Peer Responder

This past week I underwent Peer Reponding training.  This training was very much welcomed and had been desired for a very long time by quite a few people, including myself :).  However, we needed different people from different places to be able to come together in one place for it to work out.  The training took place in our home in Kampala.  There were 5 trainers and 4 participants.  We needed the MMCT (Mobile Member Care Team) Clinical Director from Ghana to be present as well as the MMCT - East Africa team from Nairobi and two Counsellors from Tumaini Counselling Centre in Nairobi.  The particpants were from four different organisations with me being one of them :)  It was a significant time for us all.

You might be wondering what a Peer Responder is well let me explain a little bit.  Let me use part of the protocol from MMCT to give you a definition.


A MMCT Peer Responder is already part of the missions community serving in a ministry assignment.  A PR is someone with natural/God-given gifts in caregiving that have been recognized by the missions community and leadership. They are then trained and resourced by MMCT to serve as a PR.
Peer Response is not to be considered a substitute for professional mental health counseling.  PR’s are trained to offer care but to respect the person’s right to not accept their services.


What Services do Peer Responders Provide?

  • Practical support and helps
  • Basic assessment of someone’s functioning after a crisis
  • Listening with active listening skills
  • Maintaining confidentiality with appropriate limitations
  • Crisis debriefing
  • Linking to other resources in the community
  • Referral for professional counseling as needed
What does an MMCT Peer Responder Agree to?
1.    If they are asked directly to respond to a situation, to contact their MMCT Consultant for PR’s as soon as possible, providing basic details, so the Consultant can decide if they are the best PR for that situation, pray for them and coach them as needed. 

2.   To connect with MMCT after each intervention, giving a report .  The consultant may also ask the PR to provide more information which may include:

    • a brief assessment using the BASICS
    • any “red flags” that concern them
    • any intervention they provided (practical care, debriefing, handouts, etc)
    • the follow-up plan

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