STOUGHTON, Wis. Peer Response Inc. joined Stoughton EMS at its annual boot camp on Saturday, September 19, to talk with providers about peer support and walk them through the Peer Responder platform. Fourteen Stoughton EMS staff attended the session.
The goal was simple. Make sure every provider in the room knew what peer support is, what it isn’t, and how to reach it when a call stays with them.
“I really appreciate the invitation into Stoughton,” said Daniel Trickett, founder and president of Peer Response Inc. “It shows their leadership team cares deeply about the mental health of their providers, and they made room for us to share this tool with their team.”
Starting with the basics
The session opened with what peer support actually looks like in practice. A Peer Support Member is a trained colleague who has been there. They listen without judgment and help a responder find the right next step. Peer support is not therapy, and it doesn’t replace a department’s EAP or a licensed clinician. It’s often the first conversation that makes the next one possible.
A look at the platform
Trickett then walked the crew through Peer Responder, the platform Peer Response built to connect first responders with peer support. The demo focused on what a provider might need on a hard day:
- Finding their department’s EAP information quickly and with confidence
- Finding local Peer Support Members to connect with
- Getting to resources that help during stressful times
Peer Responder is designed so it never stores identifying information about the people who reach out for support. It’s also free.
“We offer this tool for free to every department we work with,” Trickett said. “There is never going to be a cost for a department to onboard with us, or for a first responder to register and gain access.”
What the crew took away
“The peer support presentation provided our crew with some great opportunities to learn, initiate good conversations regarding peer support and bring new information back to our service,” said Lane Mathson, Critical Care Paramedic and Battalion Chief of EMS Training at Stoughton EMS.
Building momentum
Stoughton is the latest stop. Peer Response was also invited to Deer-Grove EMS to introduce peer support and the platform to its most recent new hire group, where six new providers were introduced to Peer Responder.
“I’m excited about the momentum we’re building,” Trickett said. “We hope more departments welcome us in during new hire academies, boot camps, monthly trainings, or general meetings. It only takes us an hour to present the material and onboard a group of users, and that hour could be what helps a first responder reach peer support when they need it later on.”
Peer Response thanks Stoughton EMS for the invitation and for making time for peer support in its annual training. We look forward to coming back.
Bring peer support to your crew
Departments interested in a peer support presentation for their staff, or in building or strengthening their own team, can reach out through our Partner With Us page.
