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This five-day workshop is designed for persons who want to establish the best possible peer program for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, community agencies, or employee-based organizations.

A key focus on this workshop is on diversity and how to apply state-of-the-art peer principles to any culture, including First Nations, various ethnic groups, and international populations.

The workshop will provide the practical skills, materials, resources, and plans for implementing and maintaining successful and effective peer support programs. Each day includes practical, hands-on experience, state-of-the-art materials, supervised training opportunities and leadership from the most qualified peer program experts.

The seminar covers all key topics including:

• practical strategies to recruit, select, and supervise peers:
• twenty roles peers can play to prevent problems, mediate disputes, and promote healthy growth;
• the 12 core skills of a peer helping training curriculum;
• how to design a curriculum for advanced skills and issues;
• experiential learning techniques that energize training;
• when to teach and when to facilitate;
• how to conduct a needs assessment for program longevity;
• how to use feedback and facilitation skills to train like an expert;
• how and when to motivate peer helpers;
• how to gain and maintain program support from unexpected sources;
• six proven methods to turn resistance into alliance;
• eight peer program standards that resolve pesky legal issues;
• examples of successful implementation strategies; and
• how to use simple strategies to evaluate program progress.

Workshop Format
Participants are organized into small groups for the peer training and consultation activities. Each participant has an opportunity to partner with another workshop participant to lead a supervised training session. The workshop relies strongly on interactive methods designed to maximize adult learning and model effective training.

Participants will be involved in lectures, communication skill exercises, role plays, training leadership opportunities, curriculum development, peer helping, and other experiential activities.

Credit and Certification
Participants will be eligible to apply for national certification as Peer Helper Trainers (Level I). This certification system is based on national training standards originally developed by the Peer Counselling Project at the University of Victoria.

Participants who attend a complete workshop will receive a Certificate of Completion. Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit is also available through the Canadian Counselling Association.

The fee for this workshop includes all instructional costs, resource materials, nutrition breaks, and post-session consultation for peer program implementation issues.

In Victoria: This seminar will be held in the Student Union Building at the University of Victoria (map). Accommodation is available on-campus. Single rooms (semi-private bath) at the University are $45/night, including taxes and breakfast, or $55 for a twin bed room, or $180/nite for a four-bedroom suite; limited private accommodation is also available on-campus at Craigdarroch House ($70.20/nite including breakfast). Call Housing Services at (250) 721-8396 for reservations. For other accommodation in Victoria, including B & B's and hotels close to the workshop, call Victoria Tourism at 1-800-663-3883 or visit their website at www.tourismvictoria.com. The workshop location is about 15 minutes from downtown hotels.