Emotional Dysregulation in Autism Peer Support Workers

Phase 1: - Capacity Building: Co-producing the Peer Support model with imROC and international peer support colleagues including those with lived experience. Fundraise to train Peer Support Workers.

Phase 2 Plot: Will complete a small-scale pilot with 2 PSW and 12 Young People.

Phase 3: Completion of Peer Support Impact Measurement & undertake an Academic Evaluation as well as capturing Benefits Realised and lessons learned for future programme development.

The 12-month Pilot will commence in June 2024 and will end June 2025. June 2024 through June 2025 will be the designated time to Go Live and launch the program by holding engagement events with each provider to enable awareness of the program and increase case referral.

June 2024 through June 2025 will be the delivery of the program to referred Young People with regular monthly project meetings.

May 2025 complete impact report and deliver an Impact Event

SERVICE will provide psychologically informed peer support to autistic young people who struggle with their mental health, in the hope that this peer support will provide them with coping skills to be able to better manage their mental health, self-harm or associated mental illness. Peer Support will be delivered through creating a contract with youth mental health services for them to provide us with access to suitable young people in need for us to deliver the peer support to.

Model

Each young person will be allocated 2 named peer support workers. 1 peer support worker will see each young person 3 times a week with following structure:

Visit 1: Relationship building. The PSW will work with the autistic young person to establish rapport and initiate a trusting, reciprocal connection, which will enable improved engagement with the programme's aims.

Visit 2: Skills work.

The skills work will be around therapeutic interventions such as emotion regulation skills from Low arousal model and Dialectical Behavioural therapy. Sensory integration such as a sensory ladder will be provided and co-produced by each young person and PSW.

Visit 3: Reintegration into the Community

This involved the young person being supported to engage with the community. An example of this would include finding an education provision, searching for community employability programmes. It can also include going to a community support group for their interests e.g. an LGBT support group or animal therapy group. SERVICE's strong links to the voluntary and community sectors will be vital for this.