About Peer Support
The goal of peer support is to create a safe and supportive workplace culture that promotes discussions about mental health and opens-up lines of communication for people to talk about things weighing on them.
Interested in bringing peer support to your workplace? The Riverside Trauma Center helps organizations or departments develop their own peer support program where team members receive training on peer support as needed.
Peer Support for First Responders
The day-to-day work of first responders is like no other. On any given shift they may face potentially traumatic situations. Yet they keep going, keep showing up for work, and keep protecting others. But what happens when this start to take a toll on the first responder? Where can they turn for support when they need it? The answer: peer support.
Video: First Responder Peer Support
Skip this video First Responder Peer Support.The goal of peer support is to help increase awareness of mental health challenges and suicide prevention while decreasing the stigmas around mental health. Peer support programs hope to help people who are experiencing a range of life challenges so they can find hope and recovery and promote resiliency. This includes recovery from a traumatic or highly stressful event, and ongoing support for overall health and well-being. It is not psychotherapy but is intended to help connect individuals to resources.
If you would like to learn more about peer support programs for first responders, email Michael Bonadio Jr. from MassMen at mbonadio@riversidecc.org.
Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry
With insight from many individuals in the construction industry, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health developed this resource for anyone that is working to champion mental health and suicide prevention in the workplace:
This “champion” could be someone working in construction who is a trusted peer and leader, hoping to bring this issue to the forefront. This resource is not a guide for implementing a specific suicide prevention program, since no one program fits every company, union, or organization. Instead, this resource provides a starting point for increasing awareness and bringing support and resources to construction workers through existing or new workplace connections.
About MassMen
MassMen is a suicide prevention program for working-aged men (and those who care and love them) working in variety of industries that are known to have higher than average rates of suicide (Public Safety, fishing, construction, to name a few) across Massachusetts.
The MassMen Project is designed to promote wellness and empower working-age men across Massachusetts to take action to feel better emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We also support and provide information for loved ones looking to help the man in their life.
We are funded by the Department of Public Health Suicide Prevention Program and are brought to you by the Riverside Trauma Center, a service of Riverside Community Care.