What is the Peer Support Centre?
The Peer Support Centre (PSC) is a student-run listening and resource referral service that provides drop-in and appointment-based one-on-one peer support.
PSC volunteers aid students with a wide range of personal, mental, academic, social, or emotional concerns, and foster a safe space for students to talk about whatever is on their mind.
In addition to our peer support services, the PSC also runs:
- Drop-in community programming for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ students that foster belonging, mindfulness, and wellbeing
- TALKS and CARES Week, our biannual outreach weeks that raise awareness about mental health on campus
- Remote boothing to provide on-site peer support for events and clubs
- Trainings for student leaders on how to effectively support others
The PSC does not offer professional counselling or therapy, though we can refer you to such resources if you come in for a session. The PSC is a listening service that can be accessed if students would like to express their feelings to someone.
Our Principles
Confidentiality
All our volunteers and staff are trained to treat the subjects discussed in a peer support session with the utmost confidentiality. Our volunteers and staff will never share information about your visit or what you discussed to anyone outside of the PSC, except when you or someone else may be at risk. If this ever occurs, this information will be shared on a strictly need-to-know basis in order to protect the safety and wellbeing of yourself and others.
Non-Judgementalness
At the PSC, we want to foster a space that is safe for you to talk about whatever is on your mind, even if it may be difficult, embarassing, or hard to discuss. We will never judge or label you for whatever you decide to share with us.
Empathy
The PSC is a space for listening, understanding, and connection. We seek to create a compassionate, accepting environment no matter who you are or where you come from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peer support sessions may either be booked at least 24 hours ahead of time through our appointment bookings page, or you can simply drop-in to the Centre whenever it is open.
In-Person Peer Support
Upon arriving at the PSC, you can simply walk into any of the open peer support rooms for peer support. A volunteer will be waiting in the room to support you. If you booked an appointment ahead of time, the volunteer will know you are coming.
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General Peer Support: Room 430C
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BIPOC Talk: Room 430E
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Queers 4 Peers: Room 430J
Online Peer Support
If you booked an online peer support session, a Teams meeting will have been sent to you on the date and time of your session. Simply join this meeting from your account at the scheduled time, and a peer will meet you there.
How a Session Goes
Before beginning a peer support session, you will be asked to read and sign a confidentiality agreement, which describes the PSC’s terms for confidentiality and when it may be breached. Once this form is completed, the session can begin. You can opt out of the confidentiality agreement to have an ‘open door’ session, where the door to the peer support room is left open so others can hear and drop by to have casual conversation with you.
Peer support sessions can be about anything and everything. You can vent to us, celebrate a win, chat about something that’s on your mind, or be connected to professional resources. Our volunteers will listen and guide you through the experience.
There are also lots of activities in each peer support room, including tea, snacks, fidget toys, blankets, stuffed animals, crafts, and games you can play with the volunteer. Make yourself comfortable!
Once your session is complete, you can simply leave the Centre. Our volunteer will fill out a session summary report discussing what occured during the session and how it went. This information is collected for safety and data tracking purposes only, and will not be shared with anyone outside the PSC except when we believe you or someone else may be at risk.
We want to ensure you feel capable of talking to our volunteers about anything, without the fear of gossip or judgement. For this reason, our staff are bound to a confidentiality agreement, which you will be asked to sign before you begin your peer support session. This agreement outlines that all information disclosed during a session will not be shared with individuals outside of the Peer Support Centre, except with your permission.
The confidentiality agreement also states any circumstances when confidentiality may be breached without your permission. This only occurs when:
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An individual is judged to be at risk of causing harm to themselves.
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An individual is judged to be at risk of causing harm to others.
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A child under the age of 18 may currently be experiencing abuse or neglect.
Under these circumstances, PSC volunteers and staff are required to contact health professionals or emergency responders at Queen’s or in the community to ensure the safety of the peer and others. Any identifying information is shared only as necessary to those who need to know this information to protect the peer’s or others’ wellbeing.
Additionally, all PSC volunteers are required to fill out a summary report after each session, which can only be accessed by managerial-level staff at the PSC; and conduct a debrief with the supervisor on shift at the time the session ends. Information at the PSC follows an ‘up, not out’ policy: volunteers are not allowed to discuss the details of peers or sessions with other volunteers, and supervisors are not allowed to discuss the details of peers or sessions with other supervisors. Debriefs and session reports are taken solely as a means of overseeing the safety of individuals who utilize the services of the Peer Support Centre and to ensure all volunteers and staff are fulfilling their responsibilities.
Please note that the PSC will not automatically break confidentiality or contact emergency services if you simply bring up a concern to us. We will do our best to find solutions you are comfortable with, instead of jumping to the most extreme response; and ask you before contacting outside resources or sharing your information whenever possible. As such, we encourage you to be honest about whatever is on your mind. Our volunteers and staff are trained to handle a wide variety of situations and to adapt to varying urgency levels.
If you have questions about the limits of our confidentiality agreement, please email our Head Manager at peersupport@ams.queensu.ca.
The PSC is available for drop-in or online sessions any time during its operating hours, which are 10 AM – 8 PM 7 days a week for the general PSC, and 12 PM – 4 PM from Monday – Friday for Queers 4 Peers and BIPOC Talk. Online appointments can be scheduled during those same times through our bookings page here. We are closed during reading weeks, as well as winter and summer break.
Any unexpected closures or changes to our hours will be announced on our Instagram page.
No, you do not need to schedule an appointment! Our drop-in service operates on a first come, first serve basis. Simply walk into room 430 in the JDUC during our open hours, and our volunteers will assist you.
If you would prefer to book an appointment for convenience, our appointment booking page is here.
If you arrive and the door is closed, look at what the sign near the door knob says:
- In a Meeting: Our volunteers are currently serving another peer. You may choose to have a seat outside of the PSC and wait for a volunteer to become available, or you can come back later.
- Out of Office: This means the PSC is currently closed, usually because it is outside of our operating hours. Come back tomorrow!
Any unexpected closures or changes to our hours will be announced on our Instagram page.
In the case of an emergency, you should seek immediate help by calling Campus Security (613-533-6111), the AMHS-KFLA Crisis Team (613-544-4229) or 911.
The duration of a peer support session is up to you. A session can range from 2 minutes to several hours, depending on what suits your needs best. If sessions run beyond one volunteer’s shift period, a new volunteer may finish off the rest of the session with you.
Our online booking page books appointments for peer support in 1 hour chunks, but you do not have to use the entire hour. If you’d like to book a longer session, please book multiple back-to-back appointments on the booking page.
If we are about to close, we will do our best to wrap up the session and connect you with after hours resources for further support.
Unfortunately, you cannot ask to speak to the same volunteer again. This procedure is in place to protect the identities of our volunteers, to maintain confidentiality, and to ensure we are operating within our scope of service. Whenever you drop in or book an appointment with the PSC, you will speak to whichever volunteer is available and on shift at the time.
All our volunteers are trained to the same high standard of training, and are dedicated to creating safe environments for you to speak your mind. Any of our volunteers would be happy to assist you, whether they are familiar with you or not.
All information shared within peer support sessions is kept confidential. A volunteer will never bring up your visit or any experiences you shared outside of the PSC. However, if you are uncomfortable speaking with someone you know, you can wait for another volunteer to become available or come back at another time.
Your visit to the Peer Support Centre is confidential. This means that outside of the Centre, a volunteer will not acknowledge your visit or anything you shared. If you see a volunteer on campus, you are welcome to smile or say hello, or choose not to say anything. We will follow your lead and do whatever you are comfortable with.