peer support business plan

•  >  Chapter 1: Key Concepts
•  >  Chapter 2: Planning a Peer Support Program
•  >  Chapter 3: Community and Organizational Readiness
•  >  Chapter 4: Recruitment and Selection of Peer Supporters
•  >  Chapter 5: Training Peer Supporters
•  >  Chapter 6: Management of Peer Supporters
•  >  Chapter 7: Reach and Engagement of Program Participants
•  >  Chapter 8: Monitoring and Evaluating Peer Support
•  >  Chapter 9: Sustaining Health Behaviors
•  >  Chapter 10: Organizational and System Issues
•  >  Chapter 11: Program Recognition, Certification and Quality Assurance
•  >  Chapter 12: Advocacy

Program Development Guide

Starting a Peer Support Program

Chapter navigation.

1. Starting a Peer Support Program

2. Developing Peer Support Protocols

3. Collaborating with Existing Peer Support Programs in the Community

Starting a peer support program involves thinking about the kinds of support that people need, and how your programs can address those needs. Doing so requires attention to the needs and strengths of your organization, the target population you aim to serve, the peer supporters and what they need to provide support, and ideas about what peer support would look like in your setting. The following two sections provide an overview of the essential phases in developing and managing a peer support program, as well as information about adapting a peer support program from a previously successful one.

Program Development and Management

As illustrated in Figure 2 below, starting or strengthening a peer support program often goes through four phases , including:

• Community and Organizational Readiness – such as assessing needs, obtaining stakeholders’ buy-in, and securing resources.
• Program Development – planning peer support interventions, developing protocols, and recruiting and training peer supporters.
• Program Implementation – reaching and engaging program participants, and monitoring and supporting peer supporters.
• Evaluation – documenting the process, and identifying indicators and tools to evaluate outcomes/impact.

All phases are critical to Program Sustainability . However, attention should also be paid to behavioral, programmatic and policy-related aspects order to better sustain a program. This guide is organized in the way that walks you through these phases and provides examples and resources to help you start or enhance a peer support program.

Figure 2. Four phases of program development and management

For specific guidance for developing a peer support program addressing a particular disease or condition, please refer to the example manuals in Resource section.

Adapting Peer Support

It is common for program managers to initiate a peer support program by adapting an existing program that has demonstrated success. Adaptation is the modification of an evidence-based intervention without competing with, contradicting, or removing its core elements or internal logic ( Winwood et al., 2008 ). An adapted peer support program will have a higher likelihood of success when it maintains fidelity to established peer support frameworks (i.e. four key functions) while modifying program components to fit the target population, increase cultural competency, address the needs of the community, and allow integration with the local health system.

In general, various adaptation guidelines share the following steps (see Figure 3):

• Assess the needs of target population and settings
• Determine core areas that need adaptation and ways to address them
• Pretest your strategies, products and/or interventions
• Modify or revise your strategies, products and/or interventions based on the feedback from pretesting
• Proceed with full implementation and then evaluation

When adapting an existing program, the key is to continually modify or revise your approaches based on the needs and characteristics of your program participants and settings. In fact, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is applicable to all peer support programs regardless they are starting from the ground up, or adapting an existing model.

Figure 3. Framework for Adaptation

What are Key Points to Developing a Successful Peer Support Program?

There’s no single ingredient that is required or guarantees success, but these components often comprise successful peer support programs.

• Maintain frequent contact (long-term and ongoing support).
• Develop and maintain linkages with health systems and primary care providers.
• Encourage regular care, healthy eating, physical activity and medicine adherence; share experiences and advice for those activities; and assist in completing those activities.
• Provide support in coping with day-to-day stressors.
• Assist in developing problem-solving, decision-making, and coping skills.
• Take into account the individual, social and cultural characteristics of the patient.
• Consider individual rights, privacy, and the limits on the role of the peer supporter.
• Encourage peer supporters to contact health care providers if they are unable to answer specific questions or provide assistance to patients. Peer supporters must acknowledge the boundaries of the care that they can provide and should refrain from giving medical advice or diagnoses.

Through research and global networking, Peers for Progress has identified a few success factors for designing and managing a peer support program:

• Keep it simple – Remember that peer support is meant to be from “people like me”
• Avoid too many details of training – Remember, key is knowing, listening, and being available
• Ongoing support and information for peer supporters are key

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Page title Peer Support Workers for those in Recovery

Who Are Peer Workers?

Peer support workers are people who have been successful in the recovery process who help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment, peer support workers help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process and reduce the likelihood of relapse. Peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process.

Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) is enriched by the lived experiences of people in recovery, who play key roles in BRSS TACS project leadership, development, and implementation.

• Learn about the foundational core competencies for peer workers in behavioral health services.
• Access a list of frequently asked questions about core competencies for peer workers.
• Learn more about the process of recovery .

Peer Support Role

Peer support workers engage in a wide range of activities. These include:

• Advocating for people in recovery
• Sharing resources and building skills
• Building community and relationships
• Leading recovery groups
• Mentoring and setting goals

Peer support roles may also extend to the following:

• Providing services and/or training
• Supervising other peer workers
• Developing resources
• Administering programs or agencies
• Educating the public and policymakers

Peer support workers may need to develop additional core competencies to provide services to specific groups who also share common experiences, such as family members. The shared experience of being in recovery from a mental health and/or substance use condition or being a family member is the foundation on which the peer recovery support relationship is built in the behavioral health arena.

Peer Support Resources

Use the following resources to learn more about the role that peers play in recovery. Please read the SAMHSA.gov Exit Disclaimer for more information on resources from non-federal websites.

