By supporting young people and their families in their recovery, peer supporters (PA) and family peer supporters (PAF) are often in the best position to help individuals develop strategies to sustain their health in a lasting way beyond the services received in hospital settings. The presence of a mentor and the sharing of experiences can facilitate access to and engagement in services for young people and their families.

The integration of PAs and PAFs is part of the recommendations in the Reference Framework for Programs for First Psychotic Episodes (PPEP) of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). The 2022-2026 Interdepartmental Mental Health Action Plan highlights the expertise of PAs/PAFs in promoting full participation of individuals and the development of recovery-oriented services.

This project, which aims to develop peer and family peer support within Quebec’s PPEPs, is part of a Rapid Learning System (SARPEP) that includes 20 PPEPs and is expanding to encompass all programs in the province. More specifically, this component seeks to integrate PAs/PAFs into 12 PPEPs initially associated with the project. SARPEP aims to support the integration and interventions of PAs/PAFs through various approaches within the PAIR-PEP model that we are developing:

1. Various tools to support referrals to PAs, PA interventions within interdisciplinary intervention plans (PII), and according to the needs of young people;

2. Group supervision and mentoring: provided by experienced mentors in peer support.

3. SARPEP Community of Practice: involving stakeholders (young people, families, teams, managers, and researchers) and the PAs/PAFs of the project.

Several training sessions and tools will be available on the website SARPEP.ca. The objectives are to determine whether PAIR-PEP facilitates the integration of PAs/PAFs into teams, to evaluate the impact on stakeholders, and to identify the barriers and facilitators of their integration.