Education is the first step in building an effective peer support program. Support that Saves: A Guide to Building and Sustaining Peer Support is a three-day training opportunity that covers all elements of building and maintaining an effective peer support program. Peer support programs provide many benefits to first responders, including acknowledging the difficulties of response work, strengthening teams, and equipping them to cope effectively. Peer support programs:

• Provide training to identify risk factors for behavioral and mental health problems.
• Reduce stigma by encouraging conversations surrounding mental health and normalizing difficult experiences.
• Create an environment where people feel comfortable approaching one another.
• Link peers to outside professional resources for additional care when necessary.

Delivered as part of TEEX’s Wellness and Resiliency Program for first responders, the program’s primary goal is to train first responders in culturally competent, trauma-informed, peer-supportive care, so they are prepared to support mental health needs in their communities via face-to-face peer support networks.