Creating or taking opportunity: Strategies for implementing expert by experience positions in mental health academia

Abstract

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Experts by experience involvement in the education of health professionals demonstrate positive attitudinal change. Meaningful positions for Experts by Experience are limited and ad hoc, due to attitudinal and other barriers to innovation within the higher education sector. Experiences of allies who have supported the implementation of Expert by Experience positions have not been researched. This is important knowledge that could be utilized by potential allies. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? Academic allies to experts by experience have a crucial role to play in identifying opportunities to establish, implement and sustain expert by experience positions. Allies who have successfully implemented positions for experts by experience have identified influential factors including: right person, right role, collaboration and coproduction, support, and career pathways. Understanding these factors can provide an important basis for other academics to support a widespread increase in academic roles for experts by experience in mental health education. What are the implications for practice? Establishing and maintaining genuine relationships with service users require significant attitudinal change on the part of mental health professionals. Involving experts by experience in mental health education provides an innovative approach to the challenging of attitudes and the enhancement of more collegial relationships with service users as colleagues in the workplace. This paper demonstrates the importance of allyship to the establishment, implementation and sustainability of expert by experience roles, and highlights critical factors allies have utilized in support of such roles. Nurses and other mental health professional academics have the potential to become allies and support change and innovation. Abstract IntroductionExperts by experience in academia have demonstrated more positive student attitudes towards relationships with service users. Notwithstanding this supportive evidence, academic positions for EBE have not grown substantially. Enhanced understanding of positions that have been implemented is important knowledge for others with similar aspirations. AimTo enrich understanding of the role of allies in identifying and pursuing opportunities to support academic positions for experts by experience. MethodsQualitative exploratory approach, involving In‐depth interviews with allies with expertise in supporting academic positions for experts by experience. ResultsParticipants were enthusiastic about creating or taking opportunities to secure expert by experience involvement within their programs. Factors facilitating success included right person, right role, collaboration and coproduction, support and career pathways. ConclusionsSignificant barriers have prevented proliferation of academic roles for experts by experience. Despite barriers, allies have been successful in supporting the implementation and sustaining of positions, and gained consid...

A model for the involvement of service users as instructors into the psychiatric nursing curriculum in Korea: A qualitative study on participation experience

“…Due to efforts such as these, we were able to complete the programme without any incident. Thus, while planning nursing education that involves service users, it is crucial to pay close attention to having the right person in the right role while focusing on collaboration, co‐production and support (Happell, O'Donovan, et al., 2022). Aside from their psychological difficulties, service users had not been able to understand those of others.…”

‘We only come from one perspective’: Exploring experiences of allies supporting expert by experience leadership in mental health education

“…Academics experience both administrative and cultural barriers when supporting the implementation of EBE roles, such as difficulty employing EBE who may not have the academic qualifications of health professional academics, and working within an unwelcoming environment (Happell, O'Donovan, Warner, et al, 2022). Allies frequently need to engage in allyship in interpersonal contexts by acting against others' discriminatory behaviour towards EBE and providing support to EBE colleagues (Happell et al, 2020; Horgan et al, 2020).…”

“…Recent research suggests that structural and organisational barriers, such as pay and integration into the academic environment, along with concerns about exploitation and paternalism can hinder the efforts of both established and potential allies to further support embedding meaningful leadership of EBE in health professional education (Happell, O'Donovan, Warner, et al, 2022). How university faculty members define and experience privilege, and enact allyship to promote diversity, equity and inclusion with students and staff from minority backgrounds was recently investigated (Hanasono et al, 2022).…”

“…To date, non‐EBE academics have played a significant role in the creation of academic positions for EBE (Happell, Sharrock, Warner, et al, 2022). While their motivations and methods have been studied (Happell, O'Donovan, Warner, et al, 2022; Happell, Sharrock, Warner, et al, 2022), there is very little research exploring their experiences. Expanding knowledge in this area may provide insight into why active efforts to create and sustain EBE positions in academic institutions are not always successful, and how systemic and institutional barriers to effective allyship may be identified and, hopefully, addressed.…”

‘ALL ABOUT MY IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’: Users, family members and experts by experience discussing a co‐designed service

“…After the analysis, all authors of the paper met to discuss the results and make any necessary changes. The draft of the main results summary paper was also shared during the co‐analysis and co‐writing phases 42,46 …”