Volunteering as a Peer Health Advocate

WesWELL is dedicated to promoting and delivering health promotion awareness events and activities. In order to most effectively reach the Wesleyan student body, we’ve created the volunteer position of Peer Health Advocate, a community of Wesleyan students interested in proactively addressing health issues on campus.

Led by the three Peer Health Advocate Team Leaders, the PHAs are the soul of WesWELL's peer-led health education outreach efforts and integral to the development and implementation of those efforts. Involvement in the group in intended to be a malleable resource for your own education, and more importantly, for the education of the student body. We welcome students with interest in all health topics who wish to have a positive impact on the health and well-being of the Wesleyan student body.
 

Benefits of Involvement

As a member of the Peer Health Advocates, you would benefit by:

• Being trained in health issues that improve your own decision making and knowledge-base, and benefit your peers as you share this information in your everyday life, such as sexual health, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, stress management, etc.
• Becoming better familiarized with Wesleyan’s health offices and develop relationships with professional and student staff that would benefit your own health promotion work on campus, whether done with the PHAs or through other student groups with which you are involved
• Receiving updates on health issues on campus, upcoming programs, collaborative opportunities, etc.
• Becoming part of a dynamic community of students with similar interests and establishing relationships with students who you may want to work with in the future
• Being formally recognized by the WesWELL office as a volunteer and having your service hours appreciated and recognized
• Being first in line for paid position opportunities within the WesWELL office, as they become available

Duties & Responsibilities

As a member of the Peer Health Advocates, your volunteer duties would include:

• Attending any required trainings on college health topics; attending optional trainings as interest and time allows
• Attending most of the weekly planning meetings (currently held at 4pm on Sundays)
• Developing, participating in and promoting collaborative educational projects with WesWELL
• Serving as a visible health resource and referral source to your peers on a daily basis, as the opportunity arises
• Informing WesWELL of your concerns, perceived health issues on campus, student opinion, and areas in health education that need to be addressed

Training Requirements

In order to be formally recognized as a PHA, you must participate in an initial training day. This will be offered at least once per academic year, usually at the start of the spring semester. If training has already occurred for the current year, your name will be retained for involvement the following year. Additionally, in order to maintain your status, you must actively participate in the group and strive to attend optional trainings offered during the year. The specifics of these expectations are covered during training.

Other training opportunities will be offered on an ongoing basis. These may be mandatory or optional, but each offers the chance to expand your knowledge and skills relevant to your work as a Peer Health Advocate.

Contact the WesWELL Staff  |  Make a Suggestion  |  WesWELL Home
revised 05/02/2008