Peer Health Education

peer health educators tabling

The WSU Peer Health Educators are a diverse group of undergraduate leaders who work with us to educate and empower their fellow students. Students who participate in this program facilitate workshops, represent health education at campus events, and collaborate with campus partners.

We consistently hear from students who are interested in peer health education programs, and studies show that students view peer health educators as credible and trustworthy sources of information. The program is supported by the Service and Activity Fee and will help increase our collaboration with students.

Quick Links

• Mandatory Programs
• Service and Activity Fee
• Training and Workshops

How to Get Involved

Participants will receive a range of professional development opportunities, including training and hands-on experience. Peer educators will develop leadership and public speaking skills, foster positive working relationships, and gain foundational knowledge in a variety of health topics, including violence prevention, suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, and sexual health. 

Become a Peer Health Educator (PHE)

Peer Health Educators assist with and provide workshops and outreach on topics of violence prevention, substance misuse, mental health and suicide prevention to peers on the WSU Pullman campus.

We hire Peer Health Educators on a semester basis. When we're hiring, applicants can submit a resume on Handshake. If selected, PHE will be required to attend weekly meetings on Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

• PHE work ~10 hours per week
• Schedules are flexible

Resources for You

• Mental Health

  Emotional wellness is a lifelong process of developing awareness and acceptance of one’s feelings. Emotional wellness helps you have satisfying relationships, deal with conflict, and bounce back after challenging or stressful times.

  • Stress Management

    College students frequently deal with high levels of stress. Learn how to identify symptoms of stress early and techniques to reduce stress before it becomes unmanageable. Participants learn mindfulness and ways to change their mindset about stress to use it as a tool instead of a trigger.

  • Mindfulness and Meditation

    You’ve heard about all the incredible effects of mindfulness and meditation – greater health, longevity, concentration and focus, satisfaction with life, happiness, emotional regulation and so much more! Join us to learn how to use meditation basics throughout the day and reap these positive, stress reducing benefits.

  • Mental Health First Aid

    This certification course teaches participants to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness and how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

  • Campus Connect Suicide Prevention Training

    This training teaches participants warning signs of suicide and how to respond appropriately in a suicidal crisis. Participants learn active listening skills that can help manage any situation of crisis.
• Substance Use

  Our work with alcohol education focuses on identifying and improving environmental and personal factors that support responsible use of alcohol. We do research to develop effective interventions, evaluate campus programs, and consult campus-wide to guide best practices across the domains of campus life.

  According to 2016 National College Health Assessment data, most WSU students perceive that less than 4 percent of students do not consume alcohol. In actuality, roughly 18 percent of WSU students choose not to drink. Of those students who do consume alcohol, about 58 percent do so responsibly (having 4 or fewer drinks).

  Alcohol-related program highlights:

  • Alcohol Safety

    This workshop will teach you to identify warning signs of alcohol overdose, legal facts, and how to care for someone safely until advanced medical help arrives.

  • Drinking Responsibly

    No one wants their best friend to get hurt or harm someone else. Alcohol is a common thread between the majority of violent acts, student deaths, and academic deficiencies. However, alcohol is not inherently bad. Learn about a variety of alcohol related topics, including the effects of alcohol, bystander Intervention, what to do during medical emergencies, and WSU drinking norms.
• Suicide Prevention

  • Warning Signs for Suicide

    Recognizing these warning signs might help prevent a suicide attempt:

    • Statements indicating suicidal thinking
    • References indicating a desire to die
    • Depression or other mood changes
    • Withdrawal from friends/family
    • Drug or alcohol abuse
    • Impulsiveness or recklessness
    • Anger and anxiety
    • Feeling trapped and hopeless
    • Suffering a major loss or life change
    • Access to self-destructive means

  • How to Help a Suicidal Person

    If you think someone you know may be considering suicide:

    • Take all comments about suicide seriously.
    • Ask directly, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
    • Do not let anxiety of a “yes” response prevent you from asking.
    • Listen to the person and acknowledge their pain.
    • Help the person feel understood and let them know you care.
    • Avoid judging or inducing guilt.
    • Avoid being pledged to secrecy.
    • Do not leave an actively suicidal person alone.
    • Refer the individual to professional help.
    • If help is refused, consult with a professional.
• Violence Prevention

  Everyone has the right to respectful and healthy interactions with their friends, partners, and members of our community. At WSU, we strive to create an environment of safety and accountability. Even so, sex- and gender-based violence like sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking are as common here as they are on any other college campus.

  People experience these forms of violence regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, or disability. There are some groups that experience violence at rates higher than others, but it can happen to anyone.

  State law and campus policy prohibit all forms of sex- and gender-based violence. Plain language definitions are listed below.

  • Relationship Violence

    Harm or threat of harm in an intimate relationship. It can also be called domestic violence or dating violence. This can include (but is not limited to) physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

  • Stalking

    A course of conduct directed toward an individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel afraid. Stalking can occur in person or through technology. Most victims are stalked by someone they know, such as a current or former partner.

