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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.

Most peer support teams start with good intentions, a few trained peers, a launch meeting, maybe even some early wins. But what happens after six months? Or a year?

If your team is starting to fade, or you want to prevent that from happening, this episode is for you.

We’ll talk about what causes peer support teams to lose momentum, and I’ll walk you through practical steps to keep your team active, engaged, and trusted. From avoiding burnout to evaluating effectiveness, you’ll walk away with tools to make your program last.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most peer support programs lose steam
• How to maintain engagement without exhausting your team
• What kinds of ongoing training actually make a difference
• How to evaluate what’s working (without breaking confidentiality)
• What to do if your team has fizzled out

If you found today’s episode helpful…

Share it with your team. Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you’re building or revitalizing a peer support program, I’d love to help. Visit StressCareDoc.com to schedule a strategy call.

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/41

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

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 team. It’s another thing to get your department to trust it. If you’ve ever hit resistance, heard the line “We don’t need that,” or wondered how to shift the culture without sounding out of touch, this episode is for you.

Gabe Lira joins me today with over 30 years of military and law enforcement experience, including building one of the first peer support teams in Southern California and co-founding the Public Safety Peer Support Association. Gabe understands firsthand what it takes to earn buy-in from the ground up, and he shares practical tools, common mistakes, and what works when you’re introducing peer support to a skeptical audience.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• What to expect when your department pushes back
• Smart ways to introduce peer support that don’t sound like a lecture
• How to get buy-in from leadership and frontline staff alike

If you’re building or growing a team and facing resistance, this conversation is exactly what you need.

CONNECT WITH GABE

EMAIL: gabe@firstresponderpsych.com
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-lira-62b243247/
WEBSITE: https://www.firstresponderpsych.com

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Public Safety Peer Support Association: https://pspsa.org/

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

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 use it?

Confidentiality isn’t just a policy, it’s the foundation of trust. And if your people don’t believe their conversations will be kept private, they’ll stay silent. That silence keeps people stuck in pain, stress, and burnout.

In this episode, we’ll talk about what real confidentiality looks like, how to create psychological safety, and why one slip can damage your whole program.

You’ll also learn what peer supporters should say, how leadership can either support or sabotage the process, and how to build a culture where trust isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a lived experience.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• The non-negotiable rules of confidentiality for peer supporters
• How to create psychological safety in every interaction
• Practical ways to build department-wide trust in your peer support program

If you want your peer support program to survive, confidentiality and trust aren’t optional; they’re everything.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Schedule a free discovery call

https://stresscaredoc.com/consultation

Peer Support & Crisis Training Info

https://stresscaredoc.com/training-courses

Download Confidentiality Playbook

https://survivingyourshift.com/playbook

If you're receiving value from this podcast, consider becoming a monthly supporter—your gift helps me keep producing these practical episodes. Become a supporter today.

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.