From The Iowa County magazine June 2022 issue
Peer Support Assists with Mental Health
The last two years have shown us the importance of employee wellness. Employers should not be surprised by the notion of employee mental health. It is just as essential to ensure that employees take care of themselves, mentally as well as physically. The chart below showcases how mental health can affect your employee’s well-being, just like any physical illness impacts their physical health.
In our article in the February issue, we discussed the importance of having an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the benefits it could provide your employee. This time, we will discuss a peer support program and how it can provide another way to help with mental health.
Peer support is defined as the “process of giving and receiving encouragement and assistance to achieve long-term recovery.” Peer supporters “offer emotional support, share knowledge, teach skills, provide practical assistance, and connect people with resources, opportunities, communities of support, and other people.” (Mead, 2003; Solomon, 2004) Peer support is when work colleagues are able to share experiences to give and receive support. Peer support workers usually have faced some adversity similar to the employees they are helping and have been properly trained on functioning as peer support.
Benefits of peer support include:
Building and maintaining relationships
Feelings of being loved, cared for, and respected
Improve/safeguard mental health
Ease burnout
Increase teamwork
First responder departments often utilize peer support, but it can apply to all organizations and departments. Check with your sheriff or emergency management agency if they have a program or resources to help. Establishing your peer support program in a thought-out, systematic plan is important. If a program is not currently established, here are steps to create your own (adapted from the International Association of Fire Chiefs):
Assess Determine where peer support is needed. Peers could cover different departments if similar in nature.
Lead Establish who will lead this project and build the support network.
Partner Find a behavioral health professional to partner with and seek input from other programs.
Guidelines Create the criteria and seek out people that match this criterion.
Train Provide training to your team; there are different options to develop these individuals through local and national professional associations. Consult with your employer’s EAP; they may have training resources.
Network Local and national associations will help you create a referral network.
After the team is created, it is important to realize that this is not a static program. In order for it to be sustained, it must be continually reviewed, developed, and maintained. It is also very important to evaluate the program and its impact, positives and items to improve.
Employees are hired as they are needed to perform work. Most counties are not overstaffed and need employees to function at a high level. To have them function at a high level, they need to be physically and mentally fit. A peer mentor program will help with your employee’s mental fitness.
For more information:
Peer Support Foundation - https://www.peersupportfoundation.org/
Iowa Peer Workforce Collaborative - https://www.iowapeersupporttraining.org/trainings/
Connections, Inc. - https://connectionseap.com/ (EAP program for IMWCA first responder members)
The Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association (IMWCA) may be reached at 515.244.7282 or imwcainfo@iowaleague.org.
Created in 1981 in response to the increasing cost and unavailability of workers’ compensation coverage for municipal employees, this self-funded risk pooling program is administered by the League and owned and controlled by and for the benefit of Iowa’s cities, counties, and their respective 28E entities. IMWCA is a program endorsed by ISAC.
