V5 - WELLNESS, The PC Rwanda Peer Support Network, By: PSN Development Team

Introduction to the Peace Corps Rwanda Peer Support Network
By Kerianne Hendrickson & the PSN Development Team

The chance of someone having some difficulty adjusting to life in a new country and culture is pretty high. Most would argue that someone who is dealing with this adjustment alone is bound to have more difficulty than someone who is able to share those difficulties with others. Groups provide people a way of connecting to others, which is a vital part of the human condition.

Peace Corps Volunteers in Rwanda are like a family. Groups of us lived together during our Pre-Service Training, which facilitated the formation of strong bonds. Beyond that, we all share common successes and challenges. As challenges arise, we are most likely turn to each other for support when needed.

Here in Rwanda, Peace Corps Volunteers are working to establish a formal support program called the Peer Support Network. The mission of this program is to support Peace Corps Volunteers and Trainees by addressing their emotional needs in a confidential, structured, and accessible format by promoting communication, facilitating effective stress management, and encouraging a positive and healthy environment. The Peer Support Network is a way to encourage Volunteers and Trainees to be there for each other in a time of need.

All Peace Corps Volunteers and Trainees make up the PSN. Throughout their service, Volunteers and Trainees will be given continuous information and training of the basic skills necessary for providing emotional, social, and practical assistance. It is realized that Volunteers and Trainees are going to provide support to one another whether or not there is a program in place; however, having a program that provides basic peer support skills will likely increase the effectiveness of the help given. It can also be a resource used to direct Volunteers on where to go for more professional help if support needs are too great.

Once regional meetings begin to take place, PCVs are encouraged to use those as a place to begin addressing support needs. Volunteers can help build the PSN program by developing and locating support resources that meet their specific needs at a regional level.

Please be on the lookout for more information on how to become involved with this program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the development/training team.

Peer Support Network Development Team Contact Information:
Malcolm Cunningham: malcolm.cunningham@gmail.com; 0728913795
Kerianne Hendrickson: keriannehendrickson@gmail.com; 0785657848
Jen Larr: jklarr@gmail.com; 0782797413
Jacelyn Matthews: jmatt83@gmail.com; 0722477209

Advice from the Peer Support Network: how to be a good peer supporter
Dear Fellow PCVs,
I want to address you an idea that I feel strongly about: the importance of acknowledging the emotions of others in a supportive manner. I really believe it is our responsibility as PCVs to take care of one another. We experience a lot during our service. Everyone understands the ups and downs one goes through. It is important to be able to share those experiences with the people who understand best—our peers. I feel myself to be a resourceful person on this matter. I would like to share with you all some knowledge I have regarding tools and "ways of being" a good peer supporter.

It is important for peer supporters to possess the following qualities: empathy, respect, warmth and caring, and genuineness. When you empathize with someone, you have the ability become involved in this person's feeling world. This means that you really feel the same emotions as the person you are speaking with.

Respecting someone means that you communicate your belief that a person has the capacity and right to choose and make his or her own decisions. It is also a receptive attitude to embrace the feelings and opinions of others.

Displaying warmth and caring behavior towards another person provides a sense of personal closeness. This can be done through both verbal and non-verbal communication. Someone who has good verbal communication, but lacks in "warm" non-verbal behavior is likely to be perceived as someone who is cold and does not care.

To be genuine means to have the ability to present oneself in a sincere manner. When you are genuine you show people who you truly are when connecting with them. You are being real—not acting or role-playing.

I feel that good peer supporters do the following:

• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support in a safe, non-judgmental environment
• Allow people to explore their thoughts and feelings, keeping in mind that thoughts and feelings are neither right nor wrong
• Offer opportunities to learn new ways to approaching problems
• Make a referral to someone else who can meet that person‘s needs if there is a mismatch between the situation and your own ability
• Respect confidentiality (unless someone may harm himself or herself or others)
• DO NOT gossip

Active Listening: is tool that can be used in everyday relations with others. When you actively listen to someone, you are not only hearing the words being spoken, but also understanding what is being said. It is also a way to make a person feel like they have been heard both verbally and emotionally. the basic techniques/strategies used to display active listening are as follows:

Keep focus and attention on the person you are talking to.
This is the time when you as the listener do not talk. Do not interrupt, even to agree with what is being said. Just listen. Watch the speaker‘s body language. Is the person nervous? Is he or she maintaining eye contact? Listen to tone of voice and rate of speech. Pay attention to what is being said and what is not being said. You want to remove all distractions (cell phones, other people, etc.). If there is a silent moment, respect it.
Without interrupting, show the speaker you are listening to him or her by using non-threatening verbal responses. Responses such as "uh huh", "hmmm", "I understand" or "I am sorry" (if something is sad) can be used. You must make sure the responses are sincere. This provides encouragement to the speaker to continue talking. This is the time when you convey genuineness, warmth and caring, respect, and empathy.

Restate some of the speaker’s key points in your own words. Phrases such as "What I hear you saying is...," "Let me see if I understand this correctly," or "You said the experience made you feel..." are good phrases to use show the speaker whether he or she has been heard correctly. They can also clear up any misunderstandings or misinterpretations.

Ask questions in order to seek more information. Sometimes you need to clarify what is being said and get background information about the situation. This technique eliminates assumptions, encourages elaboration, and encourages discovery.

Reflect. Share what you perceive to be the feelings of the speaker. An example of this type of question would be: "It sounds as if the experience made you sad. Is that true?"

Offer feedback. Share with the speaker your feelings and reactions to his or her experience.
When I think of supportive techniques, the one that stands out the most in my mind is Doctor Alan D. Wolfelt's idea of "companioning." Although this idea comes from a grief support philosophy, I feel it is an important tool that could be used for people providing any kind of support. "Companioning" is all about being present during a time of need. Some phrases regarding "companioning" that I like to remember when I am supporting someone include:

• "Companioning means to walk with someone on his or her journey, not to lead him or her." 
• "Companioning is about curiosity, not expertise."
• "Companioning is about listening with the heart, not analyzing with the head."
• "Companioning is about respecting silence, not filling every moment with words."
• "Companioning is about being present to pain, not taking away pain."

Listen folks, I understand that this is a lot of information. I do not expect everyone now to have the ability to be a good peer supporter after reading this. I believe supporting someone is an art, not a science that can be taught. I hope that you can use this advice as a platform to help you discover your own "self" and methodology for supporting those in need. I advise you to review this information and use it to try to understand your strengths and limitations. Strive to awaken your imagination, creativity and uniqueness to bring out your own supportive style.

Sincerely,
Kerianne Hendrickson, PCV