Episode 5: Ta'Kisha Moore
Peer navigators in rural libraries
Ta’Kisha Moore is a Peer Support Specialist (also known as a “peer navigator”) and Project Coordinator of the Libraries For Health (L4H) program through Via Hope: a pilot project situating peers in nine public libraries in rural areas of Texas. Ta’Kisha (“Kisha”) explains the structure of this project including the training and supervision requirements of peers, the incredibly strong reception of peers by the libraries, and what makes a non-traditional placement such as a library particularly useful and helpful for library staff, the peers themselves, as well as the patrons they support as “connectors.” For libraries interested in hosting peer navigators, tune into this conversation with Ta’Kisha to hear her perspective about the advantages of a peer model and why it’s particularly needed for library patrons and staff in rural regions.
Topics
0:00 Intro
2:44 Introducing Kisha Moore and her path to becoming a peer
9:11 Structure, locations, and who’s who: Libraries for Health (rural libraries in central Texas, nine libraries) is a three year pilot project funded by the St David’s Foundation in partnership with Via Hope and the Rand Corporation
11:24 Peers as “connectors” and the services they provide
13:19 Kisha’s supervisory and coordination responsibilities
14:41 Specific needs of rural areas
17:21 What is a Peer? Various titles.
17:58 Advantages to the peer model
21:53 Requirements for training and supervision [Texas]
What Kisha brings to her supervisees
26:19 Working hours
27:20 Compensation
28:35 Recruitment challenges
29:45 Where else are Peers?
31:05 Strengths of a library placement for the peer model
36:19 Librarians’ receptivity to Peers
41:48 Sustainability
42:25 Peers supporting library staff
43:17 Additional training and approaches for both peers and library staff
47:21 Links to more information (also see below)
48:32 Kisha’s vast creativity and numerous hobbies!
54:20 Outro and Substack link
Links
St. David’s Foundation. (22, February 18). Reimagining Mental Health Care Delivery Through Public Libraries. https://stdavidsfoundation.org/news-and-stories/reimagining-mental-health-care-delivery-through-public-libraries/
Carey, L. (2022, March 24). Texas Rural Libraries Will Help with Mental Health Access. Daily Yonder. https://dailyyonder.com/texas-rural-libraries-will-help-with-mental-health-access/2022/03/24/
To contact Ta’Kisha: takisha.moore@viahope.org
Shout out to Dr. Noah Lenstra
For a list of additional resources, check out the Bibliography page