Peer Support Program

Workplace Peer Support Training To Enhance Wellbeing

A peer support program benefits employees, organisations and the peer-supporters. Peer supporters are carefully selected, trained and supervised coworkers, who can champion your workplace wellbeing initiatives, act as a ‘referral point’ and provide basic support and mental health first aid for peers.

Developing an effective team of peer supporters in your own workforce can build your organisation’s capacity to deliver mental health and wellbeing programs and preparedness for critical incidents.

We have specialised experience in the design, delivery and quality management of peer support programs, including how to overcome the barriers to good peer support.

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We currently run and support a number of peer support programs, including frontline workers, covering regional and metropolitan areas. We design programs with governance and quality measures.

An effective and sustainable peer support program includes:

Gaining leadership support, building a positive brand and communicating the benefits
Developing knowledge in proactively creating positive mental health culture in workplaces
Developing skills to intervene as early as possible by engaging with and working alongside individuals effected by mental health conditions to achieve optimal outcomes
Development of the selection protocol and induction process
Training workshops in the skills of peer support and mental health first aid
Clarifying what your peer supporter role ‘is’ and ‘is not’
Role modelling responsible, ethical and professional behaviour
Championing proactive mental health, resilience and wellbeing activities
Psychological First Aid tools – what to do and say when someone’s in crisis
Handling difficult conversations and behaviours
Managing boundaries, confidentiality and being neutral (not advocating)
Compassion, clear thinking and effective decision-making
Self-care and switching-off skills
Ongoing support and supervision process of the selected peer supporters
Annual check-ins and re-application for peer support roles
Governance, reporting and quality control mechanisms

Benefits Of Workplace Peer Support Training

A Peer Support Program can help to reduce stigma and increase help seeking behaviour, which are critical to an early intervention approach to workforce wellbeing.

Supporting employee wellbeing

Peer Supporters know how to listen, be supportive and provide basic advice on how to get the right sort of help. Peer Supporters understand the work and the business, because they work there too.

Supporting early intervention

Peer Supporters are available and approachable to talk to, making it easier to reach out and intervene early in issues. Peer Supporters can help to reduce barriers to seeking help.

Supporting culture and wellbeing initiatives

Peer Supporters can support health and wellbeing initiatives through the professional development they receive. Peer Supporters contribute to a culture of support.

Peer support program at work with a Businesswoman discussing with colleague in office | Yes Psychology

Benefits for the Peer Supporter

Satisfaction
Personal satisfaction gained from helping peers and being supportive, as part of a valued program.
Contribution
Contributing to the greater good through important wellbeing initiatives that help the business.
Development
Professional development and self-awareness through training, supervision and learning about human behaviour.

An effective workplace peer support program overcomes critical barriers

Trust

Employees don’t trust the confidentiality of Peer Supporters. Peer supporters do not have the skillset needed to be credible.

Direction

Peer supporters move around without focused goals can become diluted in their effectiveness because each follows their own preferences rather than achieving a common benefit.

Transparency

Leadership are unclear of what peer supporters actually do within the scope of confidential duties, which makes them uncertain whether the resource is being effective.

Advocacy

Organisations whose leadership does not understand and express the value of peer support.

Find out more...

Contact YES to ask how to develop a Peer Support Program for your workforce.