Earlier this week, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) confirmed that Jean-François Pelletier had been granted his first researcher status within the healthcare establishment. Here's an interview with Jean-François Pelletier to demystify his role.

Let's start by saying that until a few weeks ago, almost all research projects underway at the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest were conducted by university researchers from outside the establishment.  

Those days are over with the arrival of Mr. Pelletier. His first research project will focus on the peer-help approach, a concept that is very close to his heart. It will involve setting up a peer helper structure within the walls of the healthcare establishment.

 "There was a time in my life when I needed a peer helper. I'm not ashamed to say it, I suffered from mental health problems and addiction some 25 years ago, and the peer helper structure set up around me at the time gave a whole new meaning to my recovery experience," he stresses at the outset.

For the uninitiated, peer support is a principle that is well established in self-help groups and sometimes even in the workplace. One of the most common examples is that of the sponsor with whom a new member of an anonymous fraternity, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or others, is paired.

Sharing experiential knowledge

In a press release, the CISSSMO describes the concept as one of sharing one's experiential knowledge and recovery story in order to sustain hope and serve as a positive role model. The peer helper accompanies and encourages users to pursue their own quest for recovery and sense of self-determination, it says.

"Peer support also enables the person who benefits from it to have a concrete example before his or her eyes of an individual who has managed to pull through and be an asset to society. The peer helper also offers the beneficiary the opportunity to relieve the shame associated with his or her health problems," he adds.

A service already in place at Hôpital du Suroît

Although Mr. Pelletier's appointment was announced this week, he has already been in post for several weeks. At the time of writing, the peer helper service, which has six peer helpers in its ranks, is already being offered at Hôpital du Suroît, more specifically in the mental health and dependency department.

"Often, when we go to the psychiatric emergency room, it's as a last resort and against our will in most cases. It's an austere environment. Normally, the people who work there are overworked and don't always have the time to listen to patients for hours on end. That's where the peer helper comes in, by coming to meet them and taking all the time needed to listen, if need be, or simply to offer a reassuring presence. A gesture that can make all the difference in their recovery process," he maintains.

What distinguishes a hospital peer helper from other healthcare professionals? "They don't take notes. They never do. He has nothing in his hands. He's literally paid to do nothing. He's always available to listen and support patients in need. He's an integral part of the treatment team, even if many professionals don't always understand his role," confides the man who also teaches peer support at the Université de Montréal.

An emerging service in Quebec

On a provincial scale, peer support is a concept that is being implemented in the healthcare sector. In particular, it is helping to reduce waiting lists for access to a competent professional within the framework of the Programme québécois pour les troubles mentaux : des autosoins à la psychothérapie (PQPTM).

According to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux website, this is how the initiative is described:

The PQPTM is inspired by the experience of the English program: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) launched in 2008. The latter has proved compatible with the organization of services in Quebec, since it is universal, free and organized to provide efficient care and services that take account of people's needs. The program is based on an evidence-based, step-by-step model of care. It is derived from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical practice guidelines.

Although inspired by the IAPT, the PQPTM has been adapted to suit the context of care, services and organization of the Quebec healthcare system, as well as current legislation, including the Professional Code and the Act to amend the Professional Code and other legislative provisions in the field of mental health and human relations.

Professionally, Mr. Pelletier holds a doctorate in political science with a specialization in mental health policy: "La politique de santé mentale du Québec", issued by the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2002, as well as a post-doctoral academic background combined with over 12 years' experience.  

The strong interest in research shown by Mr. Jean-François Pelletier in the course of his duties as a specialist in clinical activities, peer support, accompanying family members and primacy of the person in the Mental Health and Dependency Programs Department makes him an ideal candidate to carry out the research project," concludes the CISSSMO in its press release.

In the near future, CISSSMO would like to extend the peer helper concept to several fields of expertise. "We will align ourselves with the expectations set by the government as part of the PQPTM. We'd also like to offer the service in open areas serving a clientele aged 12 to 25. At the provincial level, we will continue to train people to become peer helpers in their workplaces, to meet the growing demand for this service," he concludes.