Organizational dynamics at a peer respite: A focused ethnography of an emergent strategy

Abstract

ABSTRACTA focused ethnography aimed to understand organizational dynamics affecting a state-funded pilot peer-operated respite in the Southwest region of the United States of America. Findings from 8 interviews with program directors and peer staff (N = 12), 2 focus group discussions with peer staff (N = 8), and field notes from 198 hours of participant observation indicated that staff experienced many organizational demands from the traditional public mental health system and different imperatives associated with the peer respite model as an emergent strategy. Within a context of resource scarcity and a lack of integrated social services, organizational issues related to program sustainability, peer staff accommodation, and peer staff’s confusion regarding the program’s intent became evident. Findings identified a gap in the literature regarding the peer respite model’s approach to hosting guests experiencing homelessness and confirmed other research on peer labor that indicates further systemic support is needed to improve work conditions. Implications of these findings and the organizational limits of a peer respite within resource-poor environments are also discussed.