Peer Mentor Supports
Peer Support at Project Whetstone is built on the belief that healing is most powerful when it’s shared. Our Peer Mentors are veterans and first responders who have walked their own paths through trauma, recovery, and reintegration. They’re not therapists, but they are trained, trusted companions who offer empathy, encouragement, and lived wisdom to those just beginning their journey.
Integrated throughout our program, Peer Mentors provide consistent check-ins, offer grounding insight during difficult moments, and help participants feel seen and understood in ways that only a fellow service member can. Their presence fosters accountability, reduces isolation, and builds community from the ground up.
At Project Whetstone, we believe no one should have to walk this path alone—and with Peer Mentors, they never do.
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Candidates are veterans or first responders with lived experience.
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Completion of training in trauma-informed care, moral injury, reintegration support.
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Ongoing supervision and support from licensed clinical staff.
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Emphasis on boundaries, active listening, and presence, not therapy.
Each day on the trail begins with a check-in. A quiet conversation over breakfast, a shared stretch before the hike, or a nod of encouragement before setting off. Peer Mentors are there, listening, offering grounding support, and reminding participants that healing doesn't have to happen alone. Whether it’s walking beside someone during a difficult stretch of the hike or celebrating a personal breakthrough, Peer Mentors are a steady presence every step of the way.
Why Peer Mentorship?
People often say the most powerful support comes from someone who’s been there. Peer mentorship creates space for honesty, trust, and healing, because it’s easier to open up when the person beside you truly gets it.
Research shows that when veterans regularly connect with trained peers, it can ease PTSD symptoms, reduce isolation, and build lasting motivation (Hundt et al., 2015). That’s why peer mentors are part of every step at Project Whetstone, from that first conversation to the final mile.
"Results indicated that Veterans identified numerous potential benefits to a peer support program, including social support, purpose and meaning, normalization of symptoms and hope, and therapeutic benefits," (Hundt et al., 2015).
Reference: Hundt, N. E., Robinson, A., Arney, J., Stanley, M. A., & Cully, J. A. (2015). Veterans’ perspectives on benefits and drawbacks of peer support for posttraumatic stress disorder. Military Medicine, 180(8), 851–856. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00536