Before the participants arrive, make sure each place has: 

2 flip charts, sticky tape and 2 black felt markers should be available. 

The trainer is to play a facilitator role for group management and interaction. He must therefore make sure that objectives are clearly defined and that the information provided is fully understood by all participants. In this capacity, he has to encourage communication by rephrasing certain passages, making connections between modules or parts of modules and summarizing the various stages as the group progresses. 

The trainer shall also encourage everyone to get involved by making sure that no one hijacks the discussion and mutual respect is maintained. 

Lastly, the trainer must provide good management to the training process, ensuring an appropriate pace in order to achieve the objectives while respecting the participants’ own rate of progress.

• Confirm attendance. 
• Indicate the locations of emergency fire exits and toilets. 
• Give out the telephone number for incoming messages and indicate which phone is available to participants during breaks. 
• Outline the policy for breaks and smoking. 
• Outline the reimbursement policy for transportation. expenses (parking or bus ticket). 
• Outline the daycare policy. 

This exercise is a very important "ice-breaker." Make sure to leave enough time for participants to express themselves. 

The trainer may also choose a game for this exercise.

 - Explain the purpose of the course. 

See 1, 2, 3, 4.

• Invite the participants to split into 2 groups. 
• See the instructions for Ex 1.1 in the PH guide. 
• When the exercise is finished, the trainer explains that these expectations will stay posted until the end of the course, at which time they will be reconsidered by the whole group. 

Check whether the pages can stay posted up on the wall or if they have to be put away after each training module. 

• Promote mutual support, acceptance and military community members’ responsibility for one another; 
• Make use of the wealth of acquired experience offered by women who have already gone through similar situations; 
• Encourage accessibility of social support by offering a more egalitarian and less intimidating form of intervention; 
• Expand the services available and thus increase the numbers of people being served by reaching a client group that would not necessarily call on professional resources; 
• Create connections by building a semi-formal social support network; 
• Provide expertise and tools to PHs that can foster social skills to serve them well in various areas of their lives. 

See 2.4

• To be a volunteer member of the MFRC/NCR; 
• To establish initial contact with the spouses of deployed members; 
• To represent the first line of support for these families; 
• To provide a contact point and attentive ear for affected spouses; 
• To act as a connection between the MFRC/NCR and spouses who are going through situations or have special needs; 
• To take part in MFPHP meetings and further training activities; 
• Through their involvement and recommendations, to take part in the ongoing development of the MFPHP; 
• To make a commitment to work in the program for a period of at least 1 year, sign the "Promise of Confidentiality" and observe the Code of Ethics; 
• To keep statistical data for the MFPHP. 

See. 

Also refer to Notes 2.1 and 2.4 (Code of Ethics)

• Clients’ privacy must be respected; 
• This is absolutely necessary for establishing a relationship of trust with clients; 
• The confidentiality aspect must be explained clearly when contact begins; 
• PHs must not discuss their clients with one another in any explicit way. Respect for anonymity has to come first. 

See 2.6

• There are 3 specific situations in which you are legally bound to break your vow of confidentiality: 

When someone presents an imminent threat of committing suicide or murder or theft; 

When you suspect or are aware of child abuse; and 

When you are subpoenaed by a court of law and called to testify.

• None of these situations is very common, but none should be taken lightly. In case of doubt, speak to a SW at the MFRC or get a legal opinion. 
• If one of the first two situations occurs, encourage the client to report it herself in your presence. If she refuses, you are obliged to report it yourself. 

See 2.7

• Even though there is little risk of a lawsuit, it is something to be aware of. 
• Tell participants that their notes contain a brief summary on the topic but that, ultimately, they can be prosecuted only if they fail to provide the assistance that would be expected of any member of the community or if they knowingly do something that causes harm or injury. 

See Notes 2.2

Then present the transparencies and review the participants’ notes. 

 Note 

The notes handed out to participants cover the theory around this concept. If pressed for time or to reflect the group’s preferences, the trainer may dwell only on those elements reproduced on the transparencies and ask participants to read the notes at home, record any questions their reading might raise and then ask these questions in the "review of the last period" as the next session begins.

See participants’ Notes 3.1 to 3.3

Objective: Experiencing authenticity by talking about one’s emotions. 

Part 1 Explain the instructions on the exercise sheet in the PH guide. 

Part 2 In the large group, ask for some volunteers to share their answers with the rest of the participants. Make sure everyone takes part. If required, ask the quietest participants for their opinions. Fully explain what an "I" sentence is and why it is important to use it in expressing ourselves. Give a few examples as needed.

Encourage their participation in stating the sources that can influence our values.

