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PDS Workforce Survey

Introduction

Welcome to the Oregon Peer Delivered Services Workforce Assessment being conducted by the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) and Oregon Peer Delivered Services Coalition (OPDSCo) in collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority’s Office of Equity & Inclusion (OEI)!

Your work is so important and your experiences and opinions will help influence the future of peer support in Oregon.

Thank you for your interest and support with this effort.

Background: The Oregon Peer Delivered Services Coalition (OPDSCo) is a statewide consumer network focused on workforce development for peers across the state. We bring together individuals and agencies vested in the successful delivery of peer practices and the advancement of the peer workforce statewide. OPDSCo is led by a Steering Committee composed of peer leaders and advocates from across Oregon.

Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon is a peer-run, community-based nonprofit. Through support from the State Office of Equity & Inclusion, MHAAO and OPDSCo are conducting a statewide peer workforce needs assessment.

Persons with lived experience play an important role in the workforce and in supporting recovery and self-directed whole health outcomes. Through the Oregon Health Authority, peer workers can become state-approved as Traditional Health Workers (THWs). There are 5 different types of Traditional Health Worker as defined by the Oregon Health Authority. Two of the five types are specific to the peer workforce: Peer Support Specialist (PSS) and Peer Wellness Specialist (PWS). Both worker types have numerous sub-types in line with the lived experience of the PSS or PWS (e.g. mental health, addictions, family support, youth, etc). The PSS and PWS have two specific sub-types of Family Support Specialist and Youth Support Specialist, within which both may work in mental health, addiction, and other peer-related capacities related to their lived experience.

Please visit https://www.oregon.gov/oha/OEI/Pages/THW-Become-Certified.aspx to learn more.

Survey purpose: The purpose of this survey is to collect data on the peer workforce in Oregon and inform a needs assessment on the role of those working within peer delivered services as Peer Support Specialists (including Certified Recovery Mentors) and Peer Wellness Specialists, inclusive of all sub-types. This survey will enable peer workers across the state to share feedback and information on what their jobs look like and how to improve support of the peer workforce.  
 
We hope to be able to use the information that you provide to further peer delivered services across Oregon through advocacy, education, awareness-raising, and communications. This needs assessment will support the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Peer Delivered Services Coalition, partners, and others statewide to better support our workforce and keep our workforce healthy and robust. This survey will help identify and meet the needs of workers now and in the future.

What can I expect from the survey? Depending on how detailed your responses are, we estimate this survey will take between 15 – 30 minutes. You may save and return to the survey at any time. There are 8 categories of questions within the survey:

1) Certification and Peer Worker Type
2) Workload
3) Employment
4) Current Workplace
5) Workplace Attitudes
6) Supervision
7) Medicaid and Payment Models
8) Pay and Benefits
9) Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services

Finally, there were will be optional demographic questions that will not be connected to your survey responses.

How will results of this survey be used? Results of this survey will be used to inform a statewide assessment on the Oregon peer workforce. Results from this survey will be combined with other data collection activities (e.g. discussion groups and key informant interviews) to create a report for the Oregon Office of Equity & Inclusion that outlines opportunities, challenges, barriers, and recommendations for improving Peer Support Specialist and Peer Wellness Specialist integration in the State of Oregon. This report, once completed, will be widely shared in addition to being available online.

Will my identity be shared or connected to my responses? No. This survey is completely anonymous. All results will be reported in the aggregate (individual responses will be combined and shared on the whole) and your individual responses will remain confidential. At the end of the survey, you will have the option to enter your email address if you would like to be added to the Oregon Peer Delivered Services Coalition mailing list. Your email will not be connected with your survey responses.

Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can withdraw at any time if you would no longer like to participate in the survey.

Who do I contact if I have questions about this survey? Please contact Adrienne Scavera, Director of Training and Outreach with MHAAO, at ascavera@mhaoforegon.org

Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated.