The Get Healthy North Country Community Integrated Health Network will host two new virtual peer leader trainings beginning this January.

Peer leaders are trained community members who assist in educating others on identifying signs and symptoms commonly linked to chronic health conditions, and encourage them to enhance self-management skills for a more healthy, fulfilling life.

The first 2025 training will be held online from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday at the same time through Feb. 20. The second training begins Monday, Feb. 17, and continues every Monday and Friday through March 28. For the second training, Monday sessions will run from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and Friday sessions will take place from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Each training includes a total of 13 sessions. Residents of the following counties are eligible to participate: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Washington, Warren and St. Lawrence. Training sessions are offered free of charge.

“Our peer leaders facilitate workshops and support groups, creating a safe and welcoming environment where participants can share their experiences and learn from one another,” said Jerome James, Master Trainer and Access Program director at the St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, a member of the Get Healthy North Country coalition. “By fostering that sense of empowerment and community support, peer leaders play a crucial role in improving the overall well-being of individuals dealing with chronic disease.”

The Get Healthy North Country Network currently deploys 50 peer leaders across seven northern New York counties, including Amy Kohanski, John Burns and Mallory Lloyd, who all find the experience rewarding.

“Each program has been a unique and rewarding experience,” said Kohanski, who is a project director at The Heart Network, which facilitates the Get Healthy North Country Network. “It is thrilling for me when I see a participant have an ‘a-ha’ moment — when they realize that what they think, say and do has a tremendous impact on their health. Over the course of the six weeks, they transform from a ‘victim’ of their chronic condition to the captain of their ship.”

“Being a peer leader is like sharing the love for your neighbor, friends, and people in your community,” said Burns, a volunteer with the Wilderness Health Care Foundation who leads programs in St. Lawrence County. “You’re sharing information that helps them gain control over their chronic conditions, so that their condition isn’t controlling them. Our programs can’t cure people, but it will give them control, and that means a lot.”

“Navigating chronic health conditions and striving to maintain a normal life can often feel like a long and solitary journey,” said Lloyd, a public health educator at Washington County Public Health. “As someone with chronic health conditions of my own, I know how important it is to feel supported and heard. As a peer leader, I have the privilege of helping others and supporting them in a way that enables them to be their own best advocate.”

To enroll in the training, visit bit.ly/gethealthytraining2025 or contact the Health Initiative Lifestyle Program at 315-261-4760 ext. 239 or email nocosupport@gethealthyslc.org.

Get Healthy North Country is a network of medical and behavioral healthcare providers, public health units, area offices of aging, social care agencies, and other chronic disease prevention program stakeholders that collaborate to offer coordinated, comprehensive evidence-based products and services designed to reduce the burden of chronic disease. A key aspect of the coalition’s work is developing capacity in communities to help individuals take control of their health.

Get Healthy North Country’s website — gethealthynoco.org — offers an array of in-person, virtual, and telephonic workshops tailored for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, cancer, pain, and more. Each program aims to provide participants with the tools and strategies to get and stay healthy. All workshops are grant-funded and offered at no cost to the individual. To learn more, visit gethealthynoco.org.

To learn more about the Get Healthy North Country Community Integrated Health Network, contact Ann Morgan at amorgan@heartnetwork.org.