Search

Experts by experience involvement in mental health education has consistently demonstrated positive attitudinal outcomes including a greater appreciation for recovery-focused practice. Mental health academic allies have played a crucial role in supporting implementation of expert by experience academic positions. To date the inclusion of their views in research is limited. The aim of this study was to explore and present allies' reflections on their involvement in supporting expert by experience academic roles in relation to "hindsight" and "foresight." A qualitative descriptive design was used, involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with allies who had supported the implementation of academic roles for experts by experience. Participants described the wisdom of hindsight. Based on their own experiences they emphasised the importance of, laying the groundwork, facilitating a supportive environment, contributing to meaningful, credible, and sustainable roles, and vision for the future as key to successful implementation. They also described a vision for the expansion of expert by experience roles in mental health education in the future. Allies' reflections suggest the importance of preparation to facilitate a smooth as possible implementation process and enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes. The transition to recovery-focused mental health services requires the attitudes of health professionals to change. The potential of experts by experience to influence attitudinal change can be enhanced by understanding the experiences and reflections of academic allies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Changes in patterns of drug use and population needs necessitate the adoption of new technologies. Despite high failure rates in adopting new technologies acquired in training, little is known about the process that can support successful change. This study explores the impact that staff and service characteristics have on the process of training adoption in Irish opiate substitution therapy services, with a specific focus on the concept of organizational readiness to change. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 132 staff members across 12 services in Ireland. The relationship between staff demographics, their perceptions of organizational readiness to change, burnout, and a four-stage process of training adoption were considered. Results: Discipline, job tenure, and educational levels are important predictors of engagement in the adoption process. Staff in services with higher institutional needs, greater pressures for change, and poorer resources were less likely to be exposed to, or adopt, training. Having lower levels of stress and more influence with peers was associated with better adoption of training. Conclusions: Planners and service managers need to carefully consider the composition or dynamics of services when initiating change. Organizational readiness to change and staff characteristics as measured by instruments used in this study are important determinants of the process of innovation or training adoption and provide a good basis for developing further understanding of how treatment services work. This article expands on results from previous studies conducted in the United States to a European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Experts by experience involvement in the education of health professionals demonstrate positive attitudinal change.Meaningful positions for Experts by Experience are limited and ad hoc, due to attitudinal and other barriers to innovation within the higher education sector.Experiences of allies who have supported the implementation of Expert by Experience positions have not been researched. This is important knowledge that could be utilized by potential allies. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: Academic allies to experts by experience have a crucial role to play in identifying opportunities to establish, implement and sustain expert by experience positions.Allies who have successfully implemented positions for experts by experience have identified influential factors including: right person, right role, collaboration and coproduction, support, and career pathways.Understanding these factors can provide an important basis for other academics to support a widespread increase in academic roles for experts by experience in mental health education. What are the implications for practice?: Establishing and maintaining genuine relationships with service users require significant attitudinal change on the part of mental health professionals. Involving experts by experience in mental health education provides an innovative approach to the challenging of attitudes and the enhancement of more collegial relationships with service users as colleagues in the workplace.This paper demonstrates the importance of allyship to the establishment, implementation and sustainability of expert by experience roles, and highlights critical factors allies have utilized in support of such roles.Nurses and other mental health professional academics have the potential to become allies and support change and innovation. Introduction: Experts by experience in academia have demonstrated more positive student attitudes towards relationships with service users. Notwithstanding this supportive evidence, academic positions for EBE have not grown substantially. Enhanced understanding of positions that have been implemented is important knowledge for others with similar aspirations. Aim: To enrich understanding of the role of allies in identifying and pursuing opportunities to support academic positions for experts by experience. Methods: Qualitative exploratory approach, involving In‐depth interviews with allies with expertise in supporting academic positions for experts by experience. Results: Participants were enthusiastic about creating or taking opportunities to secure expert by experience involvement within their programs. Factors facilitating success included right person, right role, collaboration and coproduction, support and career pathways. Conclusions: Significant barriers have prevented proliferation of academic roles for experts by experience. Despite barriers, allies have been successful in supporting the implementation and sustaining of positions, and gained considerable expertise, which may be invaluable to academics with similar aspirations. Implications for practice: Realization of policy goals regarding service user involvement in mental health services requires health professionals with the will to embrace partnerships. By creating and taking opportunities, allies have developed expertise to facilitate implementation of positions more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]