The training, tailored to the specific needs of the New York City Police Department, follows the guidelines recommended by the Psychological Services Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Training consists of eighty intensive hours, providing officers with various skills, including interpersonal communication techniques as well as assessment and referral information. The director of MAP and The Peer Support Training Institute clinicians interview all volunteers before they are accepted to the program. Each person is asked a series of questions about personal characteristics and experiences that are relevant to being a peer support officer. During the interview, the responsibilities they will be expected to assume once they become peer supporters are discussed.
Training combines both experiential exercises and educational information.
The first three days of training are held at a residential center to promote bonding among the participants. Peer supporters are not immune from experiencing the stressors of every day life and from having emotional problems, and it is vital that they learn how to reach out to each other for support when it is needed. Each training group is limited to twenty-five officers in order to facilitate their getting to know each other more easily. The program s success is dependent upon participants opening up and trusting each other, to later serve as role models for their clients. One of the primary goals of training is for the PSOs to develop greater sensitivity and empathy for others.