• Peer workers are emerging as important members of treatment teams. The “Supervision of Peer Workers TA Resource” (PDF | 702 KB) helps supervisors understand how to supervise peer workers in behavioral health services. The resource includes a slide deck (PDF | 9.1 MB) , slide deck with trainer notes (PDF | 9.14 MB) , one-page self-assessment tool for supervisors (PDF | 239 KB) , and resources (PDF | 124 KB) .
• Peer Support (PDF | 2 MB) ; Apoyo entre compañeros (Spanish version) (PDF | 183 KB)
• Family, Parent, and Caregiver Peer Support in Behavioral Health (PDF | 846 KB) ; Apoyo de compañeros para pares y otros cuidadores de niños y jóvenes (Spanish version) (PDF | 202 KB)
• Peers Supporting Recovery from Mental Health Conditions (PDF | 2 MB) ; Recuperación de problemas de salud mental (Spanish version) (PDF | 196 KB)
• Peers Supporting Recovery from Substance Use Disorders (PDF | 2 MB) ; Recuperación de trastornos de consume de sustancias con el apoyo de pares (Spanish version) (PDF | 202 KB)
• Getting Started With Evidence-Based Practices: Consumer-Operated Services – 2011 guides mental health authorities, agency staff, and others through the process of implementing evidence-based practices. It also highlights the importance of cultural competence.
• SAMHSA’s Recovery and Recovery Support topic explains how recovery-oriented care and recovery support systems help people with mental and/or substance use disorders manage their conditions successfully.
• What Are Peer Recovery Support Services? – 2009 explains peer recovery support services designed and delivered by people in recovery from substance use disorders.

Access video trainings on peer support services , youth and young adults, and other topics.

Last Updated: 10/03/2023

A quick & easy guide to workplace peer support programs

Depression is among one of the leading causes of disability worldwide affecting approximately 280 million people around the globe . Let that number sink in for a bit… 

280 million people. 

Considering all the stars visible in all directions around Earth, the most generous estimates say there are less than 10,000 visible stars to the naked eye . But 280 million people suffer from this physically and mentally debilitating condition. And these symptoms don’t just switch off when we walk into work. 

In addition to the significant personal consequences associated with depression, the economic impact for employers can be considerable. 

Here are some more numbers for you to think about: The average cost of depression is between $17 billion to $44 billion per year to employers in the US alone . And other studies have found similar trends across a diverse range of countries .  

As an employer there are plenty of initiatives you can implement to support your employees’ mental health at work: In-house workshops, webinars, supporting National or International awareness days, Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), flexible working arrangements, as well as upskill training for line managers and senior leaders. But have you ever thought about implementing a workplace peer support program?

What is a workplace peer support program?

Peer supporters are carefully selected, trained, and supervised co-workers, who can provide basic support and mental health first aid for their colleagues. We spend a third of our lives with our colleagues, which means they’re in a prime position to notice changes and become the first point of contact when mental health issues arise.

Peer support is a valuable addition to traditional professional support services. A peer offers the unique insight as someone who may have lived experiences of either mental illness and recovery, or knowledge of the difficulties of the work pressures a colleague may be under. These insights allow them to understand, support, and above all model a sense of hope in ways not always achievable through traditional therapeutic means. 

Peer support programs aren’t exclusively for those who are seriously ill or have a diagnosis of a mental illness. If someone is struggling with work, relationships, or everyday stressors in their life, a peer supporter can help them find the resources to manage their overall wellbeing. 

Benefits of developing a workplace peer support program

A peer support program can be an important contributor to a psychologically safe workplace, building a resilient team of employees who understand and support each other – reducing absenteeism and increasing a sense of self-worth across your workforce. Other benefits of these programs include:

• Reducing the stigma and increasing help-seeking behavior within the workplace.
• Peers can clarify and champion your workplace wellbeing initiatives.
• Peers understand the work and the business because they work there too.
• Peers may be more available and approachable to talk to than a manager or leader, making it easier to reach out and support early intervention.

Examples of workplace peer support programs

So, what does a good peer support program look like? We spoke to three of our Endorsed Employers to discuss how they’re promoting peer-to-peer support in their workplace.

Michelle Hargreaves (She/her), Recruitment and Sourcing Team Lead at Downer shares about the Mental First Aiders that form their network of peer support. 

“Mental Health First Aid Training is an externally accredited program by Mental Health First Aid Australia. It is a one-and-a-half-day program offered to all [Downer] employees. Individuals become accredited Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) and internal peer supporters. Topics covered within the training include depression; anxiety; psychotic illness; substance use disorders; multiple crisis scenarios such as suicide, panic attack, critical incident management and aggressive behaviors.”

MHFA are just one of many layers of safety, mental health, and wellbeing support available to all employees across Downer.

Arabella Ollerenshaw (she/her), Senior Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing Advisor at Transgrid shares about their Workmates Peer Support Program. 

“Physical and psychological safety is always Transgrid’s first priority. Our approach was recognized in 2021 when Transgrid was awarded the Allan Fels Mental Health Award from the Australian Human Resources Institute for the Best Mental Health Program. A key component is Transgrid’s Workmates Peer Support Program. Volunteer employees are trained to assist colleagues who are struggling. The program offers employees a safe space to talk and encourages them to reach out for help when they need it. By understanding the range of professional services Transgrid offers, Workmates can recommend appropriate steps that a colleague can take to optimize their mental health and seek professional help where necessary. In return, we support our Workmates with ongoing training and recognition.”

At Transgrid, there’s nothing more important than staying safe at work.

“No darkness lasts forever. And even there, there are stars” – Ursula K. Le Gavin

Discover more about these Endorsed Employers

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THE PEER RUN BUSINESS MODEL

Painted Brain is an innovative peer-run mental health arts and tech organization that uses a peer model focused on recovery. Painted Brain defines a peer employee as any person with lived mental health challenges and or trauma including but not limited to: social injustice, interpersonal violence, societal exclusion. Painted Brain considers all of its’s employees as peers, where there is no separation from community members to clinicians to executives; all identify with having mental health challenges.

Research has shown that consumers experience reduced stigma and discrimination at peer-run organizations when compared to traditional service providers.

The peer model is a key strategy for reducing both personal and institutional stigma for both the peer employee and consumer.

Painted Brain believes that people with mental health challenges can live full, active, and professional lives. PB is an incubator that creates low-barrier jobs by understanding both market opportunities and the needs of the people we hope to employ.

