Pilot and Peer Assistance

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

• Regulatory requirements for Support programmes and the use of trained peers
• Role of a Peer, their function, responsibilities, competencies and associated safety risk factors in aviation
• An appropriate and agreed code of practice and ethics and importance of confidentiality
• Knowledge of CAA medical regulatory considerations in aviation medicine
• Human Factors, 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
• How Peer Assistance works – Peer Assistance model
• The skills required for initiating and directing a peer assistance call
• Empathic and active listening skills and unconditional positive regard
• Helpful conversations in peer assistance calls; preferred future state, solution-focused conversations, shared understandings
• 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 Peers and for ‘difficult’ cases, how to look after themselves including access qualified assistance themselves, if needed
• Governance and organisational support arrangement

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.  However, a mental health professional should support the peer when required, e.g. in cases where intervention is required to prevent endangering safety.