Pilot Peer Training

• Pilot Peer volunteers
• Senior Managers from CAT operators who have oversight of support programmes
• National Aviation Authorities (NAA’s) and Regulatory Bodies Subject Matter Experts on SPs or Peer Support

• Introduction to Peer Training Course
• Regulatory requirements for Support Programme and the use of trained peers
• Role of a Peer
• An appropriate and agreed code of practice and ethics
• Importance of confidentiality
• Their function and knowledge of limits of their role, responsibilities and competence and also safety risk factors in aviation
• Knowledge of CAA medical regulatory considerations in aviation medicine
• Basics of psychology and the understanding of how the human mind and body respond to stressors and the manner by which health and wellbeing issues develop
• Mental health first aid principles and intervention techniques
• Signs of mental ill-health including recognition of ‘red flags’ requiring escalation and urgent professional assistance
• Suicide prevention using Safe Talk or Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) protocols
• The fundamentals of understanding substance abuse as a medical condition and treatment models such as a HIMS programme
• How Pilot Peer Assistance works – Peer Assistance model
• The skills required for initiating and directing a peer assistance call
• Empathic and active listening skills
• Unconditional positive regard
• Helpful conversations in peer assistance calls; preferred future state, solution-focused conversations, shared understandings
• Role play support calls
• Clear onward referral pathways and signposting to other sources of assistance
• When it is appropriate to report a colleague without consent and a professional standard programme for a conflict resolution process
• How to handle concerns raised by others including how to verify the veracity of a report (to limit potential misuse of the system)
• Mutual support for ‘difficult’ cases, how to look after themselves including access to debriefing and counselling by the P-PAN Psychologist if needed
• Governance and organisational support arrangement
• Course summary q&a feedback

By the end of this course delegates will demonstrate an understanding of the following through presentation and interactive discussion:

• The function and role of a Peer and Pilot Peer Assistance
• The skills, knowledge and behaviours to act as a Peer
• The mental health and wellbeing of pilots in the aviation workplace
• The ability to have peer to peer conversations
• The mitigation of risk of pilot impairment and risk resulting from the fear of loss of licence

No pre-requisites for this course.

In the context of a support programme, a ‘peer’ is a trained person who shares common professional qualifications and experience, and has encountered similar situations, problems or conditions with the person seeking assistance from a support programme.  This may or may not be a person working in the same organisation as the person seeking assistance from the support programme.

A peer’s involvement in a support programme can be beneficial due to similar professional backgrounds between the peer and the person seeking support. Mental health professional should support the peer when required, e.g. in cases where intervention is required to prevent endangering safety.

We encourage reading of the CAP 1695 and the European Pilot Peer Support Initiative (EPPSI) Manual of Peer Support documents.