CROA is embarking on a significant initiative – creating a peer support system specifically designed for behavioral health co-responders. As an organization initially established to provide a support network for those of us working alongside first responders, CROA recognizes the vital role of peer support in this line of work. Many Fire and Police systems have their own formal peer support programs, and now it’s time for CROA to take this important step in formalizing peer support for behavioral health co-responders. Please read below to understand the two pronged approach we are taking to supporting behavioral health co-responders. 

Behavioral Health Co-response Peer Support Team

While most Fire, EMS and Police first responders have access to Peer Support, behavioral health co-responders have similar needs but no access to peers of their own. CROA in conjunction with UW is spearheading the creation of a statewide Peer Support Team pilot for behavioral health co-responders.

Peer support workers are volunteers who bring their own personal knowledge of working as front-line staff within co-responder programs in Washington State.  These positions will directly serve individual behavioral health and community health co-responder line staff needing support.  Support may include reflective listening and other types of emotional support as well as connection to professional resources. Peer support can help responders impacted by their work to cope, identify sources of support and help to connect responders to that support. The role of the Peer Support Team is to be available to other behavioral health co-responders who have short-term personal or professional needs and guide them to resources for longer term needs. Behavioral health co-responder Peer Support Team members will not provide therapy or counseling to their fellow co-responders. Instead, the goal is to be a listening ear, validate their experience, and then help them navigate to any longer-term support needs the person may have. Confidentiality is a core tenant of peer support and a value for all of our team members.

To access the Peer Support Team, you may call 206-738-8583. Please note that at this stage of the program, you will immediately be sent to voicemail, and a Peer Support Team member will call you back as soon as they are available. We are hoping to bring on some more team members in the coming months in the hopes of creating a more immediate response. Also, we cannot reply to text messages sent to this phone number at this time. During your conversations with the Peer Support Team, we will ask what county you are currently in, which is to understand where the need is greatest in the state. We will be collecting some limited data on each call made to the Peer Support Team, but will not include identifying information. 

If you have any questions about the Peer Support Team, please feel free to email Zee Andrignis at peersupport@croawa.org.

Peer POV Meetings

We have created monthly virtual meetings to allow behavioral health co-responders and alternative responders to meet with one another and create shared space to discuss our struggles and successes. At this time we are inviting any behavioral health worker in Washington in the field of co-response or alternative response to join us for meetings. We anticipate opening this up in the future to include space for our first responder (Police/Fire/EMS) partners, but at this time are asking just for behavioral health workers to start with. Please watch this space for future meeting dates and links.