Help yourself to our staff kitchen: a peer worker’s reflections on microaggressions

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the sanist microaggressions that peer workers face working in mental health and proposes ways in which peer workers and institutions may begin to challenge sanist practices within the sector. Design/methodology/approach The paper is written as a personal narrative. It explores a “moment” in the life of the author as a peer support worker. Findings Peer workers are often faced with sanist microaggressions on the job which can significantly affect peer workers’ capacity over time. Sharing our stories, identifying points of resistance and working collectively to challenge microaggressions are important to peer worker survival within the mental health system. Organisations that train or employ peer workers should be aware of sanist microaggressions and learn how to strategically respond to them. Originality/value The paper documents the experiences of the author. There is limited academic literature documenting peer worker experience of microaggressions.

‘They don't really know why they're here’ mental health professionals' perspectives of consumer representatives

“…So clarity about consumers' roles involving the application of lived experience (Stewart et al, 2019) and other mental health professionals' roles involving the application of their disciplinary knowledge would help minimize confusion and celebrate lived experiential expertise. This could lead to more inclusive workplaces in the mental health sector (Sinclair, 2018) based on a culture of valuing consumers' expertise (Scholz, Bocking, & Happell, 2018).…”

“…current workplace values and culture), thereby controlling what perspectives are heard and being unreceptive to feedback (Scholz, Stewart, et al, 2019). Some organizations inhibit contributions of consumer colleagues and their collaboration with mental health professionals through exclusionary workplace culture (Sinclair, 2018). This culture can reinforce traditional power hierarchies and render tokenistic the roles of consumer representatives (Juntanamalaga et al, 2019; Scholz, Bocking, Platania‐Phung, et al, 2018).…”

Experiences of mental health support workers in mental healthcare practice: Three visual arts narratives

“…Furthermore, MHSW perceptions of role and occupational experiences are generally represented in research via collective thematic analysis/synthesis (Vandewalle et al, 2016;Walker & Bryant, 2013) which may also lack depth and specificity. There is less research inquiry regarding the lived experience of being a MHSW (Debyser et al, 2018) although some first person narratives are emerging which make visible individual MHSWs experiences and perceptions of their roles (Irwin, 2017;Sinclair, 2018). Our research contributes to this illumination of lived experience.…”

Inclusion as Assimilation, Integration, or Co-optation? A Post-Structural Analysis of Inclusion as Produced Through Mental Health Research on Peer Support

“…Such problematisations produce PSWkrs as ‘other’, needing special accommodations such as lighter workloads, time off, and clinical support ( Ahmed et al, 2015 ), because of ‘mental health needs’ ( Mancini, 2018 , p. 135). Silenced are the structural issues that emotionally impact all mental health workers, but, in particular, the significant discrimination and moral distress peer workers must navigate due to ‘inclusion’ ( Byrne et al, 2019 ; Edan et al, 2021 ; Sinclair, 2018 ). For example, when PSWkr values and ethics are violated through requests to assist with seclusion, restraint, involuntary treatment, and mandatory reporting ( Alvarez-Vasquez et al, 2020 ; Irwin, 2017 ); non-peer workers, and the system at large, are positioned as benevolent by ‘accommodate[ing]’ peers ‘who became symptomatic’ ( Mancini, 2018 , p. 134) and by providing peer workers with training around self-care and self-management, supporting what is constructed as an inherent lack in peer dispositions.…”