§ 50902 — Best Practices And Support

(a) In this section: (1) The term “first responder” has the meaning given the term “public safety officer” in section 10284 of this title. (2) The term “first responder agency” means a Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency that employs or otherwise engages the services of a first responder. (3) The term “peer support counseling program” means a program provided by a first responder agency that provides counseling services from a peer support specialist to a first responder of the first responder agency. (4) The term “peer support participant” means a first responder who receives counseling services from a peer support specialist. (5) The term “peer support specialist” means a first responder who— (A) has received training in— (i) peer support counseling; and (ii) providing emotional and moral support to first responders who have been involved in or exposed to an emotionally traumatic experience in the course of the duties of those first responders; and (B) is designated by a first responder agency to provide the services described in subparagraph (A). (b) Not later than 2 years after November 18, 2021, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall develop a report on best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs for first responder agencies that includes— (1) advice on— (A) establishing and operating peer support counseling programs; and (B) training and certifying peer support specialists; (2) a code of ethics for peer support specialists; (3) recommendations for continuing education for peer support specialists; (4) advice on disclosing to first responders any confidentiality rights of peer support participants; and (5) information on— (A) the different types of peer support counseling programs in use by first responder agencies; (B) any differences in peer support counseling programs offered across categories of first responders; and (C) the important role senior first responders play in supporting access to mental health resources. (c) The Attorney General shall support and encourage the implementation of peer support counseling programs in first responder agencies by— (1) making the report developed under subsection (b) publicly available on the website of the Department of Justice; and (2) providing a list of peer support specialist training programs on the website of the Department of Justice.