2025 Peer Support Learning Cohort

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Apply to join SQSH's 8th Annual Peer Support Learning Cohort by April 1, 2025!

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The Politics of Peer Support

Peer support can be an empowering and versatile tool for healing, relationship-building, and transformative justice. When cultivated in queer community, peer support can deepen our care for one another and build our capacity to thrive outside of carceral systems of mental healthcare.

Through an eleven week training, our Peer Support Learning Cohort will empower you to learn & practice peer counseling skills, sharpen your radical politics, and build community with other values-aligned queer & trans St. Louisans.

We believe that community members have the inner power to hold healing space for each other. If you are a Black, Brown, trans, disabled, and/or Mad queer person who wants to fertilize that inner power, this is the cohort for you!

 

No prior experience is required! We're looking for queer/LGBTQIA+ people at least 18 years old (as of Sep. 2025) living in the St. Louis region who demonstrate:

  • Commitment to reproductive justice, disability justice, abolition, and queer liberation!

  • Humility, self-awareness, ability to respond receptively to feedback

  • Willingness to be vulnerable and build authentic relationships with other queer St. Louisans

  • Passion for supporting and uplifting the inherent power and resourcefulness of the St. Louis LGBTQIA+ community

    • We generally want to recruit folks who live in the St. Louis bi-state area to uplift and prioritize local community members, but can make case-by-case exceptions for strong candidates who want to pursue this cohort fully remotely

  • Commitment to confidentiality when sensitive personal information is shared

Folks holding multiply marginalized identities – especially Black, brown, trans, disabled, and/or Mad queers – are encouraged to apply and will be centered!

Cohort Details

This cohort is an eleven-week, 55-hour engagement from May 3 to July 26, 2025. Sessions takes place on Saturdays 12.30PM-5.30PM, with two break weeks.

  • Dates are: May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, June 7, June 14, June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19, July 26

  • We understand that things come up unexpectedly, and we’ll work with you if you need to miss a session. In return, we ask that you engage in direct communication with us when things do come up!

  • Sessions will be hosted in a hybrid format, with both in-person and Zoom options. We'll invite you to share your access needs and incorporate them into our program plans.

    • Vaccination and masking are required for all in-person participants.

How to Apply

The first step is to fill out the application form!

Applications are due Apr 1, 2025!

Estimated Completion Time: 30mins

NOTE: Due to capacity limitations, we are only able to accept applications from high-commitment applicants who are able to participate reliably and communicate consistently. For the sustainability of our work, we ask that you carefully consider the time commitment. We invite you to reflect on and articulate on how you plan to incorporate our cohort’s responsibilities into your current schedule and life commitments.

    1. Our Recruitment Team will email you within three weeks of receiving your application to set up a 1-hour interviews with you via Zoom.

    2. During the interview, we will ask you questions to get to know your interests, goals, values, experiences, and skills. We welcome you to ask us questions too to learn more about SQSH and whether this program might be a good fit for you.

    3. After your interview, we will inform you of your application status within 2-3 weeks.

    4. If you choose to accept our offer, we will send you an onboarding email with instructions on how to get started on your cohort experience!

    • Introductions, Goals, Values, Motivation for Applying

    • Values, Lived Experiences, and Politics

    • Capacity, Self-Care & Community Care

    • Peer Support Skills

Cohort Benefits

  • Joining a grassroots network of queer peer counselors is a radical form of consciousness-raising, movement-building, and care work. 

  • SQSH provides intensive training in anti-oppressive peer counseling skills, radical imagination activities, political education, and community-building opportunities.

  • We provide opt-in $1,100 stipends ($20/hour for 55 hours of training) to sustain cohort members’ participation in the training program.

 

Radical Imagination doodles from our 2023 Cohort

Post-Cohort Expectations

After graduation from the Peer Support Learning Cohort, we expect Peer Counselors to:

  1. Serve weekly 3-hour Helpline shifts for at least 1 year (Aug 2025-Aug 2026)

  2. Attend monthly 1-hour Helpline Team Meetings (on a weekday evening 5:30-6:30pm) to the best of your abilities. These meetings are designed to build community with other Peer Counselors, debrief calls, make team decisions together, and strengthen relationships with local queer Healers.

Peer Counselors are stipended for shifts you take on SQSH's Peer Support Line at a rate of $20/hour, or $60/shift.

Info Session

We hosted an info session on Zoom for all who are interested in applying on Mar 13! You can sign up for the session at tinyurl.com/pslc-info-session!

You can also schedule a call with Avi, our Peer Support Organizer, if you want to chat 1:1 about your fit, needs, and questions. Email Avi at avi.i@thesqsh.org!

Meet Our PSLC Trainer!

Avi Ivaturi (they/them)
avi.i@thesqsh.org
Primary Facilitator

Avi is a South Asian, queer, non-binary child of immigrants. With 5+ years of experience in program coordination, curriculum development, & volunteer management, they bring their love of storytelling and meaningful conversations to the cohort. 🌱

Hear from past Peer Counselors who’ve benefitted from our Summer Cohort:

  • I feel something in my spirit being mended with every cohort interaction. I have never felt more queer, more proud, and less afraid to be loud about it in my life. I already knew the power of peer support before joining this cohort, but I didn't realize how strongly I needed it too.

    -Claire (they/them)

  • SQSH has provided such an inclusive environment filled with radical queer hope! I have loved everything about the cohort training. I feel way more equipped to support my community and myself with SQSHs awesome education and resources.

    -Sammie (she/her)

  • I love having this cohort experience so much. I'm excited to start being an active volunteer on the Support Line and growing friendships with my peers. The cohort may be nearing its end, but we're just starting in the community!

    - Angel (she/they)

  • I am incredibly grateful to SQSH for providing a safe space to ask myself hard questions and sit with discomfort in a variety of ways about a variety of challenging topics. I feel that learning to tolerate and work through discomfort is a really important skill, both for my personal life and relationships, and for my ability to listen with mutual vulnerability, and advocate for other members of the community.

    – Reed (they/them)

  • SQSH is amazing. They really care about the people within the organization as well as the people calling on the peer support line.

    – Caitie (she/they)

  • I just absolutely loved the drawing part of today's training, I felt content and at ease. It was also so fun to see what the other trainees had drawn and listen to them interpret their art!

    – 2023 Peer Counselor

  • I really enjoyed exploring my own gender and reflecting on myself during this training. It is not often that I dedicate time specific to doing this, so I thought this was a very great introspective experience.

    – 2022 Peer Counselor

  • This training program is one of the best training I have ever attended! The trainers are very patient, kind, and understanding. They always put our wellness first and try to make everyone feel comfortable in this training space. They also provide many resources and assistance for different needs. That's really incredible! Really appreciate your effort and hard work!!! <3

    – 2022 Peer Counselor

  • This has been a lovely experience overall. There's so much compassion and critical discussion put into this training, which creates an overall atmosphere of respect that I don't think I've observed anywhere else. Everyone is very passionate about what they're doing, which makes for a very engaging and connecting experience. I'll miss this cohort :')

    – 2022 Peer Counselor

Questions? Contact Our Recruitment Team!