PHPM Peer Support Program

• The Peer Support Programs offers confidential, non-clinical emotional support to physician colleagues by trained physician peer supporters in a 1:1 setting
• Physician peer supporters are trained by Jo Shapiro 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. She has offered peer support training to many organizations including SickKids Hospital, UBC Resident Wellness Office, MSPEI, etc.
• Studies have shown that peer support for physicians can be effective in contributing to a culture where physicians feel more comfortable seeking and offering help. People who use peer support show improved coping and self-management skills, have stronger social networks, reduced isolation and a reduced need for intensive services.
• Reasons for seeking peer 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
• The program is designed for short-term peer support and is limited to three 15-45 minute sessions. Physicians requiring additional support beyond the three sessions will be directed to the appropriate resources.
• The program is intended for PHPM Physicians only. PHPM Residents and Students can access peer support through the BC Physician Health Program via the 214/7 phone line (1-800-663-6729) or email (info@physicianhealth.com)

There is a total of four peer supporters available to provide support to physicians who reach out to the program. Anyone who reaches out will be given the option of selecting which peer supporter to connect with.

Dr. Karin Goodison
As a late bloomer into this unique medical career, I feel passionate about
connecting PHPM physicians together as a community. Striving for all around wellness while balancing demanding careers, families, relationships and life events can be challenging. I found it very helpful to talk to colleagues about how I was feeling about my mental and emotional health- many shared similar feelings and experiences. I am now on a path to improved wellness…

….How are you doing?

Dr. Martin Lavoie
I grew up in rural Québec and moved to Montréal to go to medical school and then to train as a public health physician. I started my practice in Québec in 1996, then moved to Alberta for 15 years, and I now practice in BC. I practiced in various organizations at different levels (regional, provincial, national), and experienced a variety of situations and crises that have been helping me to understand many aspects of what being a PHPM physician entails. I deeply care about people I work with, and I strive to lead by example when it comes to respect, empathy, being
supportive, focusing on people’s strengths, living a balanced life, and being attentive to the quality of our work environment.

Let me know how I can support you. And I can do this in English et en français!

Dr. Shobhit Maruti
I grew up on multiple islands in the Caribbean before working in England and then moving to Canada and attending film school, followed by residency. Thanks to a diverse cultural and professional background, I am positive our conversations will be full of understanding and empathy, and I hope you find our interactions supportive and helpful.

Dr. Olivia Sampson
I grew up in Ontario and Quebec, completed both medical school and family medicine residency in Quebec (1995), worked some years in Quebec and California, moved to British Columbia in 2009, and completed PHPM residency in 2015. I look forward to offering a listening and supportive ear, and a space for you to share your thoughts, feelings, and/or experiences.

Please note that the PHPM Peer Support Program is intended for PHPM
Physicians. PHPM Residents and Students who need peer support can access the BC Physician Health Program via the 214/7 phone line (1-800-663-6729) or email (info@physicianhealth.com)

Self Referral
Self-referral form: surveymonkey.com/r/GNQ2RB 

All requests for support will be processed within 72 hours of receipt where you will be paired with a peer supporter who will reach out directly to book a session.

Colleague Referral
Colleague-referral form: surveymonkey.com/r/7H7C9D7

If you know a colleague who may benefit from this program you may use the below link to complete the colleague referral form, please note that in order for a colleague referral form to be processed within the 72-hour timeline you must receive advance consent.

Physicians seeking peer support can expect up to three 15-45 minute sessions with their matched peer supporter. If additional support is needed beyond three sessions the peer support program will provide information on other resources that can be accessed.

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. 

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?

Self-referral form: surveymonkey.com/r/GNQ2RB 

All requests for support will be processed within 72 hours of receipt where you will be paired with a peer supporter who will reach out directly to book a session.

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 use the colleague-referral form below.

Colleague-referral form: surveymonkey.com/r/7H7C9D7

What happens after I make a peer support request?

After completing the referral form, your preferred peer supporter will contact you within 72 hours to arrange a meeting time.

What does a peer support conversation look like?

Peer support conversations occur through the modality of your choice – in person, phone call or 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.

The program also offers external physician peer support matching. If you would like to connect with a peer supporter outside of our local PHPM section due to confidentiality or any other reason, this is now available through our program.

To get connected with an external peer supporter, please fill out our referral form and indicate that you would like to be matched with someone outside of your local organization. We will email you when a match is made.

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.