Let’s be honest: working in public safety means seeing and doing things most people can’t even imagine. First responders deal with long hours, high-stress calls, trauma and the kind of emotional weight that doesn’t just go away when you take the uniform off. And while the culture is starting to shift, there’s still this unspoken pressure within public safety to suck it up, push through and never show weakness.
That’s where peer support comes in. It’s a lifeline — a way for responders to talk to someone who’s been there, done that, and won’t respond with a raised eyebrow or a referral form. Peer support teams are a proven way to help first responders deal with personal and professional challenges, but not every agency has the staffing or budget to create and run their own. This is especially true for smaller or rural departments, where backup might be one deep on a good day.
Multiagency peer support teams work by pooling resources, personnel and expertise across jurisdictions or disciplines. These collaborative teams can offer consistent, confidential and compassionate support to first responders — regardless of department size or location. Think of it as mutual aid for your mental health. These teams pull trained personnel from multiple departments — sometimes within the same discipline, sometimes across fire, EMS, law enforcement and dispatch — to create a shared support network that actually works.
Multiagency peer support teams embody the principle that first responders are strongest when they stand together.
Why Peer Support Matters in Public Safety
Before diving into the benefits of multiagency peer support teams, it’s essential to understand why peer support is so critical to public safety in general. Conversations among trusted peers who understand the job can have a massive impact. Done well, peer support helps responders:
- Build resilience: Talking through difficult experiences with a peer can ease emotional strain and reduce stress and burnout.
- Strengthen connection: Supportive environments lead to better morale, stronger teams, improved camaraderie and a healthier culture.
- Early intervention: When someone’s struggling, peer support can be the bridge to additional help — before things escalate.
- Improve retention: People are more likely to stay in jobs where they feel seen, valued, and supported.
Unfortunately, peer support doesn’t always get off the ground. Small agencies may not have enough personnel to support a team, and some responders are reluctant to confide in coworkers who might be in their chain of command. A multiagency approach offers a practical solution that solves both of these issues.
The Case for Multiagency Peer Support Teams
Multiagency peer support teams combine trained personnel from several departments — either within the same discipline (e.g., members from multiple law enforcement or fire agencies within a single team) or across public safety services (e.g., members from police, fire and EMS agencies within a single team). The model an agency chooses will depend on the participating agencies and the needs of the region.
For example, a few small police departments in a county might team up with the county’s sheriff’s department to form a single, area-wide peer support team that is law enforcement-specific. Alternatively, a multidisciplinary team might bring together peer support personnel from different types of first responder groups, including police departments, sheriff’s offices, fire departments and EMS agencies, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced across public safety. Either way, the expanded network allows for greater trust, more confidentiality and a richer pool of peer supporters who bring a range of experience and insight.
This model offers a number of advantages:
- Greater confidentiality: Talking with a peer from a different agency can feel safer for responders concerned about internal politics or gossip.
- Resource sharing: Agencies that can’t maintain their own team can still provide support by collaborating with others.
- Improved availability: A larger team means better coverage across shifts, time off and major incidents.
- Broader expertise: Team members from different backgrounds bring diverse experiences, enhancing the quality of the support offered.
- Stronger response to critical incidents: When large-scale events happen, regional teams can provide extended support to affected responders.
This model is particularly valuable in rural or under-resourced areas, where burnout is high, resources are thin and maintaining a full-scale program in house may not be feasible.
Challenges in Multiagency Teams
Multiagency peer support teams can be a game-changer — but only if they’re set up with intention. Without a clear plan, even the best intentions can unravel quickly. One of the most critical considerations is establishing a clear chain of command. For a multiagency team to function effectively, it’s important to determine who’s running the show. Participating agencies and personnel must define leadership roles, reporting lines and decision-making responsibilities from the outset to prevent confusion and ensure accountability.
