These programs make it easier for crew members to speak up early, reduce stigma, and access the right level of care.
This webinar explains why confidentiality and "peer-to-peer" credibility drive engagement, how peer support complements EAP and clinical escalation, and what operators can do to sustain volunteer peer supporters through training, supervision, and workload controls.
Why "Wellbeing Is Safety" The panel frames mental health as an operational safety factor, not a "personal issue." Wellbeing directly impacts decision-making, performance, and safety outcomes.
How Peer Support Works in Aviation Shared operational context—schedules, fatigue, time away, role-specific stressors—drives faster rapport and more honest conversations than traditional support channels.
Integration with EAP & Clinical Resources Peer support serves as a front door and bridge to clinical help when needed, with clear boundaries, limits, and referral pathways to professional care.
Origins of peer support concepts: empathy, rapport, and shared experience
Aviation peer support growth and regulatory momentum internationally
Why peer support is not a standalone fix—it works as part of a wider wellbeing system
How peer support helps address healthcare avoidance and enables people to access clinical care
Reframing language that fuels stigma: "mental," "trauma," "help"
Operational reality: the same event (turbulence, go-around) can be routine for one crew member and disruptive for another
Engagement insights: many contacts are driven by personal-life stressors (especially relationships) that still affect fit-for-duty
Why many people prefer support outside their organization, even with strong internal culture
Mental health as a continuum, similar to physical health
Differentiating routine stress from disruptive/critical incident stress responses
Common post-incident patterns: hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts/rumination, difficulty sequencing events
Peer support as a supportive conversation with clear boundaries, plus signposting to EAP/clinical care
Importance of ongoing peer supporter development: refreshers, scenario training, protocols
Awareness and engagement: People use what they understand and trust
24/7 access: Support available when crews need it, with clear escalation pathways
Sustaining volunteers: Selection, training, supervision, and continuous learning
Whole-organization approach: Designing peer support for all aviation roles, not only pilots
Program Fundamentals: Confidentiality expectations, boundaries, and escalation pathways that protect both crews and volunteers.
Operational Relevance: Why "shared experience" accelerates rapport and trust in ways traditional EAP cannot replicate.
Clinical Guardrails: Peer support is supportive—not diagnostic—and should signpost to EAP/clinicians when appropriate.
Volunteer Sustainability: Supervision, ongoing training, and workload balancing reduce burnout and compassion fatigue risk.