Beyond “Peer Worker”: Centering Experiential Expertise Within Interprofessional Mental Health Teams
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
ABSTRACT Experiential workers, sometimes referred to as “peer support workers” and often simply as “peers,” are increasingly integrated into mental health and community care systems. Despite the growing workforce, these roles remain poorly defined, undervalued, and structurally marginalized. This discussion paper critically examines the systemic challenges faced by experiential workers, including role ambiguity, stigma, precarious employment, and exclusion in interprofessional contexts. Drawing on historical and current debates around professionalization, this paper argues that mental health care teams must actively support the legitimacy and sustainability of experiential work through creation of clearer role definitions and inclusive knowledge frameworks, without compromising its community‐rooted ethos. This is explored through interrogating the implications of terminology, workplace dynamics, and professionalization. Recommendations are provided for clinical teams, organizations, researchers, and policymakers to foster meaningful integration, support, and recognition of experiential workers. These include co‐developing job roles, embedding interprofessional anti‐stigma education, reforming exclusionary labor practices, and funding participatory research. Ultimately, this discussion paper calls for sector‐wide collaboration to address structural inequities and ensure that experiential expertise is valued as core to mental health care. Key Points Experiential workers offer v
Abstract
ABSTRACT Experiential workers, sometimes referred to as “peer support workers” and often simply as “peers,” are increasingly integrated into mental health and community care systems. Despite the growing workforce, these roles remain poorly defined, undervalued, and structurally marginalized. This discussion paper critically examines the systemic challenges faced by experiential workers, including role ambiguity, stigma, precarious employment, and exclusion in interprofessional contexts. Drawing on historical and current debates around professionalization, this paper argues that mental health care teams must actively support the legitimacy and sustainability of experiential work through creation of clearer role definitions and inclusive knowledge frameworks, without compromising its community‐rooted ethos. This is explored through interrogating the implications of terminology, workplace dynamics, and professionalization. Recommendations are provided for clinical teams, organizations, researchers, and policymakers to foster meaningful integration, support, and recognition of experiential workers. These include co‐developing job roles, embedding interprofessional anti‐stigma education, reforming exclusionary labor practices, and funding participatory research. Ultimately, this discussion paper calls for sector‐wide collaboration to address structural inequities and ensure that experiential expertise is valued as core to mental health care. Key Points Experiential workers offer vital lived experience expertise to mental health care but face unclear roles and systemic barriers. nhs70374-li-0001 Stigma and exclusionary practices in healthcare settings undermine the integration and impact of experiential workers. nhs70374-li-0002 Professionalization must be inclusive, preserving the relational and community‐driven strengths of experiential work if the full potential of these roles is to be realized. nhs70374-li-0003 bullet nhs70374-list-0001 highlights nhs70374-abs-5002