TY  - JOUR
AU  - Collins-Pisano, Caroline
AU  - Velez Court, Juan
AU  - Johnson, Michael
AU  - Mois, George
AU  - Brooks, Jessica
AU  - Myers, Amanda
AU  - Muralidharan, Anjana
AU  - Storm, Marianne
AU  - Wright, Maggie
AU  - Berger, Nancy
AU  - Kasper, Ann
AU  - Fox, Anthony
AU  - MacDonald, Sandi
AU  - Schultze, Sarah
AU  - Fortuna, Karen
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/12/16
TI  - Core Competencies to Promote Consistency and Standardization of Best Practices for Digital Peer Support: Focus Group Study
JO  - JMIR Ment Health
SP  - e30221
VL  - 8
IS  - 12
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - peer support
KW  - competencies
KW  - training
KW  - digital
AB  - Background: As digital peer support is quickly expanding across the globe in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, standardization in the training and delivery of digital peer support can advance the professionalism of this field. While telehealth competencies exist for other fields of mental health practice, such as social work, psychiatry, and psychology, limited research has been done to develop and promote digital peer support competencies. Objective: The goal of this study is to introduce the coproduction of core competencies that can guide digital peer support. Methods: Peer support specialists were recruited through an international listserv and participated in a 1-hour virtual focus group. A total of four focus groups were conducted with 59 peer support specialists from 11 US states and three countries. Results: Analysis was conducted using the rigorous and accelerated data reduction (RADaR) technique, and 10 themes were identified: (1) protecting the rights of service users, (2) technical knowledge and skills in the practice of digital peer support, (3) available technologies, (4) equity of access, (5) digital communication skills, (6) performance-based training, (7) self-care, (8) monitoring digital peer support and addressing digital crisis, (9) peer support competencies, and (10) health literacy (emerging). The authors present recommendations based on these themes. Conclusions: The introduction of digital peer support core competencies is an initial first step to promote the standardization of best practices in digital peer support. The established competencies can potentially act as a guide for training and skill development to be integrated into US state peer support specialist competencies and to enhance competencies endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 
SN  - 2368-7959
UR  - https://mental.jmir.org/2021/12/e30221
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/30221
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34736223
DO  - 10.2196/30221
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/30221
ER  -