(PS5-16) Exploring the Training Needs of Teen Peer Helpers at a Mental Health Helpline for Adolescents

Abstract Text: Mental health helplines are accessed by millions of people every year. While teen-to-teen helplines may be especially suited to reach and promote help-seeking in youth with unmet mental health needs, little is known about how evidence-based interventions can be integrated into this setting. Motivational Interviewing (MI) may be especially well suited to this service setting, given it is a transportable evidence-based intervention that can enhance help-seeking in teens. The current study is the first stage of a co-design process to develop MI training for teen peer helpers at a text-based helpline for teen users. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with helpline peer helpers (n=5 groups), their supervisors (n=2 groups), and organizational leadership (n=2 interviews) to identify training opportunities and initial perceptions of the feasibility of developing an MI training for text-based helplines. Meetings were recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis of peer helpers is underway (n=3 coded), and a codebook is being developed to analyze transcripts of supervisor focus groups and leadership interviews. Emerging qualitative codes suggest that MI training focused on facilitating change talk among users and connecting users to care is largely deemed as acceptable, however successful implementation MI training must consider boarder contextual factors of the service setting (e.g., incentivizing training attendance, and clarifying specific applications of MI skills at the helpline such that they fall within the scope of their services). An implementation science framework (e.g., the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework; EPIS) will be used to develop themes across stakeholder perspectives, specifically focused on how to consider inner context factors when implementing MI in this setting. These findings will help guide future research to support training and adherence of evidence-based strategies among teen helpers.