First Responders: Become a Peer to Peer Counselor

Register using the links below

This fall the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) is sponsoring a Department of Public Safety (DPS)-approved Peer Support Training that meets the DPS 30-hour requirement for anyone wanting to become a public safety peer to peer counselor in Minnesota. This training will consist of two consecutive days of in-person training as well as online learning. After completion of in-person and online training, attendees will:

  • Understand their role and responsibilities of a peer support worker and enhance their communication, interaction, decision-making, and support skills.
  • Be able to assess their own level of resilience and understand ways to enhance resiliency, be a model of wellness, and avoid burnout in this role.
  • Have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to help peers move toward recovery.
  • Have basic awareness to recognize signs of mental health challenges and how to provide peer support and access professional care.
  • Learn additional crisis management training, gain knowledge of how to identify and safely manage a crisis situation with a peer.

In addition to the foundational concepts of being a peer support team member, attendees will also learn the basics of setting up and maintaining the team, how to conduct defusings at your agency, and options for clinical consultation for your team.

More details about the 30 hours of training

The Peer Support Training will follow a blended learning format to meet the 30 required hours. The in-person portion (16 hours) will be held over two consecutive days. The online training will be available on-demand and must be completed prior to the in-person course. Online content will be provided starting Sept. 23 for Mankato, Sept. 30 for Plymouth, and Oct. 8 for Hermantown. 

Credits

This training is designed specifically for first responders and public safety staff, including but not limited to: peace officers, firefighters, and 911 dispatchers. It has been approved by DPS and POST. Please note: Anyone who has taken a POST approved Peer Support Training prior to Nov. 1, 2020 is grandfathered in as a Peer Support Team Member, regardless of the number of hours taken in the past. The complete training is approved for 30 POST credits, including Crisis Intervention/Mental Illness Crisis credits.

Dates & Locations

Oct. 22 – 23
Mankato Public Safety Center
710 S Front St.
Mankato, MN 56001
8 a.m.-4 p.m. (check-in opens at 7:30 a.m.) 

Register for Mankato Peer Support

Oct. 29 – 30
Plymouth Community Center
14800 34th Ave. N
Plymouth, MN 55447
8 a.m.-4 p.m. (check-in opens at 7:30 a.m.)

Register for Plymouth Peer Support

Nov. 6 – 7
Hermantown First Responder Resource Center
4560 Norway Pines Place
Hermantown, MN 55811
8 a.m.-4 p.m. (check-in opens at 7:30 a.m.)

Register for Hermantown Peer Support

Fee

$100 per person, includes lunch and all materials

Presenters

Mankato and Plymouth: Dr. Marie Ridgeway, MSW, LICSW, RYT

Marie Ridgeway & Associates opened in 2017 and specializes in working with law enforcement and first responders to provide mental health care, wellness programming, and consulting services. The practice is comprised of six licensed therapists who currently work with more than 40 public safety agencies across Minnesota. Ridgeway is a Master’s-level mental health clinician with a specialty in treating post-traumatic stress and its secondary challenges. She has been a training specialist for the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and has worked individually with thousands of law enforcement officers from across the state.

Hermantown: Dr. Heather Rose-Carlson, PsyD, LP

Dr. Heather Rose-Carlson is a board-certified Clinical Psychologist. She has worked with military, first responders, and critical incidents/trauma for over 20 years and has operated a private practice since 2006. Rose-Carlson worked as a clinical consultant for the Veterans Center and volunteered with Project New Hope to provide therapeutic retreats for combat veterans and their families. 

Coming from a law enforcement family, Rose-Carlson was honored to have the opportunity to become the Clinical Director of the Duluth Police Department Peer Support Program and subsequently, the Consulting Director for the Superior Police Department Peer Support. Rose-Carlson and her therapy dog, Tippen, also serve their community by volunteering with the Arrowhead Critical Incident Stress Management Team to provide services to first responders following critical incidents for Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.