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September 2026 Training Series
Peer Support Group
Facilitator Training
Learn how to facilitate peer-led support groups with care, confidence, and compassion. Join us for an empowering two-day experience.
Two-Day Training
Sept 12 & 13, 2026 (Sat & Sun)
10 Hours Total
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific each day
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INTRODUCTION
About the Training
Dates & Schedule
One ticket includes both days
DAY 1 — FOUNDATIONS, LISTENING, AND EMPATHY
Saturday, September 12, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific
DAY 2 — GROUP DYNAMICS, CHALLENGING MOMENTS, AND BOUNDARIES
Sunday, September 13, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific
10 hours of Guided Learning
This interactive course is fully immersive, blending lecturing with practical peer support simulation labs.
Grounding connection, mutuality, and lived experience
in supportive community care.
Peer support is fundamentally grounded in connection, mutuality, lived experience, respect, and hope. In group settings, peer support facilitators help create spaces where people feel welcomed, heard, and supported — without needing to "fix", diagnose or give advice.
This interactive training explores the role of a peer support group facilitator andoffers practical tools for holding supportive, inclusive, and compassionategroup spaces.
Participants will have opportunities to reflect, discuss, practice vital active-listening and communication skills, and learn alongside others who areinterested in peer support and community care. Whether you hope to volunteerwith Kaleidoscope, support a peer-led initiative in your community, or begindeveloping your own group, this training will help you build a strong, reliablefoundation.
Lived Experience Wisdom
Active listening & Presence
Non-Clinical Support
Safe Boundary Holding
CURRICULUM
What You’ll Learn
Our comprehensive schedule spans over two intensive days, dividing 10 major key competencies. Click on a card to learn more, or check them off to visual-track your syllabus progress!
Module 01
Foundations of Peer Support
Understand the historical roots, philosophical guidelines, and
core values of peer-led mental health movements.
Module 02
The Role of a Facilitator
Learn how to hold space as a facilitator, distinguishing peer support from clinical treatment, fixing, or advice-giving.
Module 03
Active Listening &
Communication
Practice deep, non-judgmental
presence and reflection styles
to help peers feel genuinely
heard and validated.
Module 04
Communication
Barriers
Identify common speaking and
hearing traps — such as
diagnosing, silver-lining, and
interrupting — and how to
avoid them.
Module 05
Empathy & Empathic
Responses
Cultivate the ability to connect
with another person's
emotional state without taking
it on as your own responsibility.
Reflection, Boundaries &
Self-Awareness
Navigate personal triggers,
define clear facilitator
boundaries, and practice
essential self-care routines.
Responding to Crisis or
Distress
Prepare to support an
individual in crisis through a
peer-lens, aligning with warm
safety protocols while
respecting autonomy.
Navigating Challenging
Moments
Learn compassionate
boundary-setting techniques
for handling high-emotion,
conflict, or over-sharing during
group sessions.
Inclusive & Welcoming
Spaces
Acknowledge diverse lived
experiences and cultivate
safety by employing
accessible, anti-oppressive,
and humble practices.
Group Dynamics &
Participation
Discover tools to guide group
focus, manage speaking time
equitably, and encourage
comfortable, quiet inclusion.
AUDIENCE FIT
Who This Training Is For
No prior facilitation or professional counseling experience is required to attend.
We assume everyone has valuable knowledge to share.
Aspiring Group Facilitators
People who are passionate about learning how to
host and guide a supportive peer-led community
group with care.
The Peer Support Curious
Anyone curious about peer-led mental health
services and community-based circle models of
mutual aid.
Individuals with Lived Experience
Those with lived or living experience of mental
health challenges, substance use, recovery, distress,
neurodivergence, or other journey milestones.
Volunteers & Helping Professionals
Volunteers, students, community builders, or care
practitioners looking to enrich their practice with
non-clinical peer support models.
Community Organizers
People wanting to kick-start and resource new
independent support groups in their immediate
neighborhoods or organizations.
No Prior Experience Required
We welcome any community member wanting to
understand peer support, hold safe space, and gain
supportive tools.
OPEN ENROLLMENT EVENT
Volunteering with Kaleidoscope
After completing this training, participants who are interested in
volunteering with Kaleidoscope may become eligible to apply as peer
support group facilitators after attending three Kaleidoscope peer support
groups.
