What Matters To You?

Peer support team asks this question daily to drive collaboration

Story by Katie McLaughlin

CALGARY — Collaboration. Communication. Connection. These are three words that Yvonne Benson uses to describe the impact of the question: “What matters to you?”

“Connection is the most important part of peer support,” says Benson, a peer support worker for the Community Mental Health and Addiction program at Calgary’s Sunridge Medical Gallery. “As peer supporters, we’re focused on building trust, hope and belonging to create a sense of community.”

For Benson and the larger multidisciplinary team at Sunridge, the concept behind What Matters To You (WMTY) has been incorporated into their work since Alberta Health Services (AHS) adopted this philosophy in 2017. WMTY is about sparking meaningful conversations by asking this simple question.

“When we ask, ‘What matters to you?’ in healthcare, we shift the focus to the person in front of us,” says Karen Binns, a senior consultant with the provincial Engagement and Patient Experience team.

“We can learn their goals, priorities, fears, hopes and so much more with a simple question. This information allows us to better tailor care to their unique needs — and helps us engage them in their own healthcare journey.”

Peer support workers like Benson use their own lived experience with mental health challenges and/or addiction to connect on a peer-to-peer level with others on their own recovery journey. They walk beside individuals on their journey, enabling a non-judgmental space for sharing, encouragement and support. They may also explore community resources together.

Benson says that both peer support and WMTY are about collaboration, communication and connection.

“The foundation of peer support is the idea that we’re not alone in our journey,” she says. “Peer support offers a safe place for meaningful conversations and connections. It complements the clinical services offered and offers a bridge to community. Understanding what matters to those we serve is key to that. Our team has really embraced and celebrated WMTY. It’s intertwined so beautifully in our work.”

Benson adds that sometimes it’s as simple as asking clients, or each other, the actual question: “What matters to you?” Other times, it’s about the everyday connections she and her colleagues make with their clients. Each year, the team celebrates the WMTY campaign with their clients, partners and each other.

“We have a community celebration and connection event on June 6, which is What Matters To You Day,” Benson says. “It’s an opportunity to engage staff and clients and celebrate the work we do. We invite individuals to share a reflection on the WMTY postcard and create a visual display in our community space so we can learn and grow together.”

This year, Benson is pitching the idea of bringing these reflection cards into her team’s monthly staff meetings — so they can reflect on what matters to their clients and each other and consider what else they can do to bring them to life.

“WMTY is meant to be an intentional best practice that should be happening with every interaction with our clients, not just on one day. We really try our best to do that.”

So how does one get started to incorporate WMTY into day-to-day practice? Well, Benson offers some practical advice.

“Look for some quick wins and ways WMTY can be recognized and celebrated. You could consider having some WMTY champions who can brainstorm and collaborate on ways the team can embrace it and embed it into practice.

“Think about how you can use this concept and apply it to yourselves, your environment and the interactions with those you serve. Let’s live it, get excited and build some momentum. Together we are, in fact, better.”

Every year on June 6, Alberta Health Services joins others across the world to celebrate What Matters To You Day. Learn more here.