Painted Brain’s peer model encompasses a variety of aspects of the workplace including human resources, job recruitment and outreach, hiring process, conflict resolution, and a perspective on a workplace culture that supports workers with lived experience.

Job Recruitment and Outreach

PB actively recruits and encourages peers with lived experience to seek employment at our organization. In order to reach our target population for employees, Painted Brain utilizes a variety of marketing strategies. Painted Brain contacts and creates partnerships with other mental health service providers in order to inform them of potential opportunities for their program participants. In addition, Painted Brain visits neighborhood committees, local college clubs for mental health, and hosts events to further market the many potential opportunities for individuals with lived mental health experience to find employment within the organization. At Painted Brain, we also host a multitude of community engagement events that provide a safe space for people with various mental health challenges. Through visiting various agencies, clubs and hosting events, Painted Brain is able to market employment opportunities to individuals who want employment but have a difficult time finding jobs that are able to accommodate for mental health challenges. Painted Brain believes that everyone has unique strengths and talents that can be utilized and turned into employment opportunities. We strongly believe that if someone wants a job and is willing to work we will be able to identify an opportunity that works for them.

Human Resources

Built into the Human Resource Department at Painted Brain is a structured support system for peer workers. PB is aware that mental health challenges affect employees ability to carry out their job responsibilities in every workplace.

At PB employees are encouraged to be open about their mental health challenges in order to thrive at work daily. When necessary Painted Brain has work stoppage plans for employees whose mental health challenges negatively impact their ability to fulfill their work duties on a daily basis.

PB ensures that a plan is put in place to cover for an individual during the work stoppage and that the individual is projected to return to work at the conclusion of the work stoppage. PB encourages employees to check in on their mental health status at work each day.

When employees check in about their mental health , it allows their coworkers and supervisors to meet them where they are during their work hours to support them in the best way possible. As necessary and without penalty, PB employees have the opportunity to take a short mental health break during the day in order to complete their shifts effectively.

We also offer Occupational Therapy services to our employees to assist with stress and time management. In practice, this affords PB employees the opportunity to reach out to our resident Occupational Therapist for useful tips and to help deal with work and life stresses. In addition, among Painted Brain staff are Peer Social Workers who can assist with crisis intervention and with empowering individuals to be at their best state while at work.

Hiring Process

We’re excited to have the support from Google, thanks to the Google Grant as well as the support from Alen Zamanyan, a software engineer and recruiter at Google. We’re thrilled to expand our impact with our digital education workshop series running at Daniel’s Place.

Once an individual has expressed their willingness to work, Painted Brain implements a unique process to hire employees. Painted Brain conducts an assessment of mental health needs and develops a support plan for the employee with a social worker.

During this assessment, the social worker is then able to identify strengths and needs together with the employee. PaintedBrain also utilizes an occupational therapist to assess skills and challenges for the employee as well. Painted Brain then requires that all their employees complete a job application as part of the onboarding process. Once the individual is ready to work, the employee and staff will collaborate to then identify the position that best supports the strengths that the employee possesses.

Workplace Culture

An important value at Painted Brain is workplace culture. It is important to Painted Brain to puts less emphasis on organizational hierarchy and instead encourages inclusion among all employees. No matter the position of the employee their feedback, ideas, and suggestions are all taken into consideration when fulfilling the organization’s; mission. PB’s employees serve as a support system for each other in order to carry out daily tasks. PB employees work as a team to hold each other accountable in order for all employees to complete job duties to the best of their ability. Further, PB is a workplace that takes bullying and harassment of all kinds very seriously.

The workspace is highly collaborative and all points of view and perspectives are honored and welcome.

Training For Consumers To Provide Services

As noted above, Painted Brain works with our community of mental health consumers to identify goals and support their individual paths to finding sustainable employment. Painted Brain’s peer model matches individuals with a peer coach to identify career pathways that fit their interest the most.

Consumer Career Pathways

Painted Brain’s peer training program offers several paths for peers to acquire the skills they need to gain employment. These training program paths include the PB Technology Academy, the Boutique and Art Group Services.  Our Technology Academy trains individuals in the programs needed to enter the tech force. Academy participants learn everything from the basics of computing to advanced coding as well as security and social media. Our Boutique offers opportunities to learn about working in a clothing store. Individuals acquire skills in how to inventory clothing, working with customers, managing a register and maintaining the stores aesthetic. PB Art Group Services allow contributors at PB to run their own art group and receive a stipend for it. Art Group Leaders learn creative, fun methods for developing and maintaining an active and successful group.

Training For The Consumer’s Personal Development

PB Tech Academy at the community center

Painted Brain offers a series of job skills groups. Throughout the job skills group, individuals learn how to take the skills that they have developed and apply them to their resume to increase their employability.  Throughout this process, PB peers can identify the skill that the consumer wants to further develop and how to foster this development. In addition, peers learn how to use their own mental health stories and experiences to change attitudes and invite new contributors to Painted Brain.

Job Navigation

The occupational therapist provides support for the individual throughout the job search, resume/application development, and job training process. Studies show that implementation of the Individual Placement and Support model results in increased competitive employment rates in adults labeled with mental illness, and individuals receiving this support were able to find jobs more quickly and maintain employment for a longer period of time (Noyes, Sokolow, and Arbesman, 2018).

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Navigating the Assessment Period: Top tips from peer mentors

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Manage stress, keep healthy and ace your assessments with these tips from fellow students!

With the assessment period approaching, peer mentors from RMIT share their top tips on how to effectively navigate this challenging period.

Start early and stay organised

Supriya Bajaj, who is studying Masters of Analytics, says that for students approaching assessments, her advice would be to start early, stay organised, and reach out for help if needed.

“Break down your tasks into manageable chunks, prioritize effectively, and utilize resources such as peer mentors, academic support services, and study groups.” 

“Remember to take breaks and practice self-care to maintain balance and reduce stress.”  

