Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Peer-to-Peer Program available at Fairchild Published Jan. 19, 2012 By Scott King 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- The Peer-to-Peer Support Program at Fairchild has one mission: To provide Fairchild personnel with the opportunity to receive emotional and tangible peer support through times of personal or professional crises and to help anticipate and address potential difficulties. It is comprised of more than 25 people from the Guard, Reserves and Active Duty trained as peer support members. Peer support members are military members who have volunteered to serve in that position. Although they are not counselors or therapists, they have been specially trained to help address a variety of potentially problematic areas. Peer-to-Peer training was conducted here last month and facilitated by Tom Stebbins, a clinical social worker with more than 10 years of experience with military members and their families. His training focused on teaching support members how to help others find their own solutions, identify and be aware of signs of stress, know when to reach out to others for assistance and be able to facilitate referrals to resources if needed. Peer support members can provide emotional and practical support at the first sign of need, before problems are compounded. "The purpose of this program is to provide military and civilians with a colleague who is trained in basic counseling skills," Stebbins said. "It is our belief that many of our personnel have problems related to the stress of their jobs and relationships that can be dealt with through the use of these trained co-workers. Many times military personnel are reluctant to seek help from professionals either from a fear of stigma or lack or recognition that their problems need help. Their coworkers however can both identify problems in their early stages and provide help and support. This can often result in diminishing the problem before it becomes serious or a crisis." Peer support members are committed and dedicated to upholding confidentiality and anonymity of anyone who uses the program. Confidentiality is an essential element because it allows the individual to overcome apprehensions about seeking out peer support, and to freely discuss their concerns. However, there are situations when information must be shared with the appropriate authorities such as when an individual poses a threat to themselves or others; there is suspected child abuse or neglect; there is evidence of domestic violence or a major crime has been committed. "The military culture encourages service members to take care of each other. There is a strong connection with their peers because of shared experiences and the ability to relate. This creates an environment where service members rely on the natural support of their colleagues to cope with stress and other problems that may be interfering with work performance or their personal lives," said Marcia Richard, 141st Air Refueling Wing director of psychological health and manager of the Peer-to-Peer Support Program. "Having trained peer support members help ensures that our military members receive the help they deserve." "I am confident that we will see a decrease in stress and improved morale," Stebbins said. "Hopefully we can help our people with their problems, and create a better environment with co-workers and family - an emotionally healthy force is a stronger force." For more information on this program or to locate a peer-to-peer support member, contact Marcia Richard at 247-7087.