For Peer Support Specialists ·
What you'll accomplish
Writing group progress notes from memory takes 20-30 minutes and still misses things. This guide shows you how to use Otter.ai to capture session themes so your notes are accurate, complete, and written in under 10 minutes. You'll also learn the privacy considerations so you can use this responsibly.
What you'll need
Go to otter.ai and click Sign up Free. Create an account with your work email. Download the Otter.ai mobile app (iOS or Android) and log in.
What you should see: The Otter.ai home screen with a large orange record button.
Before using Otter at a real group, test it during a solo activity. Sit at a table and speak normally for 5 minutes as if facilitating a group: describe hypothetical discussion topics, summarize what "participants" said. Stop the recording and review:
This tells you what accuracy level to expect.
Troubleshooting: If accuracy is poor (below 85%), the environment is too noisy or you're too far from the phone. In groups, place the phone face-up in the center of the table or on a small stand.
Otter has an "Otter AI Chat" feature where you can ask questions about a transcript. Before your first real use, familiarize yourself with this. After a recording, tap Otter AI to ask: "What were the main themes discussed?" or "Summarize the key takeaways from this session."
Place your phone on the table (or in your bag near the top) with the Otter app open. Tap Record just before the group starts. Let it run during the session. Immediately after participants leave, tap Stop and wait for the transcript (1-2 minutes).
Open the transcript. Otter automatically generates a summary. Review the summary for:
Use these as the basis for your group progress note. Your note documents the session content and themes, not specific statements from individual participants.
After writing your note, delete the Otter recording. Go to the transcript → three dots (⋮) → Delete. You've used the transcript as a memory aid, not as a permanent record.