Abstract
Background: Client engagement may improve health outcomes and patient safety while controlling healthcare costsi. Caring for a child/ youth with disability may leave caregivers feeling isolated/overwhelmed. Caregivers may experience negative impacts to mental health, physical health, finances and experience difficulties with system navigation.ii Grandview Kids is a Children Treatment Centre providing outpatient care to children/youth with physical, communication and developmental needs in Durham Region, Ontario. The Family Engagement Team (FET) consists of paid staff called Peer Navigators (PNs). PNs are caregivers to clients or former clients, who use their lived experience and specialized training to support others. Peer support is an empathetic relationship between people with a common experienceiii. Peer support, mentoring and education create an authentic, non-judgmental environment where families feel empowered, understood and supported. Often seen in volunteer roles, Grandview model is unique, as PNs are paid staff and equal members of interdisciplinary care teams. Growing from two to 4 Family Engagement Team (FET) members since 2020, PNs are embedded into clinical programs, using outreach and engagement to bridge divide between providers and families. FET support is tracked in health record, further establishing PNs as integral within collaborative care approach. Audience: Healthcare providers seeking to implement patient/family-centred approaches, where patient voice is used to inform and improve service delivery. After participating in this workshop, participants will be able to understand the PN role evolution Grandview, the value of lived experience within an interdisciplinary team, and how patient engagement leads to better health outcomes.
Approach: Reviews history and success of PNs at Grandview through evaluation of PN methodology, results, limitations and recommendations. Participants will learn how to implement peer support functions in their organizations, measure its impact, scale to address emerging patient needs. Outcomes: PNs are integrated into seven Grandview programs as key members of interdisciplinary team, spanning autism and behaviour services, adolescent transitions, complex medical care and marketing ambassadorship. The family voice drives Grandview organizational decision-making from program conception through implementation, where lived experience is equally valued to clinical expertise. In the 2023-24 fiscal year - across networking nights, workshops, coffee chats and events - FET supported 2,330 families, plus hundreds of emails/calls/:s to coordinate events, follow-up on concerns, or offer coaching. Three questions guided FET evaluation: how FET was established, how it operates and impact of FET on caregivers/patients. Utilization-focused evaluation methodology was used, co-designing evaluation questions and intended outcomes alongside multiple stakeholders.
Results showed: ) PNs fully understood and empathized with the non-linear journey as a partner in their children care/own journey, creating opportunities to connect with clientsi safe and inclusive spaces, building strong relationships to amplify family voice; 2) risks associated with the team inconsistent funding model; and 3) FET recognized as sector-leading, but requires additional work to align with other leading engagement and advocacy practices. The limitations included lack of clarity on FET role within Grandview; FET over-commitment and associated risks to wellbeing; and gaps in tracking and impact monitoring. Three recommendations to enhance FET: ) expand FET shared value/scope; 2) equip team with skills to drive measurable outcomes and program sustainability; and 3) broaden access to FET supports. These findings underscore the value and benefit that lived experiences and peer support bring to a healthcare organization when you provide these services as part of an interdisciplinary team.