SIDS MidAtlantic

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SIDS Mid-Atlantic

• Peer Contact Training

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Responsibilities of Peer Contacts
• Procedures for Peer Contacts
• Relationships between Peer Contacts and grieving
  families
• Skills for referrals to professionals
• Inappropriate Peer Contact relationships
• Special needs

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• WHAT DOES A PEER SUPPORTER DO?
• Listening is the most important thing a peer
  supporter can do.
• Similar experiences may enable you to help the
  family in ways professionals may not.

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• A Parent Coordinator will give you the name and
  phone number of the parent you are to contact.
  The initial contact is made by you, preferably
  within 24 hours, either by phone, email or
  in-person visit.
• If you feel you cannot be a Peer Supporter at the
  time you are contacted for whatever reason,
  that's fine. We'll call you again when an
  appropriate match arises.

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• WHAT DOES A PEER SUPPORTER DO?
• Offer encouragement, support and information on
  local resources, literature, and other relevant
  information as needed.
• Respect the confidentiality of the relationship.
• Provide follow-up information regarding your
  contacts to the Parent Coordinator.
• Some parents need only one call from a Peer
  Supporter while other might need a few more.
  Sometimes lifelong friendships develop

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• WHAT A PEER SUPPORTER
• DOES NOT DO
• A Peer Supporter does not give medical advice.
• A Peer Supporter is not a psychologist or social
  worker. If you are concerned about the parents
  safety or mental status, please let the Parent
  Coordinator or the Social Worker know.

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Information about YOU
• Did you lose a baby?
• Babys birth and death dates, gender
• Complications in pregnancy
• Age, race, sex, religion, occupation, education
• Number and ages of surviving children

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Making the first phone call
• Express condolences
• Find out if the family wants a peer contact
• Gather information about babys death name, date
  of birth, date of death, circumstances of death
• Explain the peer contact procedure
• Give the family referral information and contact
  information for the peer contact

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Peer contacts may phone, make a home visit, email
  or meet the family in a restaurant or other
  location
• A personal visit helps establish the level of
  contact

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Keep a record of your contact with families
• Date of contact, name of family, address, phone,
  email
• Specifics of the babys death
• Overview of matters discussed
• Notations regarding status of family

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Peer Contacts

• Confidentiality is critical
• Provide resource information to families for
  support groups, professional counseling, etc
• If in doubt about familys mental health, have a
  policy for making an appropriate referral

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Peer contacts support the families, they do not
  counsel
• Dont analyze family members behavior or feelings
• Dont counsel or advise family members as to
  actions they should take
• Dont advocate on behalf of family members with
  legal, medical or social service officials.

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Peer support means
• Be an active listener
• Express interest without interrupting
• Ask non threatening questions or offer comments
  to encourage family member to continue discussion

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Follow the family members lead
• Validate feelings
• Dont change the subject
• Dont interject your experiences unless asked
• Dont impose a time restriction on grief
• Dont discuss the next tasks of grief until she
  indicates she is ready

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Phrase suggestions in first or third person
• First Person when my baby died, I felt better
  when I
• Third person One family said it helped
• Avoid second person You should You might want
  to

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Discuss irrevocable decisions and help the family
  member determine when a decision may be delayed
• Taking crib apart and storing it instead of
  giving it away
• Moving
• Burial or cremation

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Guide family members toward independence
• Gradually decrease the frequency of your calls
• Emphasize the positive progress they make
• Downplay your experience to place emphasis on
  their decision making
• Reassure them that they will continue to heal and
  one day life will seem better

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Referrals to professional counseling
• Give families options
• Recommend counselors you trust
• For some families counseling carries a stigma

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Danger signs
• Refer to professionals if a family member says
  things like
• Lifes not worth living without my baby, I just
  want to be with my baby
• If concerned, ask Are you considering suicide?
  Do you have a plan to kill yourself?

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SIDS Peer Contacts

• Determine the degree of risk
• Calm the person
• Refer to coordinator or hotline