FIND OUT more about the USHST’s Peer Pilot Program
fixed-wing community, peer-to-peer counseling has been slow in coming to the vertical aviation community. Until now.
USHST Peer Pilot Program At VERTICON 2025, which took place in March in Dallas, Texas, VAI and the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) launched the Peer Pilot Program, a confidential, no-cost, nonjudgmen- tal resource for mentally stressed or distressed pilots and other members of the vertical aviation community. The program matches participants, including pilots, maintenance tech- nicians, and support personnel, with trained, volunteer peer counselors. The counselors have relevant experience in various sectors of vertical aviation, including offshore, air ambulance, air tour, corporate, and charter operations. The Peer Pilot Program offers “noth-
ing but assistance for you,” USHST industry cochair Chris Baur said during a recent FAA safety webinar. He noted that members of the vertical avia- tion community often face unique stressors, such as grisly scenes during search-and-rescue or air ambulance missions, that could trigger a mental health event—one that can be miti- gated with proper peer support.
FAA Rethinking Mental Health Approach In its 2023 report, the FAA’s Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) recommended expanding “the use and promotion of peer support programs,” emphasizing the need to create “a non- punitive pathway for disclosing mental
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JUN 2025 POWER UP 65
health conditions and treatments.” But pilots have been reluctant to
self-report mental health issues to col- leagues, employers, or aviation medical examiners (AMEs) for fear of being grounded. “Why aren’t they seeking out mental
health support when they need it most?” asks clinical and organization psychologist Aedrian Bekker, cofounder of the Somerset, England–based Centre for Aviation Psychology, which is administering the Peer Pilot Program for the USHST. “Well, it’s pretty obvious [why]: there is jeopardy attached. If I were to raise my hand [for help] when I was going through a difficult time in my life, my life could get even more difficult because I may be grounded and it may take me a long time to get back in the air.” Bekker says the FAA considers that
concern to be an impediment that prevents aviators from seeking help. He says the agency is now pursuing a “groundbreaking” approach, based on recommendations in the ARC report, that encourages people to get the assistance they need. A peer program is integral to this
approach because, Bekker adds, peer counselors are “not licensed
mental health professionals. They’re not intended to be. They’re there to support a colleague,” and their pres- ence and availability “lower the barriers and really encourage people to ask for help.” Peer counselors can also be the
gateway to getting additional help and resources, Bekker notes, though, according to Jessica Auslander, 80% of the time talking to a peer can resolve the issue. Auslander, an expert in addiction
psychology who specializes in working with pilots and aviation organizations, is the lead mental health professional for the Centre for Aviation Psychology in the United States. “We know that 80% of the calls that come to a peer sup- port group stay at that level,” she says. “The most valuable thing they can give you is that [peer] connection. They get it. They’re living this too.” While participating peers are trained
in topics including psychological first aid, suicide assessment and response, and active listening, Auslander empha- sizes that “when you call them, they’re not going to judge you. They don’t know you, your friends, or your family. So you feel free to talk to them about anyone you want. They’re going to help
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