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. Wh…
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
iHeartRadioFeatured Episodes
Here are some great episodes to start with.
36
Sept. 4, 2025
Choosing the Right People for Peer Support
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.
35
Aug. 21, 2025
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.
33
Aug. 7, 2025
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.
Recent Episodes
56
April 23, 2026
The Signs of Compassion Fatigue Every Peer Supporter Needs to Know
Peer supporters carry the weight of other people's worst days, and that caring comes at a cost. This episode walks through the warning signs of compassion fatigue and gives you a reset routine you can use after a draining conversation. When's the last time someone checked in on you? Not the hallway version. The kind of check-in you give the people you support.If you're a peer supporter, you know this work comes at a cost. You take the calls. You carry pieces of people's worst days. You do it bec
55
Jan. 29, 2026
How to Support a Peer Who's Struggling with Substance Use
Substance use is real in first responder culture. Learn how to support a struggling peer, without enabling, judging, or ignoring the signs. What do you do when someone you trust starts spiraling, and you suspect it’s more than just stress? Substance use in first responder culture is more common than we want to admit. But it’s not always easy to talk about. The signs aren’t always obvious. The conversations can feel awkward. And when you’re close to the person, it’s hard to know what to say—or wh
54
Jan. 22, 2026
How to Support a Peer Who's Struggling with Moral Injury
Discover the invisible wounds of moral injury and learn how to support peers struggling with it. This episode of Surviving Your Shift explores the differences between moral injury and PTSD, common scenarios in public safety, and practical steps for listening, validating, and referring.
53
Jan. 15, 2026
How to Build a Peer Support Team in a Small Department
Learn how to build a peer support team in a small department, with practical tips for rural first responders, fire, EMS, and police. Discover right-sized peer support looks like.
52
Jan. 8, 2026
Supporting a Coworker Returning After Mental Health Leave or a Suicide Attempt
How do you support a coworker coming back after mental health leave or a suicide attempt without making it weird? This episode will give you practical language and steps to reduce stigma and welcome them back well.
51
Jan. 1, 2026
What to Do After a Suicide Attempt or Death by Suicide in Your Agency
When a coworker attempts or dies by suicide, the whole agency feels it. Learn how to support your team, honor the person, and navigate grief and fallout without causing more harm. You walk into work and hear the words you never wanted to hear: “One of our own attempted suicide,” or, “We lost someone to suicide last night.” The room goes quiet, people are in shock, and you’re left wondering what to say, what to do, and how to help without making things worse. A suicide attempt or death by suicide
Stay in the Know—Peer Support News, Tools & Podcast Updates
Weekly wisdom, updates, and encouragement from the field
Listen On
Support On
Recent Blog Posts
Aug. 14, 2025
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…
July 29, 2025
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…
June 18, 2024
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…