Peer Learning and the HAT Model

Learning from our co-workers, fellow learners or peers is an important aspect of learning. By sharing leadership, plans, experiences and challenges we have encountered in our practices we can learn from others. Below are two examples of using distributed leadership and implementation frameworks to improve practice. One was an anti-stigma training programme and the other was the HAT model.

Two organisations decided to co-create, develop and implement an anti-stigma training program for health and social services. The training programme was co-created with and delivered by women who use substances.

Before implementation the project team ensured that key enablers that were under their control were in place. In terms of resources they sought financial resources from an external funder. They planned and allocated personal and work time in their diaries ensuring they had the capacity in their day to work on the development of the training program. They planned professional counselling support and training for the women and staff who had to address sensitive topics and challenging personal experiences. Finally they ensured in advance that they would have the participation of all stakeholders including professional external program evaluators and health and social care staff from the public services to take the pilot course.

They planned for three key enablers: resources, staff capacity and stakeholder buy-in. They did not foresee the substantial challenge of the global pandemic of COVID-19 to their timing and roll out and the logistical barriers they had to overcome to ensure the completion of the project.

Healthy Addiction Treatment (HAT) Recovery Model

Similarly when nurse Aine Hall and her team introduced the Healthy Addiction Treatment (HAT) recovery model into their day to day nursing practice she and her team ensured that staff had the resources in terms of time in their day to implement the model with their clients. To do this they allocated non-addiction nursing tasks to other colleagues, they allocated time in their diaries and ensured they were not interrupted during sessions with clients.

They ensured staff were trained in a trauma informed approach and were aware of and trained in the use of their logic model, i.e. the logical steps nurses were to take with a client when assisting them with their mental health challenges. They ensured that all nursing staff ‘bought in’ or were engaged with the process. They too faced challenges and barriers, other stakeholders were concerned about the nurses working outside of their scope of practice and communication on this was very important.

As peers we can learn from the experiences of enablers and barriers within these two case studies.