Adapt Peer Support

Adaptation is the modification of an evidence-based intervention without competing with, contradicting, or removing its core elements or internal logic (Winwood et al. 2008). An adapted peer support program will have a higher likelihood of success when it maintains fidelity to established peer support frameworks (i.e. four core functions) while modifying program components to fit the target population, increase cultural competency, address the needs of the community, and allow integration with the local health system.

In general, various adaptation guidelines share the following steps:

• Assess the needs of target population and settings
• Determine core areas that need adaptation and ways to address them
• Pretest your strategies, products and/or interventions
• Modify or revise your strategies, products and/or interventions based on the feedback from pretesting
• Proceed with full implementation and then evaluation

Learn more about adaptation:

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s RTIPs program offers guidelines for choosing and adapting programs
• The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Using What Works is a train-the-trainer course on adapting evidence-based programs to fit your needs
• The Capacity for Health website has a list of resources to help adapt evidence-based interventions and public health strategies, including CDC’s ADAPT-ITT Model.