About the Program

As a major component of the Counseling Center’s consultation and outreach offerings, the Peer Mental Health Educator Program provides psychoeducational learning experiences for the UC Irvine student community. Peer Mental Health Educators are committed to teaching skills that will help students to reduce the potential for distressful life experience (primary prevention) and to resolve stressful situations more quickly should they arise.

Peer Mental Health Educators provide consultation services to various student groups; develop and deliver workshops/training sessions covering a variety of mental health topics, market the services of the Counseling Center to the campus community; assist professional staff with outreach programming; assess student need regarding mental health issues; and provide stress management relaxation training to individual students. Peer Mental Health Educators also complete a special project which contributes to the effectiveness of the Peer Mental Health Educator Program and the Counseling Center. Peers receive group support and oversite from the program instructor/coordinator and Associate Coordinators on a weekly basis and individual consultation as needed.