Equipping Peer Support Teams for Success
Struggling to support your peers after a tough call, or unsure how to even start a peer support team? You’re not alone. Surviving Your Shift is the podcast for first responders, healthcare workers, and frontline professionals who want to build effective peer support programs, learn peer counseling skills, and bring training to their organizations. I’m Dr. Bart Leger, a retired first responder and board-certified traumatic stress expert with 25+ years of experience training peer supporters. Whether you’re starting a peer support program from scratch or want to be a stronger peer supporter, you’ll learn how to build trust, navigate tough conversations, and bring training to your organization. This is your go-to podcast for peer support training, first responder wellness, and frontline mental health. Hit play, and let’s equip you for success.
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Recent Episodes
How to Start a Peer Support Program That Works
Thinking about launching a peer support program but unsure where to start? In this episode, I’ll walk you through the exact steps to build a team your people will actually trust and use.
5 Signs Your Department Needs a Peer Support Team
Are there warning signs in your department you’re missing? In this episode, learn five red flags that signal it’s time to build—or rebuild—a peer support team that actually works.
What Is Peer Support and Why It Matters
What is peer support—and why does it matter so much in high-stress jobs? In this episode, you’ll learn how it works, what it’s not, and why it’s saving lives on the front lines.
Why I’m Narrowing the Focus of This Podcast
Peer support can save careers—and lives. This episode reveals why Surviving Your Shift is narrowing its focus and how it will equip you to build a strong peer support culture in your organization.
When the Job Follows You Home: The Hidden Signs of Traumatic Stress
Feeling “off” but can’t explain why? This episode unpacks the hidden signs of long-term traumatic stress in first responders and frontline workers—and what you can do about it. Are you more irritable, distant, or emotionally ...
5 Steps to Protect Your Personal Time
Coming home after a tough shift and still feeling “on the clock”? Today’s episode breaks down practical strategies to create boundaries between work and home, helping first responders reclaim personal time and be fully presen...
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Recent Blog Posts
The Role of Peer Support in High-Stress Professions
The role of peer support in firehouses, police departments, ERs, and dispatch centers is more important than ever. Professionals in these high-stress environments carry a silent load. Long hours, life and death decisions, traumatic events, and the p…
Decoding Your Body's Signals: Hidden Symptoms of Traumatic Stress
We often think of stress as a temporary inconvenience, something we can power through with enough caffeine and sheer willpower. But what happens when stress becomes chronic, even traumatic? It starts to leave its mark, not just on our minds but on o…
10 Things Every Rookie Needs to Hear
Starting a career as a rookie in any frontline profession can be one of the toughest, yet most rewarding, paths you can take. You will face challenges and experiences that most people can’t even imagine. The emotional and mental toll can be si…