Another big challenge is standardizing training and protocols for all agencies involved. Different departments may have different ideas of what peer support should look like. To maintain consistency in peer support services, everyone should be reading from the same playbook on training requirements, ethical guidelines and activation procedures. This ensures every member is equipped with the same foundational knowledge and skills — regardless of their agency affiliation. (Lexipol’s Cordico Peer Support Training and Certification can help ensure everyone in a team is trained and certified.)
Confidentiality is also a crucial concern. It goes without saying that if people think their personal challenges might end up as station gossip, they won’t open up. Clear, well-communicated confidentiality policies (with teeth) are non-negotiable and should take into account both legal requirements and agency policies.
Sharing representation among participating agencies will help avoid turf battles and ensure each department has a voice in shaping and sustaining the team. This balance helps build trust and buy-in from everyone involved.
Finally, logistical and legal challenges must be addressed through formal agreements. Don’t wait for a crisis to figure out who’s covering liability or what happens when personnel cross jurisdictions. These agreements should outline each agency’s role, financial contributions and legal protections for peer support personnel. By clarifying these details in advance, agencies can prevent disputes and create a solid foundation for long-term cooperation.
These aren’t dealbreakers — they’re speed bumps. But if you plan for them, you’re more likely to build a team that actually works by prioritizing collaboration, transparency and shared commitment to first responder well-being.
Steps to Establishing a Multiagency Peer Support Team
Developing a multiagency peer support team requires careful planning, collaboration and commitment from all involved agencies. It’s not just about putting together a group of willing participants — it’s also about ensuring the team is structured, well trained and sustainable for the long term. The following steps outline how to successfully establish and implement a regional or multidepartment peer support team.
Step 1: Gauge Interest and Build Relationships
The first step is determining whether there is sufficient interest and commitment among neighboring agencies. Begin with informal conversations between agency leaders, union representatives and frontline personnel who understand the value of peer support.
Some leaders might already be sold on the concept while others may need a little convincing. That’s okay — this is where real examples, success stories and data about the impact of well-trained and supervised peer support teams can help. Focus on shared challenges and a common goal: taking care of your people.
Once a core group of agencies expresses interest, form a steering committee to help guide the early stages of development. Equal representation matters to ensure fairness and buy-in from all involved. The group will be collectively responsible for setting initial goals, discussing potential challenges and laying the groundwork.
Step 2: Establish Structure and Operational Guidelines
This is where things move from “idea” to an “actual plan.” The steering committee should develop the team’s structure and governance. Key issues to iron out include:
- Leadership roles and coordination. Who will oversee team operations, and how will leadership be shared?
- Confidentiality practices. What legal and ethical considerations must be upheld to ensure privacy and trust?
- Documentation practices. How will non-identifying information be gathered to gauge use (if at all) while still maintaining confidentiality?
- Training and ongoing education. What standards must team members meet to provide effective support?
- Activation protocols. When and how should team members be deployed in response to critical incidents or ongoing support needs?
- Policy and procedures. Some agencies may want to maintain their own internal policy with shared operational guidelines, while others may prefer a unified regional policy. The benefit of a unified policy is consistency across the team, while separate policies allow for flexibility based on agency-specific requirements. Regardless of the approach that’s chosen, all policies should clearly define the type of support offered, limitations and reporting requirements — especially any legal obligations for mandated reporting in cases of harm (or threatened harm) to self or others.
This is also the point where a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) comes into play. An MOU is a formal agreement that spells out roles, responsibilities, resource sharing and liability coverage to reduce the likelihood of disputes or confusion down the road.
Step 3: Team Leadership Coordination and Member Selection
Now it’s time to recruit and select the people who will actually do the work. You want peer supporters who are solid, respected and trustworthy — not just “nice people” or self-nominated “helpers.” While it might be tempting to simply ask for volunteers, a formalized selection process lends credibility to the team and ensures only those truly suited for peer support roles are chosen.
Develop a selection process that includes a written application, an interview and reference checks. These steps are critical to ensure the team isn’t filled with well-meaning but unprepared individuals.
