A program assessment: barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the Teen Talk Peer Support Training Program and the impact of the Peer Support Training on participants in Rural and Northern Manitoba

Abstract

One response by the Manitoba Government to STI/HIV rates among its youth has been the support of a Youth Health Education Service named Teen Talk. Teen Talk has developed two programs, the Workshops for Youth Program and the Peer Support Program. In this mixed methods research study, the barriers and facilitators to implementing the Peer Support Program (PS) beyond the limits of the City of Winnipeg and the impact of the PS training on its participants were documented. The results were organized into categories and diagrams were created. It was concluded that in order for the PS training to best meet the needs of its rural and northern participants, Teen Talk needs to become a part of larger community wide initiatives. Within Teen Talk a paradigm shift needs to occur where rural and northern training sessions are acknowledged as separate entities and appropriate financial and human resources are allocated.