This gives participants a chance to experience Kaleidoscope’s group
culture, values, and facilitation approach before stepping into a volunteer
role.
Volunteer opportunities are based on organizational needs, fit, readiness,
and available group spaces. Completing the training does not guarantee a
volunteer placement, but it is an important first step in the pathway.
Attend Full Training
Attend 3 Groups
Apply as Facilitator
Starting Your Own Peer Support Group
This training can also support people who want to start a peer support
group outside of Kaleidoscope.
You will leave with a clearer understanding of what peer support is, what
facilitators do, and what helps make a group space safer, more inclusive,
and more supportive.
While this training is introductory, it can help you begin thinking through the
values, structure, and practices needed to develop a peer-led group in
your own setting (workplaces, student clubs, local neighborhood nodes, or
community centers).
WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH:
•
Interactive skills workbook & guidelines
•
Group structure outline template
•
Boundary checklist & safety protocol frameworks
OUR CORE PHILOSOPHY
Our Approach to Peer Support
Foundations
Placing mutuality at the center.
By acknowledging that each participant holds equal stake and wisdom, our
circles provide safe and horizontal networks of peer connection.
7 CORE PILLARS
Lived Experience as
Knowledge
We honor your lived experience with
mental health, distress, or recovery as
uniquely valuable, legitimate wisdom.
Mutuality & Shared Learning
Peer spaces collapse top-down
hierarchies. We are both teachers and
learners, walking alongside one
another.
Compassionate Listening
We provide deep, attentive presence
focused on sharing understanding
rather than diagnosing or offering
quick-fix advice.
Respect for Autonomy
We trust that you are the primary
expert of your own life and choices. We
do not prescribe solutions or label
paths.
Inclusion, Accessibility &
Belonging
We design spaces where diverse
neurotypes, backgrounds, and
identities feel valued, comfortable, and
respected.
Trauma-Informed &
Culturally Humble
We continuously learn and adapt to
offer sensitive spaces that respect the
complexity of individuals' social
landscapes.
Hope, Connection &
Community Care
We believe healing happens in
relationship. Cultivating genuine
relational bonds helps rebuild social
warmth and strength.
PARTICIPATION ENROLLMENT
Register for Facilitator Training
Secure your registration in the two-day training course. Direct admission passes
will be generated immediately upon confirmation.
Information: Completing this form reserves your seat. Support spaces are limited. If your plans change, you
can return to this page to release your ticket.
WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PEER SUPPORT GROUP FACILITATOR? *
PHONE NUMBER (OPTIONAL - EMERGENCY UPDATES)
e.g. (604) 555-0199
PRIOR FACILITATION EXPERIENCE
FULL NAME *
e.g. Jordan Mitchell
EMAIL ADDRESS *
e.g. jordan@example.com
I identify as someone with lived or living experience of mental health challenges, substance use,
recovery, distress, neurodivergence, or other journey experiences.
This facilitates mutuality which is key to peer models. (Optional to disclose).
I confirm that I can attend BOTH training days (Sept 12 & 13, 2026).*
One ticket includes access to Saturday and Sunday. Both days are essential to build mutual capacity, practice, and
secure certificate eligibility.
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT US?
ACCESSIBILITY OR ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS
e.g. slide description decks in advance
Register Now (Free)
Do I need any previous experience in facilitation or counseling?
Is this training held online or in-person?
How long are the sessions and do I need to attend both days?
What breaks will be provided during the 5-hour sessions?
Are there scholarships or sliding-scale fees options available?
How do I become a volunteer group facilitator for Kaleidoscope afterward?
What accommodations can you provide for participants with accessibility requests?
ANSWERS
Frequently Asked Questions
Accessibility & Participation Policy
We aim to create a learning environment that is welcoming, participatory, and accessible. Participants
are invited to engage in ways that feel manageable for they themselves.
There will be opportunities for discussion, reflection, and practice, but participants will
never be
pressured
to share personal experiences beyond their comfort level.
We maintain active accessibility standards: live closed captioning support, hourly screen breaks, visual
description of graphics, and optional camera/microphone presence.
Typically responds within 24–48 hours. Let us help you learn with comfort.
Email Us
Have any remaining questions?
Have questions about the training, accessibility, volunteering, or
whether this is the right fit for your mental health facilitation goals?
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