    Stalking interactions can mirror behaviors that many of us engage in every day, with one major difference: these interactions are unwanted and intimidating, and cause someone to fear for their safety or the safety of people around them.

  • Sexual Assault

    Any sexual activity lacking clear, knowing, and voluntary consent. This can include nonconsensual sexual intercourse or other physical contact. Sexual assault most frequently occurs between people who know each other. They may be friends, romantic partners, co-workers, roommates, classmates, or casual acquaintances. They may have just met at a party or online.

    While a significant portion of sexual assault on college campuses includes the presence of alcohol or other substance, sexual assault can also occur outside of a typical party scene.

  • Options for Reporting

    If you or someone you know experiences these types of violence, we’re here to support you and provide options for emotional support, medical care, and reporting. There are confidential and other resources available to you.

    Confidential resources like victim advocates at Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse and Counseling and Psychological Services are not required to report to law enforcement or the university. There are minimal exceptions to confidentiality, such as reporting child or elder abuse or other imminent harm. If you choose to access these services, your visit and the information you share will be confidential.

    Medical care at Cougar Health Services is also a confidential resource. Regardless of whether you want to make a police report, a health care provider can help assess your wellbeing and personal safety, provide any necessary medical treatment, and help connect you with other resources.

    University resources include the Compliance and Civil Rights (CCR). CCR can take a report of your experience, start an investigation, help you identify campus safety options, and connect you to local support services, medical care, and counseling. CCR investigation process is separate from any criminal process and can be pursued alone or simultaneously.

    Keep in mind that, with limited exceptions, most university employees have an obligation to report sex- and gender-based violence to the university. If you choose to disclose your experience to a university employee, they will share that information with the Title IX Coordinator at CCR. CCR will follow up with you to offer support and let you know about resources and options that are available to you. They will also give you the option of pursuing an investigation.

    This reporting requirement is designed to keep our community safe and ensure that victims and survivors receive the support they need. If CCR contacts you, it’s your choice whether or not to provide details or pursue any of the options they provide.

    If you would like to pursue criminal investigation and possible legal action, you can report to WSU Police or Pullman Police.

    For a comprehensive list of confidential and other resources at WSU and in the community, visit CCR’s website.

  • Supporting a Friend

    Students are more likely to talk with a friend about their experience of violence before anyone else. A supportive response can make a significant difference to someone coping with the impact of sexual assault, relationship violence, or stalking.

    Helpful things to say to a victim or survivor:

    • It’s not your fault.
    • It’s not okay that this happened.
    • I believe you.
    • You’re not alone.
    • Do you want to talk to someone?
    • What can I do to support you?
    • If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay.

  • Our Approach to Violence Prevention

    In addition to providing mandatory programs for students and ongoing training opportunities for the WSU community, best practices in violence prevention recommend clear policies with consistent enforcement, trauma-informed response and services for victims, and extensive community involvement. In alignment with these recommendations, we:

    • Collaborate with our Title IX Coordinator to assist with assessing campus climate and reviewing campus policy
    • Advocate to include student perspectives and concerns into prevention and response efforts
    • Collaborate to offer law enforcement training around response and investigation of these crimes
    • Provide training for the university conduct board
    • Serve as consultants for student-led initiatives to prevent violence

    Interested in taking a violence prevention training, learn more!
• Hazing Prevention

  Each student has a part to play in creating a respectful, safe community that welcomes and includes everyone. Hazing hurts individuals and our entire campus community by creating environments of fear and discrimination. Here at WSU, hazing and hazing prevention are taken very seriously in compliance with Sam’s Law and University Policies. 

  Hazing violates WSU’s community values, and there is zero tolerance for it. If you see or experience hazing, we are here to support you. There are several options for handling hazing including bystander intervention and reporting to WSU. 

  Sam’s Law 

  • Sam's Law requires all public colleges and universities in the state of Washington to establish a hazing prevention committee to increase transparency about hazing education and intervention (see below).  
  • The law is named after Sam Martinez, a first-year WSU student who died in a hazing-related incident in 2019. For more information about Sam's Law, visit the Washington State Legislature website. 

  Intimidation 

  Intimidation behaviors are often low in severity but high in frequency.

  • Social isolation
  • Using demeaning names for initiates and demanding titles (Ms., Mr.) for existing members
  • Assigning meaningless or impossible tasks
  • Requiring new members to carry specific items at all times
  • Deceptions
  • Behavior and/or activities that reinforce power differentials 

  Harassment 

  Harassment behaviors are often of medium severity and frequency. 

  • Verbal abuse, yelling 
  • Threats or implied threats 
  • Sleep deprivation 
  • Requiring "pranks" such as stealing from or harassing another organization 
  • Skit nights with degrading or humiliating acts 
  • Requiring new members to perform services for existing members (cleaning, errands) 

  Violence 

  Violent behaviors are high in severity but typically low in frequency. 

  • Physical abuse 
  • Sexual abuse 
  • Forced consumption of alcohol, drugs, and/or disgusting substances 
  • Abductions and/or limiting someone's ability to leave a situation or place 
  • Bondage 
  • Total or partial nudity