At EmotionMatters Psychology, we offer a unique and comprehensive approach to Workplace Peer Support Training designed to help organizations develop and implement a Peer Support Program to manage operational stress and cultivate a healthy workplace environment. We tailor our training programs to your organization’s unique needs and challenges and so that it aligns with your organization’s goals and values.

What is a Peer Support Program?

A Peer Support Program consists of peer supporters who are employees committed to volunteering their time to helping their co-worker peers within the same organization. They do this by providing confidential, timely emotional support to their peers experiencing stressful reactions to distressing situations and traumatic events that happen at work or outside of work.​ In particular, peer support is offered to individuals or groups of employees following a critical incident at work. Peer Support Programs work alongside professional services like Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAPs) to support mentally healthy workforces and are viewed as the future of mental health service delivery by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and Peer Support Canada (2023). A growing body of research shows that Peer Support Programs are linked to positive workplace outcomes such as reduced rates of worker absenteeism and stress leaves (e.g., Ali et al., 2020; Wilson, 2016).

Key Aspects of Peer Support Programs: