FORT BLISS, Texas – 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program called the About Face Peer Mentor Program for its Soldiers.
The program aims to match Soldiers dealing with life challenges to a trained peer Soldier who has overcome similar challenges to help navigate a problem they may not feel comfortable approaching a professional counselor about.
The idea and implementation of About Face began a year and a half ago, when the DSB Religious Affairs Specialist Staff Sgt. Andrew Van Deursen saw a demand for Soldiers wanting help while at the same time showing reticence about speaking with someone who may not understand the experience they were going through.
“My mom was an inspiration for the program. She volunteered at a facility called Camp Hope; they help Soldiers dealing with PTSD,” Van Deursen said. “She told me they had a really high reduction rate of suicidal ideations, so I said to myself, ‘Where is that in the formation? Where is that in the Army?’”
Once a vision for the program became clear, he pitched the idea to brigade and division leadership, who approved its implementation.
Leaning upon the experience and practices of civilian and other military branch programs with similar goals, About Face drew from a broad reservoir to establish itself as a unique plan to help Soldiers. The program receives support for training from the unit ministry team, R2 performance experts, and behavioral health professionals.
When someone seeks a peer mentor, they will be matched with a trained Soldier who has faced similar trials and can advise them on how they overcame those challenges.
Those interested in becoming a mentor receive a two-day training course detailing tips on speaking with Soldiers seeking help, resources to receive further care if needed and legal considerations.
The program went live at the beginning of the year. Two mentors have been trained, with several more candidates awaiting qualification.
“As soon as I heard about the program, I thought I could help some of these young Soldiers in the Army,” said Peer Mentor Spc. Dominic Farrow, a utilities equipment repairer assigned to the 22nd Chemical Battalion, 1st AD. “Most of the time they want someone to vent to and want someone to listen.”
Although participation in About Face is currently only available to DSB Soldiers, Van Deursen hopes to expand the program across the division and eventually make it an Army-wide program with centralized training available online.
Soldiers in the DSB who would like to become a mentee can speak with a known peer mentor or their chain of command who will get them in contact with a mentor. Soldiers who want to be mentors can contact Staff Sgt. Van Deursen or scan a QR code from posters in the DSB footprint.
“It means a lot to me to be a mentor,” Farrow said. “Instead of watching someone struggle, I feel like I can actually help them.”
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