Ethical Peer Support™ Training

Ethical Peer Support™ is a structured training program designed to prepare organizations and individuals to integrate lived experience safely and ethically into social service environments. Developed by Voice Found, the program combines trauma-informed practice, ethical boundaries, and peer-informed approaches to strengthen services for vulnerable populations.

The program prepares staff, peer supporters, and leaders to engage individuals navigating trauma, substance use, gender-based violence, and human trafficking with relational, trauma-informed approaches while maintaining clear boundaries and standardized practice.

This training is for organizations working in:

• gender-based violence programs
• outreach and community services
• substance use and recovery
• anti-human trafficking initiatives
• mental health services
• justice and corrections systems

Why Ethical Peer Support? Peer support is increasingly used across health and social service sectors. However, few training programs address the ethical and supervisory structures required for peer roles to be implemented safely. Ethical Peer Support™ addresses this gap by combining:

• structured training
• supervisor preparation
• implementation guidance

 Ethical Peer Support™ combines research, evaluation, and frontline expertise to address some of the biggest gaps in peer programming: training, ethical practice, and supervision structures.

Program Benefits

  1. Our participatory approach empowers learners to experience the material via multiple modalities.

  2. Our vision includes a clearly defined scope, encouraging participants to develop their capacity to support complex situations.

  3. A commitment on the part of Voice Found to sustain investment in training.

  4. We will support the coordination of a cohort-based community of practice.

  5. Participants and supporting organizations benefit from clear guidelines on the effective management of trauma disclosure.

  6. The application process involves a personal readiness assessment and interview, and completes the cycle with a practicum and evaluation process before peer supporters begin or resume engaging with peers. This provides your organization with confidence in the development and management approach to an effective peer support program.

  7. A peer supporter who understands the impacts of trauma, and uses a trauma-informed approach will be less likely to unintentionally re-traumatize a peer and more likely to support healing. Ethical Peer Support Training by Voice Found is based on a survivor-led and trauma-informed framework and built upon the core elements of peer support which include:

  • Training, supervision, and monitoring

  • Social connection and support

  • Creating a safe environment

  • Ongoing engagement of participants

  • Recruitment of peer supporters with specific peer characteristics, and appropriate readiness.

Testimonial

“As a survivor of human trafficking, who is now in a position to be a support to others, I feel that this HT specific Peer Support Training is absolutely imperative.

While going through this program, I was able to write out my thoughts and feelings about each module and reflect on what I wish I knew back then, what I know now, and what I felt I needed when I was at that low point in my life. I thought about how often I had wished that there had been more folks with that shared lived experience of being trafficked, to walk beside me in my early journey of healing and finding my own voice, to show me that healing WAS possible, that I wasn't alone, that I was believed, and that I was worthy.

In order to assist survivors as a peer supporter, we must understand what it means to have been trafficked. Although our stories may be vastly different from one another, we all share in the passion to be there for others who are where we once were.

This program is in-depth and informative, while also showing just how necessary it is to go into so much detail.

There is ample opportunity throughout the program to journal and write about different topics in the modules, as well as the opportunity to debrief these thoughts as a group and to work through them together.”

  • We recognize that organizations may have peer supporters and/or peer support programs in place and that’s great. Our program may or may not be a fit. We highly recommend you ask the following questions; 1) What training have our peer supporters had? 2) Do we evaluate the readiness of someone to be a peer supporter? 3) Do our peer supporters have mentors? 4) Is our organization well equipped to manage the well-being of peer supporters? 5) Would our peer supporters benefit by belong to a community of others?

  • No. Not all people with lived experience are well suited to be peer supporters. Some may never be a good fit for the role while others will eventually be a good fit. That’s why our application process includes self-evaluation, interviews and references. It is critical that peer supporters be in the appropriate state of readiness before stepping into the role. Important for their well-being and important for the well-being of the person they will support.

  • Adjective - eth·​i·​cal : conforming to accepted standards of conduct.

    We felt it captured the essence of what we wish to achieve and that is that peer support programs in organizations adhere to a standard of practice that is beneficial to the peer and the peer supporter.

  • We will accept 10 - 14 people per cohort.

  • We will post a calendar on this page.

  • There is a lot to this program and we welcome you to contact us at EPS@voicefound.ca and someone will get back to you and schedule a call.

  • You will be provided with a link to the virtual classroom. On the start date of your cohort, you will be able to access the first module. You will have a week to complete it. The next week, you will attend a live virtual classroom with other students in your cohort (class). You will spend the time discussing what you learned and then will be provided access to the next module. This is repeated till the end of the course.

  • It really depends on the person but we say to set aside 2 - 3 hours. There is some homework and journaling.

FAQ’S