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Supervising Peer Support Staff

This section of the self-assessment asks you to identify how well prepared the supervisors of PS/As in your organizations are to offer peer-informed effective supervision. Rate your organization’s current level of competency for supervising PS/As.

For each competency, rate your organization’s level of competency according to the 3 point scale below the examples.

1 Competency 19: Our organization trains supervisors on the role of the PS/A, including how peer support values and practices fit in with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - Supervisors of PS/As lack time or incentive to acquire knowledge about the role and practices.
  • Adequate (2) - Supervisors of PS/As have been trained on the peer support role, integrate it into practice, and guide all of their staff on how the values and practices of peer support fit within the overall service delivery system.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - Supervisors of PS/As don’t just talk about the vision for including peer support but lead by example, e.g.: advocating for advancement of peer staff, hiring more peer staff, and/or cultivating leadership from within.
2 Competency 20: Our organization trains supervisors of PS/As in strengths-based approaches to staff development, performance evaluations, co-supervision, co-reflection, and grievances.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - Supervisors of PS/As do not use strengths-based approaches to the supervision of peer staff.
  • Adequate (2) - Supervisors of PS/As use strengths-based approaches in the supervision of peer staff.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - Supervisors of PS/As request feedback from peer staff on how well they provide non-clinical, strengths-based feedback and strive to continue to improve all aspects of their supervision.
3 Competency 21: Our organization requires supervisors to provide dedicated supervision in the formats that best meet the needs of the individual PS/As and the team.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - Supervisors of PS/As do not provide dedicated time for supervision.
  • Adequate (2) - Supervisors of PS/As provide dedicated time for supervision.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - Supervisors of PS/As provide supervision in the format that matches the personal and professional needs of each individual.
4 Competency 22: Our organization trains supervisors of PS/As about the impact of stress, trauma, secondary trauma, and related experiences and how to help affected peer support staff address their work, health, well-being, connections, and work-life balance.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - Supervisors of PS/As are not trained to recognize the impact of work-related trauma and view responses peer staff may be having to trauma or secondary trauma as symptoms of mental illness.
  • Adequate (2) - Supervisors of PS/As are trained to recognize the impact of work-related trauma and help peer staff that are may be responding to trauma or secondary trauma to engage in self-care activities.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - Supervisors of PS/As provide opportunities for staff to receive training in managing stress and related topics, and hold discussions during supervision and staff meetings on strategies for addressing personal and workplace wellness.
5 Competency 23: Our organization provides in-discipline supervision for all direct care staff, which requires non-peer supervisors to provide PS/As with opportunities to receive skill development and task-focused supervision from experienced peer support professionals.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - PS/As with non-peer supervisors are not given the option to receive supervision from an experienced peer support professional.
  • Adequate (2) - PS/As with non-peer supervisors are given the option to receive supervision from an experienced peer support professional.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - PS/As 
with non-peer supervisors consult with a peer network or peer-/family-peer-run organization in the community for additional exposure to skill development and guidance on their type of peer support specialty.
6 Competency 24: Our organization ensures that supervisors provide PS/As with targeted training in telehealth service delivery.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - PS/As receive little or no training from their supervisor on the delivery of Telehealth peer support services.
  • Adequate (2) - PS/As receive basic training from their supervisor on the delivery of Telehealth peer support services.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - PS/As receive advanced training and technical assistance from their supervisor or others with expertise on the delivery of Telehealth peer support services.
7 Competency 25: Our organization equips supervisors with the skills and knowledge to train PS/As on the required elements for the documentation of delivered peer support services.

Examples: Which of the following examples is most like your organization right now?

  • Needs Improvement (1) - PS/As receive little or no training from their supervisor on how to document Medicaid reimbursable peer support services.
  • Adequate (2) - PS/As receive basic training from their supervisor on how to document Medicaid reimbursable peer support services.
  • Exemplary (3) - In addition to Adequate (above) - PS/As receive individualized training from their supervisor who identifies documentation strategies and technical skills needed to complete documentation with or without assistive technologies such as audio dictation or voice recognition software.