Send me a text

Ever freeze up when someone says, “I’m not OK”? Learn how to respond with simple crisis communication skills that support, not shut down, your peer.

Ever feel stuck when someone opens up about something hard, and you have no idea what to say?

It’s not just you. Most people aren’t taught how to handle emotionally charged conversations. So when a coworker or team member says, “I’m struggling,” we either over-talk, underreact, or panic inside.

And if you’re on a peer support team? That silence can be costly.

Avoiding the conversation, brushing it off, or saying something well-meaning but clumsy can actually shut the person down. The truth is, most of us don’t need fancy therapy skills; we need a simple structure to guide hard conversations in a helpful, human way.

In this episode, you’ll learn a conversation framework that helps you support others without making things worse.

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

• How to respond when someone says, “I’m not OK”
• What helps people feel psychologically safe in hard conversations
• A simple structure you can use in almost any peer support situation

This episode is practical, encouraging, and designed to help you stay calm, stay present, and stay helpful when things get hard.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Consultation

Join us in Sulphur, LA, for a free CISM Group Crisis Intervention training, November 17–18. Learn how to support your team after critical incidents. Register now at survivingyourshift.com/group.

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

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

Join us in Sulphur, LA, for a free CISM Group Crisis Intervention training, November 17–18. Learn how to support your team after critical incidents. Register now at survivingyourshift.com/group.

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/

Join us in Sulphur, LA, for a free CISM Group Crisis Intervention training, November 17–18. Learn how to support your team after critical incidents. Register now at survivingyourshift.com/group.

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.