Wellness and Retention Coordinator Douglas County Department of Corrections Omaha, Nebraska
Description: As a profession we recognize that there is a need, a large looming problem that must be addressed. Our staff, the men and women that uphold our agency's mission statement our suffering. Long hours, prolonged exposure to trauma, and the fast pace of life in general have our folks feeling as if they are drowning. So, let's throw them a life preserver. Let's give them a tool, a trusted, easily accessible avenue to address whatever it is that is weighing them down. Let's give them the help that they deserve. Let's form, train, and deploy a group of peers to help triage their troubles, to help provide support, to let them know they're not alone. In this presentation, we'll show you the importance of a proactive peer support team and how to build, train, and maintain a team that your staff will actually talk to.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the importance of a having a well trained and proactive peer support team and why professional resources may not be enough.
Describe the process of building a proactive peer support team from conception to completion.
Understand the importance of properly training your peer support team and how to prepare them for their role as a peer.
Describe it what means to be a proactive peer and list ways that your team can positively interact with your staff before they are in crisis.
Describe ways to maintain the relevancy, reliability, and resiliency of a peer support team in the face of cultural obstacles, cynicism, and burnout.