Objective: To make participants aware of the fact that everyone not only holds differing values but may also not feel as strongly as her neighbour about a particular matter. 

Part 1 

• The trainer outlines the objective of this exercise and makes the point that it is important for Peer Helpers to know their own values so that they can take a more neutral position with our clients and avoid promoting one particular set of values. 
• The trainer then asks participants to answer their exercise questionnaire on the answer sheet provided for this purpose. It is important to emphasize that the answers must remain anonymous and will be compiled in the same way. 
• When everyone has finished, the trainer collects the sheets. 

• After compiling the answers anonymously, the trainer may take a few random questions to start up a group discussion. He may also ask participants if they want to discuss certain questions in particular. 
• The trainer winds up the discussion by telling the group that it is a duty to recognize our limitations, but that it is also our right as a Peer Helper to put an end to our helping relationship with a client if we are really uncomfortable with the situation. In such case, however, it is important to refer the particular client to a MFRC worker insofar as she agrees. 

You may choose to compile the sheets on the table right away and move on to Part 2. However, you can have this downtime coincide with a break or meal and move on to Part 2 when participants return. 

Make sure to emphasize the fact that this type of situation is not seen as a failure or personal shortcoming.

Objective: To enable participants to become aware of the conditions that have to be present for a client to agree to share her experience within a helping relationship. 

Some of the key words that may come up are: trust, confidentiality, unconditional acceptance, understanding, an atmosphere of respect, good listening, discretion, openness, comfort, etc...

Make sure participants have pencils and paper and that a flip chart is available.

See 3.7 and 3.11 and participants’ Notes 3.5 to 3.7

Objective: To provoke participants’ awareness of the difficulties of communicating in their intervention. 

Divide participants up into pairs in which one is called "A" and the other "B." 

Part 1 (2-3 minutes) 

A parallel can be drawn with radio. 

Part 2 (2-3 minutes) 

A parallel can be drawn with TV. 

Part 3 (2-3 minutes) 

The trainer draws the parallel between these experiences and the added problems that can be represented by a telephone interview as against a personal meeting. He explains how much the non-verbal can help to improve communication.

See Ex. 3.5.

Telephone interview 

Present the transparency and course notes. 

Personal meeting (often called the friendship visit).

See 3.13 and 3.9 to 3.10.

• put the techniques outlined into practice, while using different styles; 
• get comments in the form of constructive criticism; 
• gain self-confidence; and 
• provide a setting for exploring one’s limitations, strengths, values and needs. 

See 3.10.

Remember that it is impossible to be good at everything all the time. Everyone has his strengths and weaknesses.

Objective: To familiarize participants with the practical aspects of intervention. 

Divide the participants up into small groups of at least 3 people. The roles are: helper and helped with the others as observers who note down their comments to reflect the aspects covered by the helping relationship observation grid (see Ex. 3.5g in the PH guide). 

All participants have to play all 3 roles in turn until the time allotted for the exercise runs out. A suggestion for scenarios is included (see Ex. 3.5 in the PH guide). 

Note that there is feedback at the end of each round. Here, the trainer first asks the person being helped how she felt in her role. He then asks the same question of the helper and goes on to ask the observers for their comments. He rounds things off with his own constructive comments.

It is important to explain to everyone that we foster a calm learning setting where each person feels supported by her colleagues and where people are allowed to make mistakes and begin afresh. Observers’ or trainer’s remarks should begin with something positive and wind up on a strong point as well.

Note 

Ask the participants not to look at their course notes covering the theory around this concept until after going through all the exercises. However, you can use the notes to explain the transparencies.

See Notes 4.1 and 4.2.

Without looking at their course notes, participants identify the needs associated with the different types of players in their social network (show only Transparency 4.4 for the moment)

After the exercise, show 4.5.

Divide the participants into 2 groups for this exercise. Each group makes a list of players for each needs category (show only Transparency 4.5 for the moment). 

When both groups are done, ask each group to show everyone what they have compiled on their flip charts.

After the exercise, show 4.6 so participants can complete their answers.

Give participants a copy of the brochure: "Preparing for Deployment Stress." 

View with participants the video document: "Coping with Military Separations." 

Arrange for a question/answer period after the film.

See Brochure A-MD-007-144/JD-005. 

Film #: 01-0956A, running time 22:30 min.

Film #: 01-0957A, running time 17 min.

See participant’s course notes for this module.

See the participants’ course notes for this module.

See Notes 7.1

• Final comments on this training experience. 
• Words of encouragement and promise of support if the PHs run into difficulties. 
• Make sure that everyone has the information to contact the other PH volunteers.