Peer Support
Peer support gives first responders a way to privately talk about personal or professional issues with another first responder who has been trained in helping with such issues. Peer support team members are trained to listen with a particular set of skills; assess the nature of the problem; and, when helpful, refer their first responder peers to appropriate professionals.
First responders are exposed to stressful and dangerous situations much more often than most people, and sometimes these experiences can be distressing enough that you may benefit from getting some support. You may find it more comfortable to approach a trained peer support member instead of seeing a mental health professional, as your peer support member will be very familiar with the experiences, and you will probably find it easier to relate to another first responder.
Peer support members can be useful when you may be need to talk about a difficult issue, but don’t necessarily want to see a mental health professional. With their training, peer support members can help in many ways:
- Helping to process the experience after disturbing job-related events.
- Listening supportively after an emotionally intense situation, and providing useful suggestions for coping.
- Helping to problem-solve with life stressors, at work or at home.
- Advocating on your behalf if you need work accommodations, access to services, or help in resolving a difficult issue at work.
- Providing support and guidance in grief management after a significant loss.
- Private discussions of concerns about alcohol or other substance use problems.
- Supporting resiliency and stress management.
- Assisting with referrals to professionals.
Expanding on the last point, peer support members can help to identify difficulties that are best dealt with by a specialist, and so may recommend referral for a specific form of treatment. For example, a peer support specialist may provide initial help in talking through an event that involved loss of life, and then may recommend seeing an experienced trauma and PTSD specialist through your EAP for more comprehensive treatment.
You can also acquire much useful information from accessing peer support, such as helpful coping strategies, problem-solving techniques, stress management methods, and ways of dealing effectively with the challenges that first responders face. Finally, peer support members can often serve as helpful examples of how to successfully cope with work-related challenges, recovering from setbacks, and remaining steady on the job.
If your department or agency has a peer support program, consider accessing this resource whenever you have questions or feel you could benefit from advice, strategies for becoming more effective and more resilient.
Utilizing an existing peer support program can be very helpful in keeping you fit and effective on the job. Developing a new peer support program, if your agency does not yet have one, can have significant benefits for you as well as your entire agency and those you serve.
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