Darlene Colmar

Darlene was elected to the NPHA Board in June, 2001 and as Secretary to the Board in June, 2002. She is a NAPP/NPHA Certified Trainer and Consultant and has presented workshops at NAPP/NPHA conferences in New Orleans, Seattle, Flagstaff, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, San Diego, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Austin. She developed a standard training curriculum for "Establishing a Peer Helping Program" and for "Become a Trainer of Peer Helpers" for NAPP/NPHA. She has been a National Trainer for Peer Assistance and Leadership/Workers Assistance Program, (PAL) since January, 2004.

As a high school teacher and guidance counselor, Darlene has worked to improve the existing Peer Programs in her district by aligning them with the NAPP/NPHA Standards and Ethics, striving to improve the program structure, training and evaluation every year. She saw a need for expanding the Peer Programs in her school; starting a program to help transfer students integrate into the school community, a Peer Tutoring program, as well as a Peer Mediation program. She has taught a course on Group Dynamics to faculty and staff in her district to promote the use of the communication skills and the concepts of "people helping people" in every day contacts with others. In her church, Darlene taught a class on Peer Ministry to both youth and adults. Motivated by the NPHA Conference in New Orleans, Darlene was instrumental in founding the Peer Helper Network of Greater Chicago. This group of approximately twenty schools continues to meet monthly to discuss issues involved in Peer Helping, and holds an annual conference for Youth. Darlene promotes the establishment of local or regional groups of Peer Program Professionals as well as state organizations.