Linzi Smith From Education, Training and Counselling ETC

Peer Educator stress & Minimum standards for Peer educator training

Issues that Peer Educator’s have to deal with: 1.Increased workload 2.Administrative or management issues 3.Lack of recognition 4.Feelings of helplessness 5.Lack of boundaries (time & energy) 6.Disclosures

1. Increased workload Extra time to plan your peer educator sessions Time to gather your materials Materials are often not provided by management Time to research My time is not my own (e.g. tea / lunch/ on the taxi going home) Time away from family while preparing

2. Administration or management problems Lack of support from my superiors: Sometimes they support me emotionally but not practically, (making sure that my colleagues attend the sessions) others say sometimes they support me practically but not emotionally. No clear referral system in place Don’t have a programme or a curriculum to follow – I get training and then just have to speak about whatever I feel like to my peers.

3. Lack of recognition Sometimes feel unappreciated by both peers and management Management & supervisors may not be aware of the time & effort involved Due to confidentiality issues management are often not aware of the benefits of having Peer Educators in the workplace A lot of confidential information is shared and the impacts on the Peer Educators life are not apparent to management

4. Feelings of helplessness Referral system not in place or ineffective Ineffectiveness of public health systems When colleague is in denial When colleagues make use of unscientific treatment Their colleagues say that they are bored with HIV and don’t want to attend

4. Feelings of helplessness continued When management is not supportive or involved When I suspect that one of my colleagues is HIV positive but will not admit or speak to me. I feel I don’t have the skills to get my colleague to even admit that he may be at risk I feel sad when my colleague is dismissed for incapacity because his/her support system is then removed as they don’t have any support in the community due to the stigma.

5. Lack of boundaries I just can’t say “no” to my colleagues when they need help. Phone calls come at all hours of the day or night I do weekend & night time work My colleagues & the managers have unrealistic expectations of me but I don’t do anything about it. I like to feel needed, so I can’t say no.

7. Disclosure My colleagues disclose the following: –Their HIV status –Their love affairs –Rape –Substance abuse –Relatives who are sick or dying & ask for assistance –Their financial problems –Their emotional and psychological problems –Their social problems –Their work problems

Managing these issues causes stress because Peer Educators: Have not been trained as counsellors but have to deal with all kinds of personal disclosures May not have enough knowledge to answer difficult questions Need regular debriefing, mentorship and coaching

Stress Before becoming a peer educator – After becoming a peer educator

Excellent Peer Educator Training programmes would help to reduce the problems that Peer Educators are having

Proposed minimum requirements in Peer Ed training Receive a minimum of 7 to 10 days of training This training must include skill development in how to transfer knowledge & how to develop skills instead of simple giving of information and expecting peer educators to transfer this information adequately Lesson plans & curricula to follow the training must be given to the peer educators A monitoring and tracking tool must be implemented to track the peer educators progress with their colleagues. Send peer educators for refresher training at least every 2 years. Increase peer educators skills by facilitating counsellor training – very important for peer educators to have these skills after a VCT drive

If you feel that these issues are real to you – how can we help you to overcome them?

You are only one, But still you are one. You cannot do everything But still you can do something; And because you cannot do everything, Do not give up doing the something that you can do. Edward Everett