Peer mentor training: Pathway to competency for facilitators of Healthy Mothers Healthy Families workshops.

BACKGROUND Healthy Mothers Healthy Families (HMHF) is a women's health and empowerment program designed to promote the health and wellbeing of mothers of children with a disability. An ongoing need to extend the reach of HMHF to more mothers, and increase scalability, resulted in development of a training program based in principles of adult and transformative learning, to credential mothers as HMHF facilitators. The current study evaluated the process and outcomes of the competency training program for new facilitators. METHODS A pre and post-test design with midway data collection point was implemented to evaluate facilitators competence following the training program. Surveys contained specifically designed demographic questions, open ended questions, self-report of competency and estimation of need for education/training. Fifteen predetermined criteria enabled self-ratings. Training of facilitators occurred alongside delivery of 23 day HMHF workshops. Workshop participants provided anonymous objective evaluation of the facilitators' competencies. Triangulation enabled comparison of self-ratings, workshop participant ratings and author evaluation of new facilitators. RESULTS Facilitators (N=7) completed all theory and practical elements of the HMHF facilitator education package and were successfully credentialed in May 2020. Overall, facilitators' competency ratings were highest at time 3, which followed successful co-facilitation of at least three HMHF workshops. As expected, facilitators rated their highest need for education/training at baseline. At time 3, facilitators self-reported a lower need for education/training for all competency criteria. All facilitators received mean anonymous competency ratings from workshop participants (N=294), above the predetermined benchmark that was required to become credentialled. CONCLUSIONS The HMHF competency training program, based on principles of adult and transformative learning, was effective in training seven HMHF facilitators who were mothers and had suitable professional backgrounds to deliver HMHF workshops. Training supports the fidelity of the HMHF intervention. Future research should evaluate efficacy of the facilitator-lead HMHF programs at improving maternal outcomes.