On a Mission
Our Mission
The mission of Southeastern Vet to Vet Peer Support, Inc. is to provide peer education and training, professional, individual, group, and family counseling to veterans and their families to improve their health outcomes that are related to their trauma(s) and address the need for recovery, reintegration, and social connections.
What is Vet to Vet?
Vet to Vet is a program that utilizes recovering Veterans in a peer-educator capacity. We help Veterans understand and navigate the VA system. The program is a recovery-based model that involves Veterans as both consumers, as well as providers of mental health support services.
What is the Purpose?
Vet to Vet provides a way for recovering Veterans who have been through the same or similar experiences to share these experiences with each other. It strives to educate Veterans and their families through peer-to-peer and professional support.
How did Vet to Vet come about?
The program is in keeping with the Department of Veterans Affairs Action Agenda along with the President’s New Freedom Commissions’ recommendations which in part calls for:
- The involvement of consumers and families in orienting the mental health system toward recovery.
- Involvement of consumers educating staff, Veterans, and family members about their treatment.
- Development of peer support programs in conjunction with mental health services.
- Development of paid positions for Veterans within the facility/network to work with mental health leadership in developing Peer to Peer programs.
- Recruiting Veterans as peer and mental health professionals.
How is the program structured?
The program consists of weekly or biweekly peer support group sessions that trained facilitators lead. These Veterans lead the discussions and introduce educational topics. Although attended primarily by veterans who are currently receiving services from psycho-social rehabilitation programs, meetings are open to observation by staff, visitors, and facilitator trainees.
How are peer facilitators trained?
Facilitators currently undergo an eight-week training program. They complete an average of 32-40 hours of classroom training and ongoing supervision. Classroom instruction involves reviewing textbook materials, class discussions, direct participation in behavioral exercises, formulation of action plans to affect life changes, and subsequent in-class follow-up. Upon successful completion, Facilitators are certified.