ACC PV Guide Section 1 – Peer Support

Section 1. Peer support is comprised of 4 “chapters”.  These are:

Guidance for teaching prospective peer visitors appears near the bottom of each section of the Peer Visitor Training Manual. .  This includes the Key concepts that peer visitor trainers should ensure are covered in preparing peer visitors for practice. You can review each of these sections of the manual by clicking the links above (right-click to “open link in new window”).

General

Begin by asking learners if they have had the time to read the sections on peer support in both peer visitor training manuals, in-person and remotely. Peer visitor trainers should be prepared to answer questions regarding peer support that involve the key concepts in both guides. It may be helpful to start by defining what peer support is or asking the learners what they think peer support is before teaching. Let the trainers know of ways or activities that will ensure that the learners will understand the content, for example, when asking the learners questions about peer support, and no one is engaging, maybe try asking open-ended questions mixed in with other questions that require more thinking. The slides for teaching the Peer Visitor training sessions are embedded in the Peer Visitor Training Manuals (in-person and remote).  It is also important to note the differences in adult learning and give the trainers activities that can help the learners take in the information based on their style of learning and also based on the content you are trying to teach.

WHAT IS PEER SUPPORT AND WHAT IS A PEER VISITOR?

Teaching this session primarily involves ensuring that learners are comfortable with the concepts to be taught and responding to questions from future peer visitors about these concepts. Ensure that the learners are sufficiently comfortable with the key concepts to be taught in the section and feel comfortable with answering questions from future peer visitors about them.

The teaching of this section involves a role-play in reflection activity. Discuss how to run a role-play and facilitate a group discussion.  You might have one or more of the students practice, leading the role-play, and the subsequent discussion.

WHY IS PEER SUPPORT IMPORTANT?

Ensure that the learners are comfortable enough with the concept to be taught in the section to teach it themselves.

BENEFITS OF PEER SUPPORT

Quite a few key concepts are covered in the section. Ensure that the future peer visitor trainers are comfortable enough with the concepts to teach them, and to answer any questions about them.  This section includes a reflective facilitation.  Explain how this is done in both an in-person and a remote training session. You might ask one or more of the learners to practice, leading the reflection with their fellow learners.

WHEN SHOULD/CAN PEER VISITING BE DONE?

The section also includes some key concepts to be taught.  Ensure that the future peer visitor trainers understand the concepts efficiently to teach them, and to answer any questions about them.  There is also reflective exercise, and facilitation, and you might ask one or more of the students, keeping time in mind, to practice leading this facilitation.

Remote

Trainers can start by introducing themselves and setting boundaries/guidelines to make sure others are comfortable to ask questions. Making sure cameras and microphones are on before peer support teaching will help with group dynamics. Teaching a group of learners online will require more activities to keep the group engaged and to make sure they are taking in all the information you are providing.

To teach “What is peer support and what is a peer visitor”, trainers can include role-playing and reflection on their presentation. Remote learning will likely cause trainers to have breakout rooms for learners to engage in group discussion.