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WeNeverWalkAlone
Nationwide Peer Support & Mental Health Professional Network

WeNeverWalkAlone Trainings

In daily life as a police officer, the job is to respond to a call, fix the problem, and move on to the next call. In this training, officers learn to listen and respond without judgement or agenda. They are taught that time is relative and when speaking to an officer in need, there are no clocks. They build their skillsets and graduate the class having been through relevant, practical training that can be used in their everyday lives, both on the job and off.

We offer two types of training:

  1. A 4-day peer support training for leaders and peer support coordinators. That’s $525
  2. A 3-day peer support training for teammates. That’s $475
Both training programs have an online certification exam at the end of the class. Trainees have 30 days to complete the online exam and they have 3 attempts to pass it and get more than 90% to get a certified peer supporter status.

Teammate Training:

Covers topics such as but not limited to:
  1. How to speak to an officer in need?
  2. How to respond to a call from the peer without judgement or agenda?
  3. What are the boundaries and limitations to do in peer support?
  4. What to do when you don’t know what to do in that situation?
  5. It is scenario based, interactive, hands-on training. The trainees get an opportunity to participate and practice their skills under the tutelage of skilled veteran trainers that are retired police officers themselves.

Leadership Training:

The leaders sit through the same 3 days class alongside teammate trainees. Additionally, they have one extra day of training where they learn the following:
  1. How to create an in-house peer support group
  2. How to communicate the activities of the peer support group to command staff without compromising confidentiality
  3. How to Coordinate activities of the peer support group
  4. Help and templates with general orders, policies and such
  5. Legislative aspects: There’s some confusion as to what peer support is and what annual mental health check ins are. We clarify those
So, anything that goes above and beyond the peer support teammate’s role and responsibilities, the leaders get to learn on that additional day.

No. However, a new member department will have 12 months to get its share of peer supporters trained and active on the WeNeverWalkAlone list of peer supporters. Since WeNeverWalkAlone is a network, we need members to contribute 7-10% (typically) of the strength of their departments as trained peer supporters. So, a department of 50 sworn officers would need to have 4-5 officers trained to be part of the network’s pool of peer supporters. As the size of the department increases, the required percentage slides down proportionately. For example, Chicago PD, that has 13,000+ sworn officers, would only need to have 2-3% of its strength trained to contribute to the pool.

There are several firms that train officers to be peer supporters. Any program may be used as long as the program is consistent with the guidelines for peer support as proffered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, reviews of other law enforcement programs, and peer support as a discipline.

You must attend all days of class. Each day builds on the information learned on the previous day. And because limited class size, officers develop relationships and bonds with their fellow peer support trainees. This training will challenge you and by the end of it, you will feel well-prepared for what may come your way. In addition to that, becoming a peer support officer is a commitment that you make to yourself and your department. The hours you spend in class will keep you engaged and learning.

Country Inn and Suites at 1401 N Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60195. Don’t forget to ask for state discount. The going rate in Spring of 2023 was about $75 per night for a room with two queen sized beds.

Chief George Filenko (Ret.)
Chief George Filenko (Ret.)
Sgt. John-Erik Anderson (Ret.)
Sgt. John-Erik Anderson (Ret.)

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