Peer Support Training
History
The Campus Peer Support Project was a three-year pilot project at CMHA National that offered a specialized peer support training and certification on five Canadian campuses in partnership with local CMHA offices, providing post-secondary students with the tools they need to support each other’s wellbeing. To ensure Ontario post-secondary institutions have access to this information, CICMH is now housing these resources. Schools involved in the pilot project were the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), University of New Brunswick (UNB), Trent University, Medicine Hat College, and University of British Columbia. CMHA branches included CMHA PEI, New Brunswick, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge, and Medicine Hat.
This section is geared towards campuses who are interested in training peer supporters. If you are thinking about launching a new peer support program on your campus, or if you already have operational campus peer support programming in place but are looking for additional resources, this page is home to free peer support curriculum and training resources you can use at your own discretion.
The materials available here on our site provide post-secondary campuses with two options for delivering the peer support training, the standard design (4 days) and the intensive design (2 days). For each design, there are accompanying facilitator’s guides, handouts, and standard slides that can be downloaded and utilized.
Train-the-Trainer Sessions
CICMH is also offering train-the-trainer sessions in which we will train post-secondary staff on how to use the peer support curriculum and training resources. After this training, staff will feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about the peer support training curriculum and design before delivering the training to their peer supporters. If you are interested in learning more about the train-the-trainer session, please contact Selena at snorman@campusmentalhealth.ca.
Please Note
The slide decks are meant to serve as examples and guide users in creating their own slide decks. Handouts and guides can be downloaded and used as is if they are applicable or can be modified as needed for your campus peer support program.
Orientation
The orientation applies to both the standard and intensive design. It is meant as a starter to introduce peer supporters to the program, program requirements, and the principles and values of peer support.
Supporting Materials
Standard Design
The standard design for the peer support training is meant to be covered over 4 days. The design goes over the 5 modules in depth with various activities and handouts included.
Module 1
Module 1 clarifies the role of a peer supporter and helps students see where they are starting from. This module gives an overview of peer support, campus roles and responsibilities, and self-reflection activities that provide peer supporters with the opportunity to connect personally to the role and think of situations they have had where a peer supported them and how that felt different from a friend offering advice or a counsellor or therapist providing clinical support.
Module 2
Module 2 helps students consider how they feel connected to a group/space and what they can intentionally do with their peers when in a peer support role. There are some opening activities to consider this, both individually and as a group. Then you will explore power imbalances and the concept of mutuality in peer support.
Module 3
Module 3 covers the range of wellbeing and asks students to think about what each end looks like for them. You will need to add in local contact info/resources and tell students that the content you will cover could trigger.
Module 4
Module 4 gets students to start practicing some skills development. There are activities to practice listening strategies and tips around questions and sharing experiences.
Module 5
Module 5 speaks to the importance of informing peer supporters about the campus and community support available to them and those they will work with who may be struggling. This module emphasizes the importance of remembering self-determination when it comes to students struggling. Peer supporters are there to validate feelings and then collaborate and support as needed.
Intensive Design
The intensive design is a condensed version of the peer support training covering similar topics to the standard design but in a way that can be delivered over two days.
