KGH Peer Support
Physicians face unique challenges, and support from colleagues can have a positive impact on wellbeing and workplace experiences. The BC Physician Health Program (PHP) and Joint Collaborative Committees (JCCs) launched the Physician Peer Support Initiative in Spring 2022, and our organization was selected as one of the peer support sites for 2024.
Physician peer supporters are trained by Dr. Jo Shapiro, Dr Maureen Mayhew and the BC Physician Health Program. Dr. Shapiro is an Associate Professor with Harvard Medical School and founder of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Centre for Professionalism and Peer Support. Dr. Maureen Mayhew offers training on behalf of the BC PHP. She has been a Program Physician with the PHP for several years and is a Professional Certified Life Coach.
The Physician Peer Support Program at KGH encourages an authentic human connection with another person who shares similar life experiences — in this case, the unique stressors and challenges faced by physicians.
What we offer:
The Peer Support program offers confidential, non-clinical emotional support to physician colleagues by trained physician peer supporters in a 1:1 setting. With your permission, we can provide connections to services within the PHP including:
- 24/7 confidential helpline
- Short-term counselling
- Peer support
- Referrals to specialised coaches and therapists
- Support for concerned colleagues
- Connections to a family physician
- Return to work support
- Occuptional health consultations
- Finacial advice
- Strengthening workplace relationships
Reasons for seeking support may include
- Dealing with a patient/college complaint,
- Workplace interpersonal conflict or adverse clinical event,
- Managing work-life balance,
- Burnout/moral injury,
- Or any other situation where you need to speak with someone who understands
Who are your peer supporters at KGH?
- Dr. Deema Jassi
- Dr. Neil Long
- Dr. Mark Hickman
- Dr. Stephan Mostowy
- Dr. Alysha Mackenzie-Feder
- Dr. James Reid
Peer Support Resources
| Resources | Phone | Email/Website | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Health Program (PHP) – Clinical Services for referrals | 24/7 line: 1800-663-6729 Office line: 604-398-4300 (Mon to Fri, 8.30 to 4.30) | info@physicianhealth.com www.physicianhealth.com | Provide the 24/7 line for physicians who may need longer-term, professional physician-specific mental health supportYou as the peer supporter can call the PHP office line during business hours of the 24/7 line after hours for warm transfers (you and the physician are calling together) or to get advice about how to manage a situation. |
| PHP – Peer Support Initiative liaison/support | N/A | programs@physicianhealth.com | Questions about the Peer Support Initiative and related program information |
| Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) | 1800-267-6522 | https://www.cmpa-acpm.ca/en/home | The CMPA is a not-for-profit, mutual defense association which is governed by a council of physicians representing members from across Canada. Contact for medico-legal support. |
| CMA Wellness HUB | https://www.cma.ca/physician-wellness-hub | They provide articles, studies, videos and podcasts to help physicians, residents and medical students manage acute stress, lead healthy lives and establish sustainable medical practices. |
FAQs
What is the rationale for the peer support program?
Physicians face unique challenges. Even clinicians with robust personal support networks stand to benefit tremendously from sharing their experiences with peers who have been in a similar situation and can truly understand and empathize with the pain, stress, vulnerability and fear that are common emotional responses to physician experiences such as patient complaints, adverse events and others. Include other locally relevant rationale.
What is the goal of peer support?
Peer support offers a safe way for clinicians to talk about their experience and emotions with someone who has empathy from having “been there”. The focus of peer support is not to fix the problem. Instead, we offer short-term support through non-judgmental listening, we empower you to recognize existing strengths and resource to find strategies that work for them and we connect you to community resources if needed.
Peer support is essentially psychological first aid. It is not therapy, mentorship from an experienced peer, or direct clinical care.
When might someone benefit from peer support?
Peer support might be helpful for physicians who experience work or life stressors and require emotional, non-judgmental support. Examples of this might include:
- Adverse clinical event (including but not limited to an adverse patient outcome)
- Patient or college complaint
- Interpersonal/relational conflict with a patient or colleague
- Acute life stressor which impacts career (e.g. birth of a new child or bereavement)
- Struggles with burnout/moral injury
- A change that has happened at work that impacts you emotionally
How can I request peer support?
Please contact KGHpsp@gmail.
If I notice my colleague needing peer support, can I refer them to you?
Yes! First, reach out to your colleague to seek their consent to pass their name and contact information to our peer support program. Then, please contact KGHpsp@gmail.
What happens after I make a peer support request?
Your Peer Supporter will reach out to you as soon as possible, generally within 3-4 business days
What does a peer support conversation look like?
Peer support conversations occur through the modality of your choice – in person, phone call or video call/Zoom. The duration of a conversation will vary based on your needs – generally 15-45 minutes. Peer support relationships are short term, which means that you will likely have one to three conversations with your peer supporter.
How are peer support conversations kept confidential?
Confidentiality is an integral part of our program. Only the peer support program administrator and your peer supporter has access to your name and contact information for the purpose of facilitating a match and contacting you. Peer supporters will not be taking written notes during your conversation (On occasion, a peer supporter might take notes to support them in structuring their conversation with you. These notes will be shredded/destroyed immediately after your conversation.)
There are rare cases where confidentiality must be broken, such as when a physician is at risk of harming themselves or others, or if a peer supporter has a direct reason to believe that someone is at risk for unsafe behaviour. These are the same reasons you might have to break confidentiality in your everyday clinical practice as a physician. If in the rare case that this situation arises, your peer supporter would make you aware of the situation and support a collaborative approach to addressing the concern.
What if I have more questions?
Please contact KGHpsp@gmail.
Need Peer Support?
To speak with a Peer Supporter, please fill out the form below. Your information and use of the program will be kept confidential – only viewable by the Peer Supporter and program administrator for the purpose of facilitating a match. Your Peer Supporter will reach out to you as soon as possible, generally within 3-4 business days. If you have any questions, please contact KGHpsp@gmail.
Need urgent assistance? Contact Doctors of BC Physician Health Program 24/7 line: 1-800-663-6729
Want to become a peer supporter? please contact KGHpsp@gmail.
Peer Support Resources (for peer supporters only – password protected)