Best Peer Support Teams for Volunteer Fire Departments and what you should know

RED Friday Talks

Red Friday is an organization that supports veterans, first responders, long-serving members, and anyone else who has an interest in mental health. It helps recruit and retain volunteers through peer support and teaching leadership. Dave Connor is the Director of Programming and has expertise in leadership and peer support. It is important to consult with organizations to set up an internal peer support team and understand the public safety sector. It is best to talk to the people you're thinking about training with before posting a job.

People need to have an idea of the commitment and expectation, and be able to keep things private. Screening of applicants is important to ensure resilience and positive trauma relationships. Benefits can be seen in increased sick leave and benefits use. Anti-stigma programs can help reduce presenteeism and stigmatizing conduct in the workplace. Screening people and setting expectations are important steps in forming a team.

We need to ensure that those who are ill get the care they need to heal injured people. Trustworthiness and active listening skills are essential for successful peer support trainings, as they can help people avoid re-traumatizing themselves. People need to be in the scar phase to be able to help, and they need to be willing to work on their listening skills. Peer support teams are developed to respond to critical incidents in the workplace, such as a VSA of a child or a crib death. However, they also work on chronic issues such as failing marriages, substance issues, and performance issues.