European profile for Peer-Worker Erasmus Project

Project Title

European profile for Peer-Worker

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Recognition, transparency, certification; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

In the participating countries, the peer supporters are in the following situation:
In the past few years, the use of peer supporters in psycho-social care has become a common practice in many European countries. The specific role played by the peer supporter, however, varies in the individual countries and reflects different steps in the development of this function. In spite of these differences, one principle is based on all: the function of the recovery companion is always based on the concept of recovery support – “expert by experience”. Recovery affects all areas of life, such as social commitment, housing, income, physical health, well-being, sexuality etc. Recovery is a complex process and requires a methodological approach. It is important that recovery support is offered by qualified professionals. Peer support work is evolving into a new profession and the successes we see are so promising that recovery in the near future will always be more than a therapeutic principle in the EU countries. Recovery and peer support work seamlessly integrate into the current EU policy, which promotes the transition to “Community Based Mental Health”.
Many psychiatric and therapeutic institutions throughout the EU are taking peer supporters into their teams. There could be even more – even permanent – employment if the institutions had standardized job descriptions, access requirements, and competency profiles of the peer supporter.
The aim of the project is therefore to create Europe-wide working standards for the work of the peer workers: job description, entry requirements, competence profile and placement in the company and therapy team. These standards will form the basis for qualification modules in education and training for the recovery companion in psychosocial work.
Subgoals are:
a) Description of the tasks of the peer workers in the company and team.
b) Evaluation of the different experiences and development statuses in the work of the peer workers of the participating countries in order to develop a qualification profile for all in the form of a competence matrix.
c) Standardization and recognition of the comparable competences of the recovery companions from the participating countries.
d) Development of a guideline for companies and therapeutic teams on the topic of the placement of the recovery companion.
e) Creation of a qualification module for managers of psychiatric and psychosocial work institutions on employment opportunities for convalescent assistants.
f) Improvement of the employment opportunities of existing or prospective health-care workers throughout Europe.
In addition, the target group of managers and team leaders of the psychosocial institutions will benefit from the project, for which in addition to the description of the competence profiles a guide to the position of the recovery companion in the company and a qualification module for this emerge.
Participating countries and institutions are:
a) Germany (Grone GeSo)
b) Netherlands with the organizations Coordan and GGZ
c) Poland (CEDU)
d) Greece (Etairia)
e) Norway (Sørlandet sykehus HF Clinic for psykisk helse)
Direct target group:
* Already active/prospective peer workers
Indirect target groups:
a) Patients of psychiatry on the mend of recovery
b) Institutions of psychiatric and psycho-social work
c) Social welfare institutions
d) Head of psycho-social institutions
e) Teams of psycho-social institutions
f) Associations from the field of psychiatry, psycho-social work
g) Insurance carrier
h) Political decision-makers.
The innovative character of this project is the result of the topic area and the target group. The development of Europe-wide working standards for the peer workers, their competency profile as well as the description of their place in the organization and team should create transparency in the activity of the direct target group. The developed products support to a high degree of inclusion in the participating countries.
The uniform standards, adapted to the circumstances of the participating countries, create transparency for the work of the peer workers, and enable comparability and recognition of the existing competencies relevant to this function.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 288455,28 Eur

Project Coordinator

Grone Bildungszentrum für Gesundheits- und Sozialberufe GmbH gemeinnützig & Country: DE

Project Partners

• SOCIETY OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY P. SAKELLAROPOULOS
• CEdu Sp. z o.o.
• SORLANDET SYKEHUS HF
• STICHTING GGZ NOORD-HOLLAND-NOORD
• STICHTING CORDAAN GROEP