About MassMen’s Peer Support Training
Interested in bringing MassMen’s trainings or Peer Support to your organization? Email Michael Bonadio Jr. from MassMen, a service of Riverside Community Care, at mbonadio@riversidecc.org.
The program is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health therefore most services are offered at no cost to the organization or business.
Training services
Training services for organizations and businesses include, but are not limited to the following:
- Understanding Trauma and Vicarious Trauma
- Trauma-informed Workplaces
- Managing Stress in the Workplace
- Building Resiliency
- Understanding Suicide & Suicide Prevention
- QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) - suicide prevention gatekeeper training
Additional program services
- Consultation service to develop, build, and implement a Peer Support Program. The goal of these programs is to develop peer to peer support within organizations and businesses that help support the mental health and wellness of workers, and that may be utilized as a support to workers in a time of difficulty or crisis. These programs offer support and guidance within a business or organization and can help workers find appropriate behavioral health resources, if needed.
- Critical Incident Responses (on-site and virtually) after a crisis event including natural disasters, violence in a workplace or community, death by suicide in a workplace or community, other highly stressful events. Response can include coping skills groups, Psychological First Aid (PFA), and consultation around resources and policies. Critical incident services are provided at no charge for non-profit groups and municipal / state agencies. A fee may be required for larger, private companies.
Testimonial
100% of attendees in January 2021 reported they’d recommend this training to others interested in becoming a peer supporter.
“Thank you so much for providing these two days of invaluable training. Not only is the information we learned relevant to our positions, but these strategies are, simply put, really good reminders about what it means to be human. These procedures and practices can also help us manage our own mental health needs so that we, in turn, can provide stronger support to our members.”
– Participant Testimonial
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.