California Peer Support Association provides various training opportunities form mental health consumers. Some of their training topics include:

• Need for Peer Support: an introduction to peer support that will show why it is imperative for each department to have peer supporters and the cost savings of a strong peer support team.
• Setting Up a Peer Support Program: this class goes into the details of what should be included in a department peer support policy and the participants will receive sample policies. Vital information on team structure and team member selection for a successful peer support team will be covered. The need for confidentiality will be discussed. Wrap up will include how to find reliable professional services in your community.
• Basic Peer Support: this class is structured towards giving the new peer supporter the skills they need to work with an individual after a traumatic call or critical incident. Some of the skills taught and practiced will be improving listening skills, dealing with a grieving or depressed coworker, critical incident stress management, how to set up a peer support program, when to call in a mental health professional, alcohol and addictions, suicide, and caring for yourself.
• Basic Peer Support Refresher: this class is designed for the individual who is currently a peer supporter, has had the basic peer support class and desires a review and practice of the basic skills. Some of the skills that will be reviewed are CISM, listening skills, addictions, role of the mental health professional, grief, loss, depression and taking care of you.
• ICISF Group Intervention: certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, this class teaches the 7 step, “Mitchell Model” as well as the many options available in critical incident stress management that is appropriate for group settings.
• Critical Incident Stress Management: this class covers the multi-faceted options for assistance in CISM. This class explains the continuum of interventions available from pre-incident education to mental health referral and all the available options in between.
• Dealing with Grief and Loss: this class teaches the 5 stages of grief as well as the types of grievers. You may identify some of your own unresolved losses as you discover how best to help others through their grief and loss.
• Improving your Listening Skills: this is an interactive class that will give you the tools for becoming a better listener. How to help peers open up about what it is that is troubling them without feeling like they are being interrogated. 
• Difficult Debriefings: class will help the experienced peer supporter improve their CISM debriefing skills. The Mitchell Model debriefing concept is reviewed and then participants will be conducting debriefings from realistic scenarios.
• Defusing Scenarios: this class will help the experienced peer supporter perfect their CISM defusing skills. The ICISF CISM strategies will be reviewed then participants will be asked to perform defusings using realistic scenarios.
• Death Notifications: this class will assist the peer supporter when making death notifications.
• Helping a Peer with Alcohol Addiction: this class is taught by a member of law enforcement or fire service who has been there and back. They will relay their journey and open your eyes to that dark place and what it takes to help someone out of that place. You will receive information on confidential resources available for the alcoholic who works in law enforcement or fire service.
• Chaplain vs. Clergy: this class explores the differences between a member of the clergy and a chaplain. It explains why a chaplain is a valuable member of the department and why a member of the clergy may not ever really fit in your department .
• Role of a Mental Health Professional: a class that discusses the differences between an employee assistance program and a mental health professional who understands the stress management needs of police and fire personnel. We will discuss when it is appropriate to call in a mental health professional and how to find reliable resources in your community.
• Eye Movement Desensization and Reprocessing (EMDR): this class explains the EMDR process which helps individuals process a traumatic event that has effected them. The instructor, trained in EMDR, will go through the process so participants will understand the benefits and be able to make referrals of peers to trained EMDR specialists.

Country
United States of America

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