On March 10, Denise Thompson, District 7 Fire & Rescue Director, Resiliency & Peer Support, met with 6 members to teach a new Peer Support Group process. Members participating included District 7 personnel Darrell Colleran, Chris Mascorro, and Jeremy Marin, from Converse Fire Dept/ESD 1, Scott Wiley, and Chaplains Bob Seper and Jay Buzzini.
This initiative is a 4-session team process that promotes resiliency through a peer-led and peer-focused discussion of how one’s mind, body, and spiritual perspective contributes to resiliency on and off the job. Modules teach various aspects of the brain/mind, practicing gratitude, healthy eating, and exercise, values, spiritual and religious perspectives, mindfulness, and meditation.
Peer support constituents participated as “group members” in the morning. In the afternoon everyone had an opportunity to facilitate the modules. Each module contains skills and practice recommendations of the skills from one session to the next. The 4 sessions can be provided over 3-4 months. This group is designed for first responders, healthcare, and public health personnel, itis applicable for spouses also.
The goal is to train 20-30 Peer Support Team members and have them facilitate the 4-session Peer Support Group to area first responder agencies.
The next Peer Support Group Facilitator training will be held in April.