Training
Two training formats are available depending on your peer support teams needs and budget. Please read about them below:
One-hour, When a Child Dies training
This presentation is geared for a multiagency audience of first responders. It is an interactive presentation without role-plays. Different hypothetical scenarios are presented with a paramedic, dispatcher, firefighter, police officer, to teach the symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Participants are empowered to challenge the negative beliefs after a tough call for service when a colleague is in distress. Unhealthy coping skills (magical thinking, alcohol, isolation) are discussed as well as healthy strategies to use for future critical incidents. This presentation has been well received by peer support teams since 2008.
Click here to read what first responders are saying
Click here to read what law enforcement officers are saying
Day-long, When a Child Dies training
In September 2010, this one hour presentation was expanded to 7 hours and included time for role-playing peer support. This is a multi-media training that includes a short DVD of a dispatcher whose child committed suicide a year ago. The small groups participated by practicing on how to listen to this peer, what to say, and how to know when to call for back up. They also learned many practical techniques for handling critical incident stress on a one to one basis. The training also incorporated practical applications of individual peer support, and concluded with a group-debriefing format.