Focus on small portions

When writing an assignment, Law student Meg Whittaker says breaking up everything into small portions helps her from becoming overwhelmed. 

“If I have a 1000-word assignment with 1 section worth 30% and one section worth 70%, I write myself a note that the first section should only be 300 words and the second part should be around 700 words,” she said.  

“For exams – try to do something similar with your timing. Break down the weight of 1 mark into how many minutes to spend on that section.”  

Look after your basic needs

When it comes to planning for assessments, self-care should be a top priority according to Bachelor of Social Sciences student Alex Ashton.

"I think it's really important for students to make sure they're looking after their most basic needs."

“Have ingredients in the house for easy meals, drink some water and schedule time for walks.”

Alex says that simplifying tasks can help students feel a sense of reward in the build up to their assessments.

“When things become really overwhelming, I find it helpful to plan for the week, just writing down one or two tasks to achieve each day.”

“It gives me a sense of achievement when I do get the things done.”  

Use library resources

Bachelor of Business student Ananya Sadana has a simple message for students thinking about their assessments.

“Start timely and don’t leave things for the last minute.”

“Use the various resources that RMIT provides to help with assignments."

From one-on-one consultations to referencing tips, students have never been more prepared for their assessments. Plus, the  Library will be open longer hours  to give you more time to study.

Check out some of the other hints and tips below to see how you can best prepare for upcoming assessments.

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Which service allows me to connect with another student who can help with coursework, general study skills and academic confidence?

Peer mentoring.

Peer mentoring allows you to connect with peers who have recent experience with course content and studying at RMIT.

It’s a casual, friendly, and student-led service. You can ask a couple of quick questions or build an ongoing connection both online and face-to-face.

Peer mentors are current student volunteers that are happy to help other students build their own academic confidence by sharing their own experiences. Mentors for academic courses have completed the course within the previous 12 months and received a grade of 75% or above.

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Riverview warehouse that was slated for apartments has been demolished. What's next?

The long-empty Des Moines Cold Storage facility near Riverview Park has been cleared after it was determined that the decaying brick structure wouldn't support planned apartments, a restaurant and a bicycle shop .

Des Moines Cold Storage sold the 103,000-square-foot warehouse at 2814 Seventh St. in 2018. By then, the condition of the warehouse had declined to the point where parts of the roof were held up in places by stacked pallets. Portions of the structure were 116 years old.

Now, with a completely bare site, Neighborhood Development Corp. Executive Director Abbey Gilroy said, the sky's the limit.

"It's a vision. That's what it is," said Gilroy, whose city- and county-supported nonprofit purchased the site for $1 million in February 2023. "We just need to solidify the actual concept, the size of the project and our investor."

The parcel is just steps away from the entrance to Riverview Park, where the Neal Smith Trail tops a levee protecting the low-lying area from the Des Moines River. Once home to an amusement park, the city-owned property  has seen millions of dollars in improvements in recent years , including construction of a playground and a concert venue, the Prairie Meadows Riviera Stage.

"I think it would be cool to have an entertainment district of some sort that compliments what Riverview is doing," Gilroy said. "It could be really neat, and I'm hopeful that that is how it ends up. It'll take time."

Also: Replacement for Highland Apartments growing to meet neighborhood's housing needs

NDC will continue to seek a developer to help lead the project. It also received Iowa Economic Development Authority approval last October to join the state's Brownfield program, which awards tax credits to projects that redevelop vacant, blighted, underused or environmentally damaged sites. 

The state plans to give the corporation up to $1.5 million so long as the final concept includes public space and housing. Initial estimates put the apartments conversion at $13.5 million.

Gilroy expects progress at the site by 2026.

Crumbling brick impossible to save, demolition crew boss says

NDC conducted a partial demolition of the building last fall to remove old additions and the most deteriorated portions of the structure. What was left was a two-story brick warehouse that it had hoped to convert into a space for businesses with a patio and 16 high-end apartments above.

A new building would have been built on the cleared portion of the site, potentially adding another 20 units.

More: List names Des Moines metro's most endangered historic buildings for 2024

However, a process Zach DeCarlo of Des Moines-based DeCarlo Demolition said was similar to "peeling back the layers of an onion" revealed that only the warehouse's concrete roof and columns were sound. The brick had gone soft and was crumbling.

"There was no good way to repurpose that building for something for today," DeCarlo said.

While he understands the desire to rescue century-old structures, DeCarlo said there wasn't much left to save.

"What are you saving?" he said. "I've been doing this my whole life. And with that building, there was nothing left."

However, DeCarlo Demolition did manage to recycle nearly 95% of the building, breaking down the bricks, concrete and metals. The brick will be crushed into a sub-base product that will be used under a new convenience store.

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at 608-931-1761 or [email protected], and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.

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Woke no more

Companies were starting to support political causes. Now they're too scared to speak up.

Unilever spent years crafting its image as a corporate goody-two-shoes. The owner of Dove, Vaseline, Hellmann's, and a bunch of other brands axed quarterly reporting and earnings guidance in the name of focusing on sustainable long-term growth. Under Paul Polman , its CEO from 2009 to 2019, it said it would take into consideration all its stakeholders, not just shareholders, and set out to halve its environmental footprint — including greenhouse-gas emissions, waste, and water use — while doubling its sales over a decade. Five years and two chief executives later, Unilever is changing its tune . It's not doing a U-turn on environmental, social, and governance efforts, but it says it's being more realistic about what it can achieve and when. And, oh, those shareholders Unilever wasn't so beholden to? It's paying them a little more mind now, too.

Unilever isn't alone in this. Plenty of companies are reining in their rhetoric and in some cases action on issues such as sustainability and diversity. They're being extra cautious about weighing in on the social and political debates of the day, especially in an election year. In some cases they're telling their workers to cool it, too; Google, for example, fired more than two dozen workers for protesting its contract with Israel's government .

"Many executives have made the decision that it's sometimes safer to just be silent versus to take a stance, because they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders and their bottom line and are very concerned about how this will be perceived," said Naomi Wheeless, a board director for Eventbrite who was formerly a global head of customer success at Square.

