The Power of Peer Supporters: Pauline Askin and John McGarvey

John McGarvey and Pauline Askin talk about their roles as peer supporters. John is a senior firefighter at Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW). He’s been a member of their peer network for over 10 years. Pauline is editorial office manager in Sydney for Reuters, the world’s largest news provider. Reuters has 59 peers across the globe from multiple cultures.

While peer networks are well established in police and emergency services, they have yet to take hold more broadly despite growing evidence they can be a pillar of mental health support to employees.

(Sketch on thumbnail by Grant Smith/Reuters)