OasisLMS

Building a Peer Support Program is a self-paced course designed to help organizations plan, implement, evaluate, and sustain a peer support program. The course provides practical guidance for developing a program that creates meaningful opportunities for individuals with shared experiences to connect, build relationships, and support one another.

Participants will explore the foundations of peer support and learn how to identify program needs, establish goals and outcomes, define participant and staff roles, and develop a structure that fits the needs of their organization and community. The course also provides guidance for recruiting and selecting participants, preparing mentors and program staff, facilitating peer support activities, and establishing processes for ongoing program management.

Throughout the course, participants will examine strategies for monitoring program activities, gathering feedback, and using data to identify areas for improvement. Participants will also consider how organizations can strengthen and sustain their programs over time through continued support, evaluation, partnerships, and opportunities for program growth. Practical examples, planning tools, templates, and activities are provided throughout the course to help organizations move from learning about peer support to developing a program that can be implemented in their own setting.

Each module builds on the previous module, guiding participants through the major stages of peer support program development, from establishing the foundation and building the program to managing activities and planning for sustainability. Course handouts and planning tools are provided throughout the course to support continued program development and application.

This course guides organizations through the process of building and supporting a peer support program from initial planning through sustainability and growth. Participants will explore peer support models, program design, mentor and mentee recruitment, training, facilitation of peer support activities, program evaluation, and strategies for long-term sustainability.

The course includes four modules:

• Module 1: Foundations of Peer Support Models
  • Introduction to peer support models and program design and planning.

• Module 2: Building Your Peer Support Program
  • Recruitment and selection of mentors and mentees and development of an effective training structure.

• Module 3: Managing & Supporting Program Activities
  • Facilitation of peer support sessions and monitoring, evaluation, and data collection.

• Module 4: Sustainability & Growth
  • Strategies for sustaining a peer support program and planning for program expansion.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify peer support models and key considerations for designing a peer support program.

• Develop strategies for recruiting, selecting, and preparing mentors and mentees.

• Apply strategies for facilitating and supporting ongoing peer support program activities.

• Use monitoring, evaluation, and data collection to assess and improve program implementation.

• Identify strategies to support program sustainability and future growth.