Call it the great un-wokening.

Over the past decade, many corporations have at least professed to take a more active role in social issues, under pressure from their customers and, more importantly, employees. Companies pushed back on North Carolina's "bathroom bill" in 2016, and when Donald Trump took the White House, many spoke out against his policies on immigration and the environment. Around that time, the Business Roundtable said it was time to rethink the purpose of a company , and BlackRock's Larry Fink expressed all sorts of thoughts about the importance of companies being responsible social stewards.

In the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020, corporate America put out endless statements about the horror of what had happened and pledged to undertake diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. An expectation arose that big businesses would take a stand on issues — if Congress wouldn't do something on guns, at least Dick's Sporting Goods would .

"You can almost say that ESG ran unopposed for a few years," said Andrew Jones, a senior researcher at the Conference Board's ESG Center.

It's a bona fide countermovement against both ESG and DEI.

Then came the backlash. Over the past couple of years there's been an uproar, especially among conservatives, about the rise of "woke capitalism." Bud Light came under scrutiny from the right when it partnered with the transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a small-scale Instagram campaign last spring. Then Target took heat about its Pride merchandise , with some customers destroying displays in stores over a campaign it has run for years. These high-profile examples spooked companies, which are now afraid to poke the hyped-up right-wing bear. In the market, ESG funds haven't been doing so hot . According to Morningstar, investors pulled $13 billion out of sustainable funds in 2023 amid underperformance and political unease.

"It's a bona fide countermovement against both ESG and DEI," said Philip Mirvis, an organizational psychologist and research fellow at Babson College's Social Innovation Lab. "Certainly for businesses, this is about making money. And in the conventional logic, all of these issues represent risks."

After last year's Bud Light debacle, which was a real blow to its business , executives fear they'll be the next target of some anti-woke outcry. In a 2023 Conference Board survey of more than 100 large US companies, almost half of respondents said they'd gotten some ESG backlash, and nearly two-thirds said they expected the problem to persist or get worse over the next two years. Jones told me the surveys suggest companies are antsy about mentioning DEI too much, too. He said it's not necessarily the case that companies aren't doing any work on sustainability and diversity, but they're definitely changing how they talk about it.

The chilling effect is palpable. Fink won't say "ESG" anymore because, he says, it's been "weaponized." Asset managers are quieting down on ESG as part of a "greenhushing" trend. Some companies that made a big deal about their DEI efforts in 2020 are downsizing those, too . Data provided to me by FactSet, a financial-data company, shows that mentions of ESG and DEI in S&P 500 companies' quarterly earnings calls with analysts have taken a nosedive over the past few years. For the fourth quarter of 2020, 131 companies mentioned ESG, and 34 mentioned DEI or diversity and inclusion. For the fourth quarter of 2023, those numbers dropped to 28 and four.

While the backlash has certainly driven the quieting, in some cases companies are talking less about their social commitments because they got out over their skis on their pledges. Companies such as AIG, Amazon, and ExxonMobil have scaled back some of their climate initiatives.

"We saw a lot of companies make very bold commitments — we're going to be net-zero emissions by whatever date, 2040, 2050," Jones said. "And often those commitments came but there wasn't always the underlying work."

Alison Taylor, an associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business who wrote the book "Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World," told me that, in her view, corporate America's about-face isn't as abrupt as it seems. C-suites have become more Republican over the past decade, and in loudly proclaiming to be do-gooders, companies have also drawn attention to their political donations, which often don't align with their rhetoric. Additionally, the issues dominating political and social discussions are much thornier than they were in the recent past — speaking out against white supremacists in Charlottesville is a bit of a gimme, weighing in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not.

"Now what we've got is the end of Roe v. Wade, and we've got the Middle East, and we've got issues where they're much, much more divisive and difficult," Taylor said.

Taylor, a longtime skeptic of CEO activism, isn't surprised the friendly-corporation-next-door schtick has gone awry, but it has clearly caught some employees unawares. Some corporations have encouraged the creation of employee resource groups, which organize people by social identities and beliefs and in some cases embolden them to push for change. Google workers have previously participated in walkouts and protests and kept their jobs . Many were bewildered to find that this time around, the company was no longer having it. Instead, it's firing those protesting and reminding everyone, "This is a business."

"A company is not a democracy, and so all these leaders wanted to imply it was a democracy when it suited them," Taylor said. "Now it doesn't suit them."

It's unclear whether this trend of companies trying to stick to straight business is a blip or a more permanent reversal. Bud Light and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, have generally steered clear of anything that might be read as controversial since the Dylan Mulvaney debacle; their main message since then has been "We love America." Target told me it didn't have anything to share on its 2024 Pride plans yet, but it has publicly acknowledged it's likely to make some modifications.

A company is not a democracy, and so all these leaders wanted to imply it was a democracy when it suited them. Now it doesn't suit them.

Many of the people I spoke to for this story described executives as more on edge because of the election this year; come 2025, that may ease. The anti-woke crowd is extra fired up about certain issues right now, but that may not last — attention spans are short, and hot-button issues are constantly changing.

Still, companies' backing down on sustainability and diversity efforts, even temporarily, could prove short-sighted. Sure, you saved yourself a headache now, but in the long run, setting up a business to weather the climate crisis is a good bet. So is hiring diverse workers and appealing to new demographics. Despite the controversy last year, at the heart of Bud Light's campaign was an understandable business decision: It wants to appeal to a younger, more diverse consumer base.

Underlying this all is one central question: Just how "woke" are companies anyway?

Commitments to social responsibility are never far-reaching, said Kenneth Pucker, a former Timberland chief operating officer and current professor of practice at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. "It's always on the margins because the main goal of executives — the real responsibility, the way the structure of the system is organized, the way incentives work, the way the rules govern — is money making."

This may be a great un-wokening, but maybe corporate America was actually never that committed to the idea in the first place.

Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Takes Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair Trade   Practices

President Biden’s economic plan is supporting investments and creating good jobs in key sectors that are vital for America’s economic future and national security. China’s unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China’s unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses.   The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has already catalyzed more than $860 billion in business investments through smart, public incentives in industries of the future like electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and semiconductors. With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, these investments are creating new American jobs in manufacturing and clean energy and helping communities that have been left behind make a comeback.   As President Biden says, American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone—as long as they have fair competition. But for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices. China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care—creating unacceptable risks to America’s supply chains and economic security. Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China’s growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities.   Today’s actions to counter China’s unfair trade practices are carefully targeted at strategic sectors—the same sectors where the United States is making historic investments under President Biden to create and sustain good-paying jobs—unlike recent proposals by Congressional Republicans that would threaten jobs and raise costs across the board. The previous administration’s trade deal with China  failed  to increase American exports or boost American manufacturing as it had promised. Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created and new factory construction has doubled after both fell under the previous administration, and the trade deficit with China is the lowest in a decade—lower than any year under the last administration.   We will continue to work with our partners around the world to strengthen cooperation to address shared concerns about China’s unfair practices—rather than undermining our alliances or applying indiscriminate 10 percent tariffs that raise prices on all imports from all countries, regardless whether they are engaged in unfair trade. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the benefits for our workers and businesses from strong alliances and a rules-based international trade system based on fair competition.   Following an in-depth review by the United States Trade Representative, President Biden is taking action to protect American workers and American companies from China’s unfair trade practices. To encourage China to eliminate its unfair trade practices regarding technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation, the President is directing increases in tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products.   Steel and Aluminum   The tariff rate on certain steel and aluminum products under Section 301 will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024.   Steel is a vital sector for the American economy, and American companies are leading the future of clean steel. Recently, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $6 billion for 33 clean manufacturing projects including for steel and aluminum, including the first new primary aluminum smelter in four decades, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments will make the United States one of the first nations in the world to convert clean hydrogen into clean steel, bolstering the U.S. steel industry’s competitiveness as the world’s cleanest major steel producer.   American workers continue to face unfair competition from China’s non-market overcapacity in steel and aluminum, which are among the world’s most carbon intensive. China’s policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality, low-emissions U.S. products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions. Today’s actions will shield the U.S. steel and aluminum industries from China’s unfair trade practices.   Semiconductors   The tariff rate on semiconductors will increase from 25% to 50% by 2025.   China’s policies in the legacy semiconductor sector have led to growing market share and rapid capacity expansion that risks driving out investment by market-driven firms. Over the next three to five years, China is expected to account for almost half of all new capacity coming online to manufacture certain legacy semiconductor wafers. During the pandemic, disruptions to the supply chain, including legacy chips, led to price spikes in a wide variety of products, including automobiles, consumer appliances, and medical devices, underscoring the risks of overreliance on a few markets.   Through the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden is making a nearly $53 billion investment in American semiconductor manufacturing capacity, research, innovation, and workforce. This will help counteract decades of disinvestment and offshoring that has reduced the United States’ capacity to manufacture semiconductors domestically. The CHIPS and Science Act includes $39 billion in direct incentives to build, modernize, and expand semiconductor manufacturing fabrication facilities as well as a 25% investment tax credit for semiconductor companies. Raising the tariff rate on semiconductors is an important initial step to promote the sustainability of these investments.   Electric Vehicles (EVs)   The tariff rate on electric vehicles under Section 301 will increase from 25% to 100% in 2024.   With extensive subsidies and non-market practices leading to substantial risks of overcapacity, China’s exports of EVs grew by 70% from 2022 to 2023—jeopardizing productive investments elsewhere. A 100% tariff rate on EVs will protect American manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices.   This action advances President Biden’s vision of ensuring the future of the auto industry will be made in America by American workers. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration is incentivizing the development of a robust EV market through business tax credits for manufacturing of batteries and production of critical minerals, consumer tax credits for EV adoption, smart standards, federal investments in EV charging infrastructure, and grants to supply EV and battery manufacturing. The increase in the tariff rate on electric vehicles will protect these investments and jobs from unfairly priced Chinese imports.   Batteries, Battery Components and Parts, and Critical Minerals   The tariff rate on lithium-ion EV batteries will increase from 7.5%% to 25% in 2024, while the tariff rate on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate on battery parts will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2024.   The tariff rate on natural graphite and permanent magnets will increase from zero to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate for certain other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25% in 2024.   Despite rapid and recent progress in U.S. onshoring, China currently controls over 80 percent of certain segments of the EV battery supply chain, particularly upstream nodes such as critical minerals mining, processing, and refining. Concentration of critical minerals mining and refining capacity in China leaves our supply chains vulnerable and our national security and clean energy goals at risk. In order to improve U.S. and global resiliency in these supply chains, President Biden has invested across the U.S. battery supply chain to build a sufficient domestic industrial base. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Defense Production Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to expand domestic production capacity of advanced batteries and battery materials. The Inflation Reduction Act also contains manufacturing tax credits to incentivize investment in battery and battery material production in the United States. The President has also established the American Battery Materials Initiative, which will mobilize an all-of-government approach to secure a dependable, robust supply chain for batteries and their inputs.   Solar Cells   The tariff rate on solar cells (whether or not assembled into modules) will increase from 25% to 50% in 2024.   The tariff increase will protect against China’s policy-driven overcapacity that depresses prices and inhibits the development of solar capacity outside of China. China has used unfair practices to dominate upwards of 80 to 90% of certain parts of the global solar supply chain, and is trying to maintain that status quo. Chinese policies and nonmarket practices are flooding global markets with artificially cheap solar modules and panels, undermining investment in solar manufacturing outside of China.   The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in the U.S. solar supply chain, building on early U.S. government-enabled research and development that helped create solar cell technologies. The Inflation Reduction Act provides supply-side tax incentives for solar components, including polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, and backsheet material, as well as tax credits and grant and loan programs supporting deployment of utility-scale and residential solar energy projects. As a result of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, solar manufacturers have already announced nearly $17 billion in planned investment under his Administration—an 8-fold increase in U.S. manufacturing capacity, enough to supply panels for millions of homes each year by 2030.   Ship-to-Shore Cranes   The tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will increase from 0% to 25% in 2024.   The Administration continues to deliver for the American people by rebuilding the United States’ industrial capacity to produce port cranes with trusted partners. A 25% tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will help protect U.S. manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices that have led to excessive concentration in the market. Port cranes are essential pieces of infrastructure that enable the continuous movement and flow of critical goods to, from, and within the United States, and the Administration is taking action to mitigate risks that could disrupt American supply chains. This action also builds off of ongoing work to invest in U.S. port infrastructure through the President’s Investing in America Agenda. This port security initiative includes bringing port crane manufacturing capabilities back to the United States to support U.S. supply chain security and encourages ports across the country and around the world to use trusted vendors when sourcing cranes or other heavy equipment.   Medical Products   The tariff rates on syringes and needles will increase from 0% to 50% in 2024. For certain personal protective equipment (PPE), including certain respirators and face masks, the tariff rates will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024. Tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026.   These tariff rate increases will help support and sustain a strong domestic industrial base for medical supplies that were essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response, and continue to be used daily in every hospital across the country to deliver essential care. The federal government and the private sector have made substantial investments to build domestic manufacturing for these and other medical products to ensure American health care workers and patients have access to critical medical products when they need them. American businesses are now struggling to compete with underpriced Chinese-made supplies dumped on the market, sometimes of such poor quality that they may raise safety concerns for health care workers and patients.   Today’s announcement reflects President Biden’s commitment to always have the back of American workers. When faced with anticompetitive, unfair practices from abroad, the President will deploy any and all tools necessary to protect American workers and industry.  

