Battle Buddy Support Program

The goal of the Battle Buddy Support Program is to provide peer support. The Battle Buddy Support Program is a peer-to-peer emotional and psychological support network developed for NYC Health + Hospitals staff. This voluntary and confidential program matches up NYC Health + Hospitals workforce members across specialties, roles, and locations so that clinical and non-clinical staff can discuss their common experiences, their worries, and their stressors. The Battle Buddy Support Program was created by and evaluated by the US Armed Forces and has shown to have a positive impact on confidence, morale, commitment, and has been successful in healthcare settings across the nation.

How Does It Work?

Battle Buddies will voluntarily be paired based on a number of preferences including those related to the workplace (facility, department, role, etc.) and personal preference (gender, race, etc.) if they would like. Buddies will be encouraged to have regular check-ins via their preferred mode of communication. If there are any concerns that arise, the buddy can be referred to Helping Healers Heal or a Licensed Behavioral Health Professional. Battle Buddies can provide emotional support, an opportunity to process before returning home to families and communities, and even laughter over shared experience.

• Once matched, BBs connect to check in with each other quickly and informally, as convenient for them
• BBs help each other to build resilience and collaborate to work through similar challenges together
• BBs provide camaraderie to help with coping
• BBs support and validate without judgement or criticism during check-ins
• BBs help identify anxiety, stress responses, and can build connections for additional support if requested

If you have any questions about the program contact: BattleBuddy@nychhc.org