Promoting psychologically safe workplaces for peer workers supporting people who experience domestic and family violence: peer perspectives and the potential role of psychologists

Background Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a significant issue worldwide. Victim-survivors often engage mental health workers to assist with their recovery, including lived experience peer workers who are an important group increasingly being employed across many types of services, providing support underpinned by mutuality, equality and reciprocity, drawing on their own lived experiences. No studies have investigated peer worker perspectives and experiences regarding their support needs when working with people who have experienced or are experiencing DFV and the support psychologists might provide. Methods This Australian study employed four qualitative focus groups with lived experience mental health and suicide prevention peer workers. Participants shared perspectives about their support needs when working with people who have experienced DFV, the potential role of psychologists and other professionals in supporting peer workers’ wellbeing at work, and what they need to promote psychologically safe workplaces that value their lived experience expertise. Lived experience researchers, psychological scientists and psychologists worked collaboratively to analyse data using descriptive thematic analysis methods. Results Participants included 20 peer workers (18 women / 2 men), working across diverse mental health and suicide prevention service roles in psychosocial and clinical settings. One overarching theme of ‘safety’ and three subthemes were identified. Safety was seen both as an issue for people that peer workers support as well as psychological safety for themselves in the workplace. Participants spoke about challenges in navigating differences in the expertise, knowledge and practice of peer workers as compared to psychologists and other professionals as part of supporting peer workers’ wellbeing at work. Participants identified needs as individuals and within organisational culture, practice, and service systems, including greater acknowledgement of their role and expertise, more attention to privacy and confidentiality, education and training for psychologists and other professionals about lived experience peer work, and more explicit focus on DFV within peer workers education and training, peer group reflection and supervision. Conclusions Findings underscore the need for more education and training for all workers supporting people with DFV experiences, including peer workers and psychologists. Addressing these concerns is essential to create psychologically safe workplaces for this important workforce. Trial registration Not applicable