Peer Services
Safe, confidential peer support for veterans & first responders by veterans & first responders
What are Peer Services?
Gatherings, Direct Peer Support, and a 24/7 Talk Line provide peer-to-peer connection & support to help veterans & first responders improve their mental health & overall well-being.
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Gatherings
Led by a Peer Leader from Guardian Revival, these group sessions are an open forum and offer an opportunity to listen, learn, or share what's on your mind.
Through in-person and Zoom meetings, we offer separate Gatherings for veterans, first responders, and women guardians.
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Direct Peer Support
Speak confidentially with a trained Peer Leader who shares similar experiences & background as you. There’s no diagnosis or commitment required.
Through your 1:1 conversations, they provide emotional, social, and practical support — from one guardian to another.
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24/7 Talk Line
Our 24/7 phone line provides peer support & mental health resources, operated by guardians, for guardians.
This is not a crisis line — just a confidential, open opportunity to reach out for connection & support, anytime.
845.745.0088
Who provides
the Peer Services?
Our Peer Leaders are fellow guardians — Veterans, Active Military, Reserve, National Guard, Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, EMS, Dispatchers, Corrections, and Federal Agents — who are certified & trained to provide peer support services to other guardians.
In addition to their backgrounds, they also have strong leadership & communication skills, emotional intelligence & maturity, mental & physical fitness, and the administrative & logistical capacity to ensure they can successfully support their peers.
Degrees of Peership
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4th Degree
Any guardian to another guardian
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3rd Degree
Veteran to veteran
First responder to first responder
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2nd Degree
Service / community specific
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1st Degree
Same demographic, special circumstance, and/or inherent identity
As Guardian Revival serves a diverse population of guardians from various communities, it is crucial to clarify how we define peers within our network. Guardians may (or may not) be considered a peer to another through a variety of different dimensions.
To further refine the concept of peer relationships at Guardian Revival, we have established a standardized system of "degrees" of peership, employing logical criteria that allow us to efficiently allocate resources (Peer Leaders).
The degree of peership relies on the extent to which an individual's abilities, qualifications, age, background, or social status align with those of others.
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Any guardian to guardian
Example: Law enforcement officer to a Navy veteran
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Veteran to veteran, or first responder to first responder
Example: Army veteran to Air Force veteran. Law enforcement officer to EMS.
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Same service or specific community
Example: Army veteran to Army veteran. Firefighter to firefighter.
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Same demographic, special circumstance, and/or inherent identity
Example: Female veteran to female veteran. Army veteran combat medic to Army veteran combat medic.
Meet the Peer Services Team
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Jesse Murphy
DIRECTOR OF PEER SERVICES
Fire & Law Enforcement -
Ashley Rogers
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Military -
Kenny Constantinides
HAWAII REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Military & Fire -
Heather Fox
TALK LINE MANAGER
Dispatch -
Paul Gill
PEER LEADER
Military -
Pastor Andrew Columbia
PEER LEADER
Law Enforcement -
ED HEEGAN
PEER LEADER
Fire -
David Wagman
PEER LEADER
Law Enforcement -
Mary Wagner
PEER LEADER
Military -
Craig Horsfield
PEER LEADER
Military & Law Enforcement -
Monty Heath
PEER LEADER
Military -
Billy Choi
PEER LEADER
Law Enforcement
Access Peer Services
Gatherings
Peer support — by guardians, for guardians, with guardians
Our Gatherings allow guardians to connect over shared experiences and similarities in a safe space. We encourage you to continue building your network of peer guardians.
Vet2Vet (for veterans and active duty military)
First Line (Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS)
Women Guardians (for women across service branches)
Upcoming
Gatherings
Connect with fellow veterans & first responders over shared experiences and similarities.
What is Peer Support?
Peer support is a particularly valuable & effective approach for improving lives.
The vast and intricate landscape of mental health resources, organizations, and support systems is often overwhelming and confusing. Trained peer leaders can provide guidance & mentorship to help an individual identify the resources & support they need to improve & maintain their mental health & well-being, whether that is financial & legal support, family support, housing, or clinical services.
Peer support also helps combat the feelings of isolation & loneliness. Peer support provides connectedness & belonging, leveraging guardians’ similarities and shared experiences to quickly build the foundation for a healthy therapeutic relationship.
Within our Peer Support Division, peer support is emotional, social, and practical support from one guardian to another — by, with, and through shared experiences and other commonalities to help improve mental health & well-being:
Increasing sense of connectedness
Decreased sense of loneliness
Growth in social network
Direct Peer Support
Speak confidentially, one-on-one with a trained Peer Leader.
The process starts when you submit an inquiry, and then we follow up to schedule a call to discuss your needs, goals, and expectations.
If you move forward, we’ll pair you with a trained & certified Peer Leader who has a high degree of shared experiences with you and is representative of the guardian community you come from.
You and your Peer Leader will connect (virtually or in-person) to provide support, guidance, and resources.
Guardian Talk Line
24/7 phone line providing peer support & mental health resources, operated by guardians for guardians.
Our team is trained to provide you with the best possible peer support, and we have an extensive network of partners & resources.
Please do not hesitate to reach out — you are worth it, and there is support ready & willing to help.
Crisis Lines
These phone numbers are external, national resources available to help in a moment of crisis:
National Lifeline
For ANYONE in crisis and in need of immediate assistance, just call 988
Veterans
Call 988, then press 1
Law Enforcement
First Responders
Dwyer Vet2Vet
Our peer support services are funded in part by the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Vet2Vet program initiative directed by New York State and the Putnam County Veterans Service Agency.
The Dwyer initiative was created to afford veterans access and opportunities for peer support. Joseph P. Dwyer was an Army veteran who suffered from severe PTSD and died from an overdose on June 28th, 2008.