Peer Support Might Look Something Like This:
Several years ago, I received peer support. Though the peer (who shall remain anonymous) may not have known it at the time, it was just the right type and amount of support I needed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I lacked motivation and energy to exercise like I know I should, and I increased my alcohol and calorie intake as a coping mechanism. Netflix plus “Ben-&-Jerry’s,” plus comfy chair, equals weight gain. Let me pause here to clarify a few terms and ideas, and then I’ll return to the peer support I received.
What Is Peer Support?
Peer Support can be defined as a form of help offered by a peer (or group of peers) who has experienced similar situations. This can be social, practical, or emotional. More importantly, this support is mutually provided and reciprocated, thus allowing everyone to benefit. The type of assistance might be a friendly gesture, mentoring, or informal coaching. Regardless of the form of support provided, the lived experiences of the peer supporter are the most essential part of the service.
Peer support has been identified as an effective approach to enhance emotional well-being. By adopting a common language, increasing social connectedness, and providing both emotional support for day-to-day stressors, peer support is a low-cost, effective service that can promote awareness among Law Enforcement and reduce stigma merely by providing a platform for discussion.
While our core values emphasize serving others, we often don’t seek help when our own health is at risk. While we may be able to endure hardships without complaints, we may not be aware of our own early warning signs of distress. While we strive to perform perfectly in high-stakes environments, we can feel ashamed when we can’t do it all, make mistakes, or need to slow down to take care of ourselves. Officers and agents may try to conceal stress reactions from supervisors because they fear stigma and want to avoid medical or psychological intervention. However, recognizing the signs of severe and persistent distress in oneself or a fellow officer and taking steps to lessen the severity is critically important. Practicing self-care or helping connect a fellow officer with a trusted source of support may help prevent stress reactions from progressing into clinical mental health conditions, poor physical health, or significant life impairment.
Research indicates social isolation increases the likelihood of mortality by 30%, but strong relationships have a protective effect and increase survival by 50%. By providing a social forum for voluntarily expressing emotions, struggles, fears, and life challenges, peer support combats this loneliness, which is often associated with chronic physical and mental health conditions, leading to a downward spiral with each exacerbating the other.
Peer support also provides opportunities for participants to assist others who are going through difficult situations. Many studies have shown that helping others regardless of receiving any support in return has great psychological benefits, which was coined the “helper therapy principle” by Risen back in 1965. (18) For adults, giving to others through activities such as volunteering or providing financial or emotional support improves well-being and reduces mortality. That’s a win-win.
Introducing Stress First Aid for Law Enforcement
Stress First Aid (SFA) is a self-care and peer support model developed for high-risk occupations, such as the military, fire, rescue, and law enforcement. Stress First Aid uses a stress continuum model—a visual tool for assessing stress responses.
It includes seven actions that help you identify and address early signs of stress reactions in yourself and others in a proactive way (not just reactive to “critical incidents”).
More details here, at the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs, National Center for PTSD.
What Peer Support Might Look Like
My peer support came in the form of a challenge. For some reason—a gut feeling, intuition, something she heard—my peer called me out of the blue to share her experiences with a physical fitness program she was participating in. She then challenged me to join in the suffering—I mean, “fun.” She also offered semi-regular accountability check-ins, where we would support each other in the challenges. By participating, I gained more motivation and more energy, drank less, and slept and ate better.
If You See Something, Say Something
Have you witnessed a peer reacting to a stressor in an uncharacteristic way or in a way that affects their performance, health, or relationships? In the Stress First Aid model, this is called “Check,” and we are always doing it — assessing, observing, and listening. Sometimes a statement of your observation and an offer to support and listen — what Stress First Aid calls “Connect” — is all it takes to intervene, break the pattern, and reduce stress.
Supervisors, don’t be afraid of getting into someone’s personal business. An employee having a stress reaction can be a detriment to your operation. Your recognition of their stress reaction and support in returning to a ready state builds trust. Trust equals engagement, and engagement is a mission-oriented force multiplier.
The biggest hurdle to peer support, I think, is a fear of getting in over your head — of opening up a Pandora’s box of troubles. It’s a valid concern to be sure. But remember, your job is first to ask, then to listen. “Support” is not solving problems or treating illness. You don’t need to be a therapist or psychologist. Think of it this way, if your friend had a broken leg, you wouldn’t ask them to keep walking on it. You would apply first aid to your level of care and training, and then help transport your friend to a higher level of care. In Stress First Aid, that is called “Coordinate.” You can help move them to a higher level of care — be it EAP, a chaplain, a therapist, or a counselor.
In closing, I want to thank my peer for checking in on me, and I encourage you all to do the same for someone else. Want more information on Stress First Aid? Message me to start a conversation, or download the free PDF (below) of the Briefing Paper I wrote, resulting in the adoption of Stress First Aid by the USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations Branch.
