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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Featured Episodes
Here are some great episodes to start with.
Choosing the Right People for Peer Support
Send me a text Not everyone is wired for peer support—and choosing the wrong people can do more harm than good. In this episode, I’ll show you how to choose the right team members your people can actually trust. How do you know if someone’s the right fit for your peer support team? Let’s be honest—…
How to Start a Peer Support Program That Works
Send me a text 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. Thinking about starting a peer support program in your department or organization, but feel overw…
What Is Peer Support and Why It Matters
Send me a text 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. Ever wonder what peer support actually is—and why it seems like everyone’s talking about it lately? Too ma…
Recent Episodes
Keeping Your Peer Support Program Alive Long-Term
Most peer support programs start strong… then fade out. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to sustain your team, keep engagement high, and ensure your peer support program remains trusted and effective for the long haul.
How to Promote Peer Support in a Skeptical Culture
Send me a text Skeptical culture? Stigma? Silence? Learn how to promote peer support in a way your department will actually hear. Retired Sgt. Gabe Lira shares real solutions that work. How do you promote peer support without sounding like HR or a TED Talk? It’s one thing to build a peer support te…
Building Confidentiality and Trust in Peer Support
Send me a text If your people don’t trust your peer support team, it won’t work. In this episode, you’ll learn how to protect confidentiality, build psychological safety, and create a culture where people know it’s safe to reach out. What good is a peer support team if no one feels safe enough to u…
How to Train Your Peer Support Team
Send me a text You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just train it right. In this episode, I’ll show you exactly what kind of training your peer support team needs to be equipped and ready when it matters most. Does your peer support team actually have the training they need, or are they just wingi…
What Peer Supporters Actually Do (And Don’t Do)
Send me a text Confused about what a peer supporter is actually supposed to do? This episode breaks down the real role of peer support and what not to do, to keep the team trusted, safe, and effective. What’s the real role of a peer supporter, and where’s the line between helping and overreaching? …
Choosing the Right People for Peer Support
Send me a text Not everyone is wired for peer support—and choosing the wrong people can do more harm than good. In this episode, I’ll show you how to choose the right team members your people can actually trust. How do you know if someone’s the right fit for your peer support team? Let’s be honest—…
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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…