Peer Wellness Application 2020 - 2021

LEARN BY DOING

The Peer Wellness Program, under Campus Health & Wellbeing department within Student Affairs, promotes healthy behaviors and wellness among all members of the Cal Poly community. Peer Wellness Ambassadors, Educators, and Coaches are volunteers (un-paid) that receive training to become nationally certified Peer Educators. They are involved in a four-quarter track program beginning in Spring 2020, followed by three-quarters of hands-on health education and health promotion experience. Peer Wellness Education programs consist of topic-specific workshops, presentations, coaching sessions, and tabling outreach and education to the Cal Poly campus. The topics include:  

  • Physical Health (Nutrition Education and Physical Activity)  

  • Sexual Health (STI Education and Prevention, Safe Sex-Practices, & Healthy Relationships)  

  • Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Drugs (Education & Prevention)  

  • Mental Wellbeing (Stress, Sleep, & Social and Community Wellness)   

  • Recovery (Alcohol and Other Drugs Recovery and Support) 

  • Wellness Promotion (Hand-washing, general health, vaccinations)

  • Campus Health & Wellbeing Resources   

Peer Wellness Ambassadors promote Campus Health & Wellbeing’s resources and services to the Cal Poly campus, while Peer Wellness Educators and Coaches work collaboratively with a topic-specific team under the supervision of the Wellbeing Professional staff of Campus Health & Wellbeing.  

PEER WELLNESS PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS  

  • Serve as role models for holistic wellness on campus. 

  • Develop and maintain an inclusive and diverse lens. 

  • Willingness to explore and engage in discourse around multiple and interconnected health and wellness topics. 

  • Ability to learn and maintain professionalism in a fast-paced environment. 

  • The desire to develop new knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

  • Willingness to present and facilitate large and small groups.  

  • Dedicate a full calendar of service, which includes meetings, training, and other commitments assigned.  

  • Mustangs for Recovery leadership must have a minimum of 1-year sobriety. 

EXPECTATIONS BY ROLE

AMBASSADOR

  • Be comfortable presenting and discussing topics associated with student health and wellbeing. 
  • Participate in tabling events that focus on a wide range of topics in an approachable and professional manner. 
  • Develop 1:1 outreach skills/techniques. 
  • Develop innovative ways to reach target audiences. 

EDUCATOR

  • Participate in mandatory, educational training during Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. 

    Commitment to training as a Peer Wellness Educator for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the academic year 2020-2021. 

    • A commitment of a minimum of 60 hours for each quarter, which equates to 6 hours per week and a total of 180 hours for the year. 

  • Learn topic-specific and general health education and promotion techniques and strategies.  

  • Develop, implement, and evaluate health education presentations and workshops for housing, academic classes, and on and off-campus organizations. 

  • Develop, implement, and evaluate interactive and engaging outreach events for the entire campus community.  

  • Develop, implement, and evaluate health promotion marketing audio-visual materials, posters, handouts, brochures, and informational sheets as needed, as well as leverage technology to promote healthy behaviors and disseminate information. 

COACH

  • Participate in mandatory, educational training during Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. 

  • Commitment to training as a Peer Wellness Educator for the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of the academic year 2020-2021. 

  • A commitment of a minimum of 50-70 hours for each quarter, which equates to 5-7 hours per week and a total of 150-210 hours for the year. 

  • Develop, implement, and evaluate health education workshops & dialogues for housing, academic classes, and on and off-campus organizations. 

  • Provide general and topic-specific 1:1 consultations for student walk-ins and referrals. 

  • Learn topic-specific and general health education and promotion information. 

  • Learn and maintain appropriate boundaries, basic peer coaching skills, maintaining privacy in a peer coaching relationship 

TIME COMMITMENTS BY ROLE

AMBASSADOR

  • Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring Quarter 2021: 

    • Team events and activities as assigned (~2 hours/week) 

    • Team meeting hour (1 hour/week) 

    • Thursdays from 11:10 AM – 12:00 PM 

    • Quarterly Commitment: >4 Event-commitments 

EDUCATOR

  • Spring Quarter 2020: 

    • Certified Peer Educator training on May 2nd & 3rd all-day (8 am-5 pm) 

    • Peer Educator Training from 5/4 - 6/5 on Fridays from 12-2 pm 

    • 2 hours of weekly shadowing (dependent on schedule) 

    • 1 hour of weekly team meetings, Tuesdays from 11-12 pm 

  • Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring Quarter 2021: 

    • Required to be available before the start of Fall 2020 for training 

      • Dates will be confirmed Spring 2020  

    • Must have availability on Tuesdays from 11-12 pm 
    • Commitment of 5-7 hours weekly per quarter (dependent on schedule) 

COACH

  • Spring Quarter 2020: 

    • Peer Educator Training from 5/4 - 6/5 on Fridays from 12-2 pm 

    • 2 hours of weekly shadowing (dependent on schedule) 

    • 1 hour of weekly team meetings, Tuesdays from 11-12 pm 

  • Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring Quarter 2021: 

    • Required to be available before the start of Fall 2020 for training 

      • Dates will be confirmed Spring 2020  

    • Must have availability on Tuesdays from 11-12 pm 
    • Commitment of 5-7 hours weekly per quarter (dependent on schedule)

QUALIFICATIONS

Students who are passionate about the well-being of their campus community will thrive as a Peer Wellness Ambassadors, Educators, or Coaches. This hands-on experience will allow students to explore the various sectors of Public Health and Behavioral Health, as they will gain knowledge on current public and behavioral health trends, enhance their interpersonal and leadership skills, develop competencies for creating, implementing, and evaluating programs, and learn effective marketing strategies. 

All undergraduate Cal Poly students are welcome to apply. Applicants must commit to volunteering for Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021. A minimum GPA of 2.50 is required throughout your tenure with Peer Wellness Programs. Coaches are required to have a minimum of 1-year experience working on any of the PULSE Peer Wellness Programs.  

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