Peer Support Program

We are excited to announce the expansion and improvements made to our Peer Support Program, led by Director of Well-Being Dani Dutro. This is now available as a resource for everyone at Valley, dedicated to helping  get additional support and improve overall well-being for our caregivers.

How can I sign up to receive peer support?

You can request to be matched with a peer supporter at this link. If you do not wish to use the web to schedule/request, you may still use the peer support phone number 425.690.7626 - follow the instructions for leaving a voicemail request. Your peer supporter will be in contact to discuss issues that are impacting you at work or in your personal life, including topics like stress and anxiety, burnout, boundaries, compassion fatigue, and more. This is a one-time, brief meeting to offer resources and suggestions for ongoing help if desired. Most of these meetings will be conducted via phone or video call via Teams.

You will be able to make some requests for the peer supporter that would be most helpful to you, including their job role and/or their demographic information. Depending on the number of employees who sign up to be peer supporters, we may not be able to accommodate all requests but will do our best.

Our goal is to match everyone who requests a peer supporter with a colleague within one business day.

Please note: our peer supporters aren’t qualified to address substance abuse issues or severe mental health crises. If you have questions or needs in this area, please use the resources outlined on the Well-Being site, including 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, scheduling a 1:1 consultation with Dani, or accessing resources via our EAP Program (for employed clinicians).

Who can be a peer supporter and how can people participate?

We are now taking applications and nominations for employees who would like to be part of the Peer Support Program. Any Valley employee in good standing is eligible to be a peer supporter. However, we are most looking for people who excel in active listening, empathy, compassion, and problem solving.

If this sounds like someone you know at Valley, we encourage you to nominate a colleague to participate in the program as a peer supporter. Don’t worry; no one who is nominated will be forced to join! If you are nominated, Dani or a member of the Well-Being Committee will reach out to you to share more information about the program and see if you’d like to participate. You are also welcome to nominate yourself to be a peer supporter.

Learn more about how to nominate or participate in the program on the new and improved Well-Being SharePoint site.

What is the time commitment to participate in the program?

Once you are committed to be a peer supporter, you will be required to attend a four-hour online orientation and training through UW Medicine. These trainings are offered a few times per year. Depending on the demand for peer supporters, you may then be matched with a colleague right away, or there may be some time before you are matched.

You will be asked to connect with a colleague requesting support no more than once per month. These meetings should be less than an hour. Peer supporters will also be asked to attend periodic check-ins with Dani and/or other peer supporters on about a quarterly basis.

If you have other questions about the program, especially if you don’t have access to the Well-Being SharePoint, please email us at wellbeing@valleymed.org.