From Disruption to Reconstruction: Implementing Peer Support in Homelessness During Times of Crisis for Health and Social Care Services.

Introduction: Peer support workers-people with a significant lived and living experience of a social or health condition-use their experiential knowledge and obtain training to help and care for others. They are integrated in different clinical settings, including those for people experiencing homelessness. Most research on peer support implementation in homelessness has not considered the timing of the implementation, particularly in periods of crisis.

Description: During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, a participatory research project examined the integration of a peer support worker in a primary and community care clinic that serves people experiencing homelessness in Montreal (Canada). This article presents a narrative case study analysis of the specific data on implementation derived from this project.

Results: Three main learning points are of interest regarding implementation: 1) crises can precipitate challenges but also particular opportunities for the implementation of peer support initiatives in homelessness; 2) even during a crisis, certain key steps cannot be skipped when the goal is a successful implementation; and 3) research can be an external asset for clinical teams as they struggle to deliver care during periods of crisis.

Conclusion: Peer support initiatives in homelessness can be implemented in the Canadian context during periods of crisis-for example, the COVID-19 pandemic-for health and social care services. Moreover, the concept of crisis itself can be reexamined by clinical and research teams worldwide as potentially enabling the implementation of novel initiatives.