The Brigham and Women's Hospital Peer Support Program was created to support clinicians and other Brigham faculty. Trained peers reach out to impacted colleagues – due to an unexpected clinical outcome, personal loss or other stressors – offering a listening ear and the comfort of speaking with someone who has “been there.” The program is one tool to help mitigate isolation while fostering a culture of support and trust.
How the Peer Support Program Works
Peer support is generally department-based, so that colleagues with similar clinical experiences are supporting one another. The peer supporter might hear about a colleague in need from a variety of sources: from leadership, from colleagues in Risk Management, Quality and Safety, or from staff or leadership within the Peer Support Program itself. The peer supporter reaches out to the colleague over email and the support conversations usually take place by phone.
Peer Supporters
Peer supporters receive peer support training, run by our Peer Support Medical Director in collaboration with colleagues in the department of Psychiatry. Our peer supporters also come together as a group several times per year to share experiences and continue to learn together as a community. Click here for a list of current peer supporters.
Request Peer Support
If you or a colleague would like to speak with a peer supporter, contact our Medical Director or Program Manager – their contact information is at the bottom of this page. They will arrange to have a peer supporter reach out via email to set up a time to speak and provide support.
The History of Peer Support at the Brigham
The Brigham and Women's Hospital Peer Support Program was launched in 2004, modeled after robust programs utilized by first responders to support one another through stress and trauma. The program grew and evolved over the years, most recently under the leadership of Dr. Jo Shapiro who founded and led the Brigham Center for Professionalism and Peer Support between 2008 and 2018. Since 2019 the Brigham and Women's Hospital Peer Support Program has been housed within OMCOSS (the Office of Mediation, Coaching, Ombuds and Support Services) under the faculty leadership of Dr. Morana Lasic with program management by Pamela Galowitz.
Contact the Brigham and Women's Hospital Peer Support Program
