Transforming U: Peer Support

The charge of the DJJ Peer Support Team is to effectively recognize and respond to team members or family members who are experiencing a critical or traumatic incident. The Peer Support Team will reply by listening, referring, debriefing, and supporting those in need.

What is Peer Support?
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• Peer Support is a voluntary employment assistance program that is available to all DJJ staff and immediate family members after a critical or traumatic incident.
• This program is designed to provide appropriate support to employees when personal or professional problems negatively affect their work performance, family unit, or self. 

Why Peer Support?
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A trained peer support team member provides emotional support during and after times of personal and professional crisis for DJJ staff who express a need for assistance.

• Peer Supporters are not professional clinicians but have an increased understanding of the stress of a career in criminal justice, additional training in dealing with people experiencing increased stress
• Peer Supporters are peers that have relevant or similar experiences. 

For more information, email one of the DJJ Peer Support Team:

Or for general information about Peer Support at DJJ, email [email protected].

The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice is a multi-faceted agency that serves the state's justice-involved youth up to 21 years of age. The Department's mission is to transform young lives by providing evidence-based rehabilitative treatment services and supervision, strengthening youth and families' well-being, and fostering safe communities.

While holding justice-involved youth accountable for their actions through probation supervision and secure detention, DJJ provides them with medical and mental health treatment, as well as specialized services designed to equip them with the social, intellectual, and emotional tools they will need as adults. 

As Georgia`s 891st school district, DJJ offers youth in our custody the opportunity to earn a high school diploma from an educational system accredited by Cognia. Thousands of youth are served annually, including those placed on probation, sentenced to short-term incarceration, or committed to the Department's custody by Juvenile Courts. Below, read more about our Mission, Goals, Priorities, Values, and Culture.