Former Patients as Peer Counselors on Locked Psychiatric Inpatient Units

This program for training former patients to be peer counselors for hospitalized patients has been implemented successfully in a large public sector acute psychiatric inpatient service over the past four years. Althrough initially some staff were skeptical about the merits of the program, there has been increased demand from staff for peer counseling services as well as requests that client-run groups and services be expanded. We recommend additional collaborative efforts between mental health professionals and consumers. Further evaluation of such programs should focus on their impact on patients who are counseled.