As a First Responder, admitting you have a need for support and reaching out can be difficult. The phone can weigh a thousand pounds. In a reactive wellness program an individual must self-identify their need for contact and find the appropriate avenue for care. Although the norm, agencies can integrate other methods into their peer support program for more connections. In this blog we will talk about both proactive and coactive peer support for first responders.
Proactive Peer Support
Proactive wellness programs have become more popular because they ensure that all officers have a peer support check-in regularly. This means every member of an organization will have a conversation at a set or maximum frequency. After a traumatic call or a difficult anniversary, providing a consistent opportunity for officers to begin discussions early. A proactive peer support interaction allows for a colleague to take on that first step of reaching out to communicate “I am here. You are not alone. I will walk with you.”
This helps the supported person to know they have support from someone already understands the job. The role of a peer support is not to be a counsellor, but rather to walk alongside as someone with shared experience. Perhaps just as importantly, to follow up and continue the conversation when it is necessary.
Coactive Peer Support
But what is coactive peer support? Departments that do not have a large enough staff base to incorporate a peer support team may establish a coactive model where they share access to peer supports from other agencies. Being coactive ensures that smaller departments who do not have as many internal resources are able to foster a successful and proactive wellness program, and allows members of large and small departments who would prefer to meet with a trained or certified peer outside of their own agency’s walls a safe way to do so.
Peer support in smaller departments can sometimes feel “too close to home” and discourage officers from reaching out. With coactive sharing officers can get the distance they need to feel comfortable when they reach out to another department’s peer support team. Cultivating these cross-departmental peer support relationships strengthens the wellness program for all departments involved and gives officers and other first responders choices on who they can reach out to. Wellness programs continue to change and evolve.
Proactive and coactive approaches provide opportunities for departments to offer robust peer support to their members that work to strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of officers. Transitioning from a solely reactive peer support approach to a reactive, proactive, and coactive model ensures that officers, no matter their department location or their hesitancy to reach out for support, are provided with the avenues for care and resources they need to live healthier lives and continue doing their job at a high-functioning level.
PeerConnect is the only platform of its kind offering both Proactive and Coactive peer support. Learn more about why we are different and book your demo today.