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Politics latest: Sunak hit with blunt question on Loose Women - as Starmer outlines pledges

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has outlined the "first steps" his government would take should he become prime minister. Meanwhile, the current PM, Rishi Sunak, has been taking questions on Loose Women.

Thursday 16 May 2024 15:30, UK

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• 'No quick fixes to mess Tories have made', says Starmer
• 'I haven't scaled back ambition' | 'I'm no copycat Blair'
• Explained: Labour's six pledges for government
• Nick Martin: Why Labour seems reluctant to promise too much
• PM asked why he 'hates pensioners'
• Minister announces changes to sex education in schools
• Exclusive: Almost 900 sexual offences committed by people on bail
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler and (earlier)  Ben Bloch   and Faye Brown

A Tory MP who was ordered to repay taxpayers' money he used to fund his own party political work has insisted the watchdog's report "makes no direct criticism of me".

Paul Maynard, the pensions minister, was investigated by the watchdog overseeing MPs' expenses after a report by The Sunday Times.

Under the rules, MPs are only allowed to claim for costs they incur to fulfil their parliamentary duties. 

But Mr Maynard, the MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, did so to cover the costs of his constituency office and campaigning.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority requested a repayment of £1,367, which Mr Maynard repaid earlier this month ( see 14.00 post ).

He said: "I am grateful to the compliance officer for his time in considering this matter.

"I welcome his report, which makes no direct criticism of me or of my office, and accept the findings.

"I have implemented his recommendations and already reimbursed Ipsa the sum recommended. I also agree with Ipsa that despite our best intentions, navigating the dual use of a constituency office can, at times, be inherently complicated. I have now ceased this arrangement."

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

Almost 900 sexual offences were committed between 2020 and 2022 by people on bail, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

A Freedom of Information request by Sky News found the figure totalled 887 for the three years and had risen annually, with 184 offences committed in 2020, increasing to 326 in 2021 and 377 in 2022.

Sky News was refused the data for 2023 ahead of broader crime statistics being published on Thursday morning, and has now been told to submit another FOI request to access the information - meaning at least 20 days until the figures are revealed.

However, the trend indicates the number of offences is likely to have tipped over the 1,000 mark for the four-year period.

Charities and legal professionals warned the numbers were a "disastrous consequence" of a "broken" court system, which is seeing those on bail facing record delays before their cases are heard, putting them "at risk of reoffending for extended periods".

Read the full report here:

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

With the local elections complete, Labour is still sitting comfortably ahead, with the Tories trailing behind.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

The SNP isn't happy that Sir Keir Starmer failed to mention Scotland during his election campaign launch event earlier today.

The party's Westminster deputy leader, Mhairi Black, said "it's clear" he "intends to be prime minister for England only".

She also said Labour "is wedded to the same reckless policies as the Tories", a pointed reference to the party's stance on Brexit and having scaled back some previous spending commitments.

"You can't stabilise the economy if you are trashing it with Brexit and you can't deliver strong public services if you are imposing billions of pounds of cuts to our NHS, schools and police," she said.

Labour is expected to hold distinct electoral campaign launch events in Scotland and Wales - today's one was in Essex.

During media questions after his speech this morning, Sir Keir Starmer was challenged on why he wouldn't commit to scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

He said he was committed to ending child poverty, but this specific policy was one Labour couldn't commit to ( see 11.40 post ).

The Child Poverty Action Group has urged him to have a rethink and make this one of his priorities.

The charity's chief executive Alison Garnham said: "It's good to hear that ending child poverty is central for Labour, but the best way to achieve that is by ending the two-child limit on benefits which is driving so many children into hardship.

"A child poverty reduction plan is essential, but scrapping the two-child limit would have to be step one."

If you missed it earlier, Sir Keir Starmer today set out how Labour will make "real difference to people's lives" should it win the next election.

He set out six pledges, his "first steps to change Britain", from cracking down on anti-social behavior to launching Great British Energy.

Our political reporter Jennifer Scott lays them out below:

A Tory MP has been ordered to repay taxpayers' money he used to fund his own party political work.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority requested a repayment of £1,367, which Mr Maynard repaid earlier this month.

In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.

Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:

• Halve inflation
• Grow the economy
• Reduce debt
• Cut NHS waiting lists and times
• Stop the boats

See below how he is doing on these goals:

Rishi Sunak has told Loose Women that, despite not being able to be as present with his family as he would like, and the security risks he faces, it is "an enormous privilege" to be PM.

He was asked whether he would remain an MP if re-elected by his constituents but the Tories are voted out of government.

He replied: "Yes, of course I'm staying. I love being an MP. I love my constituents. I love my home in North Yorkshire - it's wonderful."

But he pivoted to saying he is focused on the general election and the "choice" voters will face.

Loose Women presenter Janet Street-Porter asked the prime minister: "Why do you hate pensioners?"

That was greeted with laughter from Rishi Sunak and a round of applause from the audience.

She said he has reduced national insurance, which pensioners don't pay, but frozen tax thresholds, meaning that the rise in state pension means that pensioners have to start paying tax very quickly if they earn extra money, leaving many "living in poverty".

The PM replied: "I care deeply about pensioners because I also believe in a country where if you work hard all your life, you should have the dignity and respect you deserve in retirement."

On what exactly the Tories are doing for pensioners, he pointed to the triple lock, introduced under the Cameron government, which is a government promise to raise state pensions every year by the level of average earnings, inflation or 2.5% - whichever is the highest.

He also said the winter fuel payment over this winter was doubled.

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Masks Strongly Recommended but Not Required in Maryland, Starting Immediately

Due to the downward trend in respiratory viruses in Maryland, masking is no longer required but remains strongly recommended in Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical locations in Maryland. Read more .

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Roadmap to Peer Support

Program leaders, on this page, roles and responsibilities, background, experience and preparation of the leader, motivation and inspiration.

One staff position that is essential to running your program is a program leader or coordinator. The information below on program leaders covers their roles and responsibilities, elements that may prepare a leader (such as their experience), and what can motivate and inspire them.

Decide where the leader fits in the community or organization

The program leader should be an equal peer to other leaders in the organization or community so they can form strong partnerships and supportive relationships.

Determine the leader's responsibilities

What the leader will be responsible for will depend on the size of your program and the availability of other staff that support the program. Also, the way a leader is defined will vary among programs. There are three levels of tasks for which a leader may be responsible. Smaller programs may mean that leaders will have to take on duties across all three levels. Larger programs may involve leader duties at the high level and possibly at the mid-level. The table below provides a description of duties at each level.

Direct Service

• Counsel peer supporters
• Documentation and other paperwork
• Recruit and screen peer supporters
• Hiring and managing personnel
• Personnel and peer evaluation
• Matching peer supporter to participant
• Training peer supporters
• ​Problem-solving with peer supporters
• Policy development
• Program development
• Program evaluation
• Sustainability

Write the program leader's job description

Your best resource to help write a job description may be human resources. You may wish to partner with this department in an organization or with a person in the community who has this background. The resources section has examples of job descriptions.

Background and Experience

“…if they don’t have some type of a business background, or human service background, I think it can be very challenging. We have seen a lot of programs fail because of that. They have the best of intentions as a parent, but they don’t have the skills to actually manage running a program. So, I think professional expertise is needed as well. That combination seems to work really well.” Quote from a program leader

“So for instance, taking peer to peer or family to family [programs], those are the individuals that once they get their life situation settled want to become board members or want to become involved…with policy activities.” [or become state or national trainers or mentors for new peer supporters] Quote from a program leader

If the program is in a clinical setting, it is useful for leaders to have a healthcare professional background in nursing, social work, or counseling. Larger programs may require that the leader have some form of leadership training or education. A leadership and project management background can also be very helpful particularly for larger programs.

Larger programs expect their leader to have experience in managing programs. Also, many leaders have personally experienced the health condition or situation that the program aims to address. This personal experience often helps them in their role as a leader.

Building the program leader’s skills

Initial training.

The extent of the training will depend on the structure of your program. Larger programs often have training that covers a lot of information and may use train-the-trainer models that offer certification. Smaller programs tend to provide less structured training and will build on the skills leaders already have acquired as peer supporters or in other roles. Sometimes program leaders benefit from looking at other programs and meeting with other program leaders to learn what worked for them. They may also review best-practices from other programs and information from research studies.

Ongoing Development

Refresher training is sometimes offered in larger organizations. Some hold conferences or workshops that present new ideas or new research information about health conditions or life situations. Others may keep track of issues raised from providing peer support; hold refreshers with peer supporters to address these issues; reinforce content from the original trainings; and review policies and procedures of the program (often as they evolve.)

Many leaders are the head of their program and do not report to others. Thus, getting input from participants and peer supporters about their performance is helpful to their understanding of what they are doing well and areas where they need to improve. Simple input forms can be used. Everyone in the program needs to feel that their input to the leader about the program and staff performance is welcome at any time and highly valued (refer to the Access section ).

Leader Motivation

Leaders often say their inner passion is what motivated them to start a new program or lead an existing one. Such passion may be what drives them to remove barriers and devote their time and skills to the program.

“It’s a joy to see people come in and they are broken. And they stay, you know, like you say, the seed has been planted. As they stay you can see their growth, their progress. So that’s one of the biggest joys to me.” Quote from a program leader

Maintaining Support for Program Leaders

Build support for the program leader into your program plans. Types of support may include providing someone to do day-to-day office work, paying for conference fees and educational events, or giving them resources to work on program barriers.

The Internet can also serve as a means of support for leaders. Larger programs that have local groups in many places can form a network with email list serves and websites. Stand-alone programs can use public list serves and targeted searches to find people or resources that may support them (for example, to identify an organization that teaches how to support or advocate for a cause).

Leaders can also be connected with local partners, such as a person in the community, or a local chapter or program (this is particularly important for stand-alone programs). Connecting new leaders to experienced ones is another form of peer support for leaders, and may also reflect the mission of the program.

Other ways leaders may be inspired:

• A desire to help others and see people benefit (similar to peer supporters)
• They personally experienced self-healing
• They see a need in their community or may enjoy using their skills to start or develop a program

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Updated: March 2018