to the recovery process. Such licensing enhances the credibility and quality of peer mentorship support.
Peer mentorship with higher acuity youth:
Peer mentorship has been particularly helpful in helping us get higher-acuity youth through the door, even if they are not ready or willing to engage with a therapist. This has led to some incredible successes from our peer mentor team, where teens who otherwise would not have gotten help are now enrolled in a full IOP program.
However, when the urgency of the teens’ needs does not align with their willingness to seek professional help, we can find ourselves navigating a difficult dance of encouraging enrollment without scaring away and not exposing our peer mentors to challenges over their heads. Peer mentors need to know they’re not alone in navigating the complex situations many teens these days are facing. To address this, you need to have fostered a close-knit team environment where a peer mentor has immediate back-up support from other staff members. Our peer mentors are trained to recognize their limitations, and when they feel overwhelmed, they know they’re not alone.
As we continue to face a mental health crisis, particularly among our youth, exploring and implementing innovative approaches like peer mentorship is more important than ever. We are excited about the opportunity of peer mentorship to dramatically shift our ability to support the teens in our community and encourage families and youth to explore this option.
