Resources
Crews carry what they see. Peer support gives them somewhere to put it.
Routine exposure to trauma, critical incidents, moral injury, and cumulative stress raises the risk of burnout, substance misuse, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicide. Peer support is one of the practical answers, and it works best when it is structured.
What peer support is
- Peer based: support from colleagues with shared experience
- Voluntary: participation is never mandatory
- Confidential: clear boundaries protect trust
- Supportive, not clinical: peers do not diagnose or treat
- A bridge to care: peers encourage early help seeking and referral
What peer support is not
- Therapy or clinical counseling
- A disciplinary or investigative function
- A substitute for mental health professionals
- A crisis team operating outside policy
- A fix for organizational dysfunction
Defining those limits clearly is one of the most important risk management steps in forming a team.
Peer Support white paper
A structured framework for establishing, governing, and maintaining a peer support team. Written for programs that want to implement peer support thoughtfully, in line with best practice, without replacing clinical care or employee assistance programs.
- Core principles and ethical foundations
- Step by step framework for formation
- Governance, training, and risk management
- Sustainability and program evaluation
Free to any program. No form required.
“It is in the sharing of these human experiences that healing can be found.”
Research and data
First responders face elevated risk for suicide.
The data is consistent across federal agencies: the occupational stress first responders carry, both acute and chronic, is associated with increased risk of hopelessness, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal behaviors. Peer support is one structured way programs can act on that risk before a crew member is in crisis. Below are two authoritative sources we rely on.
- Read the CDC article: Suicides Among First Responders: A Call to Action (opens in a new tab)
CDC / NIOSH Science Bulletin
Suicides Among First Responders: A Call to Action
Published April 2021. Summarizes how occupation, occupational stress, and access to care shape suicide risk for EMS clinicians, firefighters, law enforcement, and public safety telecommunicators.
- Read the FAA report: Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Recommendations Report (opens in a new tab)
FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee (PDF)
Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances: Recommendations Report
Published April 1, 2024. The FAA's ARC report on barriers that prevent pilots and air traffic controllers from reporting and seeking mental health care, with 24 recommendations including expanded peer support programs.
Featured research
Nearly 90% of patients who would likely benefit from ECPR (extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation) are located beyond the reach of current hospital-based systems when transported by ground EMS.
A prehospital, helicopter-based ECPR system could increase access to this life-saving care by more than fourfold.
This work underscores why air medical transport is not just a ride to the hospital — it can be the only way to bring advanced, time-critical care within reach of the patients who need it most. Resilient, well-supported crews are what make that reach possible.
If you need support now
Talk to someone today.
Peer support does not replace clinical care. If you or a colleague is in crisis, reach a professional.
- [CRISIS RESOURCE: 24/7 national crisis line]
- [CRISIS RESOURCE: first responder support line]
- [CRISIS RESOURCE: clinician referral network]
- [CRISIS RESOURCE: employee assistance program guidance]
Support the Foundation
The general fund supports all six programs, including peer support training, conference programming, and resources that help teams serve their crews.
Donations are not directed to an individual program.