Abstract
BACKGROUND: Embedding youth peer workers within youth mental health services is critical to integrating the personal lived experience of recovery-oriented and trauma-informed approaches in care and helping young people to make sense of the system. However, research into the optimal engagement of youth peer workers is lacking, which limits opportunities for integrating personal lived experience within care. This paper evaluated peer workers' experiences of integration into youth mental health services to identify strategies for optimal integration. METHODS: Best-fit framework synthesis was used to investigate peer worker experiences within youth mental health services using data collected from 12 peer workers through semi-structured interviews. Themes were coded according to the key components for integrating youth peer workers into services as presented by previous guidelines (role clarity, training, supervision, professional development, agency and co-design, non-peer education and relationships, communication, well-being, ongoing evaluation, remuneration and policy). FINDINGS: Key areas of successful implementation of youth peer workers included communication networks between peers, supervision and non-peer relationships. Areas for further development included improved role clarity, training, policy and remuneration and improvement in non-peer staff understanding of peer roles. CONCLUSIONS: The best practice framework has utility as a model for guiding implementation evaluation of youth peer workforce into mental health services. The findings highlight the need for supporting employment pathways for youth peer workers. Further, there is a need for professional development opportunities to increase the integration of peer workers into youth mental health services. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: One of the first authors is a youth peer worker who was involved in the design and conduct of the study, interpretation of the data and preparation of the manuscript.