EMNet Peer Support Network
Why Peer Support?
We all know that as Emergency Physicians, we are very unlikely to ask for help. We keep it all inside. We move on with our days, our lives, even after bearing witness to some of the hardest days in other people's lives. We deal with stress, anguish, agony, uncertainty and vulnerability on a daily basis. Peer Support offers us a way to process and to heal, in a non-judgemental, confidential and reflective way.
Our Expertise
Each member of our team is an Emergency Physician practicing at one of the sites affiliated with Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. Our peer supporters have undergone training with Dr. Jo Shapiro, likely the world's foremost expert on Peer Support for physicians. We will be providing continuing education sessions for the team, in order to ensure that we all provide the best support possible to you, our colleagues.
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How does it work?
When you reach out to the team using the web form below, or via our hotline or email, you will be contacted by a member of our team. The peer support director will then match you up with a peer supporter, based on some specific questions you will be asked such as language of preference, or whether you would rather a peer supporter from your own site or a different site.
You can also reach out to our team if you are concerned about a colleague, but we ask you to please get consent from that colleague before you do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Peer Support?
Peer Support is a formal way of supporting clinicians during times of significant stress and vulnerability. This kind of assistance can help physicians deal with the difficult emotions, such as fear, vulnerability, stress and pain that come along with adverse events, difficult cases, negative interactions with peers, personal challenges, and more.
Who are we?
We are 40 trained Emergency Physicians representing all sites of the McGill Department of Emergency Medicine (MUHC, JGH, SMH, Lakeshore, Gatineau/Hull, Wakefield, Papineau, Pontiac).
How does it work?
Physicians in need of support have three ways to access the Peer Support Network.
- Reach In: contact the Peer Support Network on your own.
- Reach Out: we will contact you in cases of sentinel events.
- Refer In: we will contact you if we are made aware of the need, either by a friend or colleague, with your permission.
All three methods will trigger an offer of support from the Peer Support Network, which can be accepted or declined. If accepted, the Peer Support Director (Dr. Sara Ahronheim) will assist in matching you up with an appropriate peer supporter, based on a set of questions. You can choose to be matched up with a peer supporter at your site or at a different site, someone you know vs someone you don’t, and to receive support in the language of your preference (English or French).
What are the limitations of peer support?
Peer Supporters are not therapists or counselors. The Peer Support Network will provide physicians with a one-time, one-on-one conversation with a peer supporter. This intervention is not meant to be longitudinal, so there will not be an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Should further help be required, the peer supporter will be able to direct you to additional appropriate resources.
Important things to know:
EMNet Peer Support conversations will be kept confidential. We will not take notes, and there will be no documentation related to the interaction. There is no reporting to the Department, Hospital or the Collège. The EMNet Peer Support relationship is a safe space and exists solely to support our EM physicians in times of need. Peer Supporters are EM physicians like you, so we have likely had similar experiences and can probably relate to what you are going through.
For further information on Peer Support, you can check out the following references:
Shapiro J, Galowitz P. Peer Support for Clinicians: A Programmatic Approach . Acad Med. 2016 Sep; 91(9):1200-4.
Shapiro J., M.D., and McDonald T. B., M.D., J.D. Supporting Clinicians during Covid-19 and Beyond — Learning from Past Failures and Envisioning New Strategies New England Journal of Medicine. N Engl J Med 2020; 383:e142
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Contact the McGill DEM Peer Support Network
Send us a message via ourÌýWebform
Call us at 514-796-CARE (2273)
E-mail us at DEMPeers [at] gmail.com
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Here for each other
McGill DEM Wellness Committee