The application process should include:
- A structured application. This helps establish a clear picture of why a candidate is interested in joining the peer support team and whether they understand the responsibilities that come with the role. The application should include targeted questions about the applicant’s experience in public safety, previous exposure to peer support (either giving or receiving), and their personal motivation for wanting to help others. It should also invite candidates to reflect on how they manage their own stress and emotional health — critical indicators of their readiness to support others.
- An interview. The interview allows for a deeper exploration of a candidate’s interpersonal strengths — including communication skills, empathy and commitment to confidentiality. Interviewers might present candidates with realistic peer support scenarios to assess how they would respond. This is also an opportunity to observe the candidate’s tone, body language and ability to remain objective and composed while discussing sensitive topics.
- Reference checks. This is an opportunity to obtain external validation of a candidate’s trustworthiness, maturity and professionalism. References (which should ideally include current or former supervisors, colleagues and/or mentors) can speak to the applicant’s reputation within the agency, how they handle stress and whether they’ve demonstrated discretion in the past. This helps guard against selecting individuals who may present well in an interview but have a history of gossip, boundary issues or poor judgment.
The process should not only determine a candidate’s motivation for the role but also identify any potential red flags that might indicate they’re not a good fit. Some individuals,(despite good intentions) may lack the discretion, emotional intelligence or neutrality needed for effective peer support. Others might just be in it for the juicy gossip. You’re assembling a team that people need to be able to trust in their toughest moments — so choose carefully.
The process should not only determine a candidate’s motivation for the role but also identify any potential red flags that might indicate they’re not a good fit. Some individuals,(despite good intentions) may lack the discretion, emotional intelligence or neutrality needed for effective peer support. Others might just be in it for the juicy gossip. You’re assembling a team that people need to be able to trust in their toughest moments — so choose carefully.
Step 4: Training and Team Development
Once your team is selected, get everyone trained before the calls start coming in. Not all peer support training is created equal, so be sure to use a program that covers more than just critical incidents. Peer supporters need to be ready for conversations about grief, trauma, relationships, substance use, family issues and everyday stress. Training should also include legal/ethical guidelines, role clarity, boundaries and referral procedures. Bonus points for training that’s flexible enough for different schedules and follows evidence-based, best-practice standards, like Lexipol’s Cordico Peer Support Training and Certification.
Once training is complete (or at least underway), bring the team together for an initial meeting to set expectations and start building group cohesion. During this session, leadership should:
- Reiterate the team’s mission and core values
- Emphasize the importance of confidentiality and trust
- Outline procedures for responding to peer support requests
- Ensure all team members understand their responsibilities and limitations
It’s also important to remind new team members not to get too far over their skis. They cannot begin offering confidential peer support until all required training is complete and they’ve met any legal or statutory requirements.
Info Sheet: Peer Support Confidentiality DOWNLOAD NOW
Teams should also have a plan for ongoing training and development, including advanced concepts, scenario-based exercises and regular discussions on emerging mental health challenges. As it happens, Lexipol’s Cordico Peer Support Training offers that too.
Step 5: Launch, Promote and Sustain the Program
With training wrapped and a solid team in place, it’s time to go public. Don’t just bury the announcement in an email — introduce the team at roll calls. Post materials around the station, in break rooms and on department intranet sites. Get leadership talking about it and emphasizing its confidential nature. Peer support only works when people know it exists and believe in its value. Encourage peer supporters to build casual connections before anyone is in crisis.
Don’t forget to check in on the team’s progress regularly. Is it being used? Are people comfortable with it? What could be improved? Solicit feedback from both team members and the people they’re supporting — and be ready to evolve. This is a long game, and flexibility is key.
Strength in Unity
Multiagency peer support teams embody the principle that first responders are strongest when they stand together. By reaching outside agency boundaries, these teams can provide a robust support system that ensures every first responder — regardless of jurisdiction — has access to the care and understanding they deserve.
When agencies team up, they create a support network that’s more resilient, more available, and better equipped to serve those who serve others. No matter the badge, patch, or title, the mission is the same: take care of each other.
