PAVE Pathways: Continuing Education Kits, Built by People Who Lived It
The PAVE Pathways catalog spans 225 continuing education topics across nine practice domains. Each kit is a self-contained training package with a facilitator guide, participant workbook, slide deck, and post-test, written for peer specialists and the behavioral health and public health teams that supervise them. Kits are designed to be delivered as-is or adapted to an organization's existing training calendar and documentation requirements.
Available now
LifeSync and Purpose
What Is LifeSync?
Finding the Place Where Who You Are Meets How You Live
This complete, facilitator-ready training kit introduces PAVE's purpose-alignment framework, showing how to find harmony between who a person is, what they love, and how they live day to day. It adapts the Ikigai model for peer-led growth rather than corporate goal setting, and frames purpose as an ongoing practice of alignment across personal values, professional skills, and community impact. Grounded in positive psychology, purpose-in-life research, and longevity studies. Written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including people in recovery and people returning from incarceration who are now doing this work.
Understanding Survival, Building Trauma-Informed Support
Most people who struggle with substances are carrying pain that started long before the first use. This complete, facilitator-ready training kit helps frontline staff, peer leaders, and justice-impacted program teams understand how trauma and chronic stress sensitize the brain's threat-detection systems, why substance use so often works as an adaptive way to regulate overwhelming emotional pain, and how to build support around the three core trauma-informed principles of safety, choice, and empowerment. Grounded in SAMHSA, NIDA, the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including people in active recovery and people returning from incarceration.
Shame is one of the strongest forces keeping people stuck in substance use cycles, and it is one of the least directly addressed in most programs. This complete, facilitator-ready training kit helps peer specialists, counselors, and reentry staff teach the difference between "I did something bad" and "I am bad," show how shame drives secrecy, isolation, and return to use, and practice cognitive tools and self-forgiveness steps that disarm self-stigma. Grounded in SAMHSA, NIDA, CCAR, and the research base on shame, guilt, and stigma in recovery. Written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including people in active recovery and people returning from incarceration.
The people doing the supporting carry a load nobody talks about. This complete, facilitator-ready training kit helps peer specialists, recovery coaches, caregivers, and frontline staff recognize the early warning signs of compassion fatigue, tell the difference between healthy empathy and absorbing other people's pain, and build steady practices for peer debriefing, reflection, and firm emotional boundaries. Grounded in SAMHSA, NIDA, CCAR, and the research base on secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including people in recovery and people returning from incarceration who are now doing this work.
Building Trust First: Community Engagement for Programs People Actually Show Up To
Why Trust Comes Before Outreach, and How to Earn It
This complete, facilitator-ready training kit teaches outreach and engagement staff how to build the kind of trust that turns a flyer into a full room, especially with communities that have been let down by outside organizations before. It treats trust as something earned through consistency and follow-through, not something assumed because an organization means well, and it gives practical, low-cost ways to meet people where they are. Built on community engagement and community-based participatory research guidance, and written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including peer specialists, outreach workers, and people in recovery or returning from incarceration who are now doing this work.
Finding and Winning Small Grants: Resource Development for Grassroots Programs
A Peer-Led Approach to Funding Real Community Work
This complete, facilitator-ready training kit gives peer-led organizations without a dedicated development team a clear, step-by-step process for finding, applying for, and managing small grants that fund real community work. It treats grant writing as a learnable skill rather than a mystery reserved for people with advanced degrees, and it is honest about the paperwork and follow-through required after the money arrives. Built on established funder guidance and nonprofit capacity-building research, and written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including peer specialists, grassroots organizers, and people in recovery or returning from incarceration who are now running or supporting programs.
From Peer to Leader: Growing Into Leadership Without Losing Your Roots
Mentorship Skills for Peer Specialists Stepping Into Their First Leadership Role
This complete, facilitator-ready training kit supports peer specialists and frontline staff who are stepping into supervisory or mentorship roles for the first time, often without any formal management training. It treats the shift from being a peer among peers to holding a leadership role as an identity change that deserves real preparation, not just a new title, and it is honest that carrying responsibility for others can put a leader's own recovery and wellbeing at risk if they do not protect it. Built on established peer supervision, mentorship, and workforce development guidance, and written in warm, plain language for adult learners, including people in recovery or returning from incarceration who are now stepping into these roles.
Measuring What Matters: Simple Evaluation for Programs That Don't Have a Data Team
Tracking Outcomes and Telling Your Program's Real Story Without a Statistics Degree
This complete, facilitator-ready training kit gives frontline staff and program leads a plain-language way to track outcomes and tell their program's real story, without needing a statistics background or expensive software. It draws a clear line between counting activity and measuring impact, and it treats data collection as a habit the team can actually sustain, not a burden bolted on to satisfy a funder. Built on established nonprofit evaluation and outcomes measurement guidance, and written in warm, plain language for adult learners, including peer specialists, program coordinators, and people in recovery or returning from incarceration who are now running or supporting programs.
Honoring Survivors, Building Whole-Person Wellness
More than half of people living with diagnosed HIV in the United States are now age 50 or older. This complete, facilitator-ready training kit helps frontline staff and peer leaders recognize the medical, cognitive, and emotional realities of aging with HIV, including AIDS Survivor Syndrome, and apply PAVE's R.A.C.E. framework and the MIPA principle to build programs that honor long-term survivors as experts, not afterthoughts. Grounded in HIV.gov, NIH HIVinfo, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
One representative topic from each of the nine practice domains, in development now. These previews show the shape of the kits being built next.
AddictionComing Soon
Understanding Cravings
A practical look at how cravings function in the brain and body, and how to navigate them without automatic reaction.
ADD-1.2 · In development
HIV and Chronic IllnessComing Soon
Living Well With HIV
Shifts focus from medical management to designing a vibrant, joyful life centered on wellness, hope, and personal growth.
HIV-3.23 · In development
See all available kits
Pick a practice domain to see the 25 topics inside it, each with its learning objective and core focus areas.
Wellness and Mental Health
25 topics
Featured kit, ready to order
Compassion Fatigue and Recovery
Caring for the People Who Do the Caring
The people doing the supporting carry a load nobody talks about. This complete, facilitator-ready training kit helps peer specialists, recovery coaches, caregivers, and frontline staff recognize the early warning signs of compassion fatigue, tell the difference between healthy empathy and absorbing other people's pain, and build steady practices for peer debriefing, reflection, and firm emotional boundaries. Grounded in SAMHSA, NIDA, CCAR, and the research base on secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Written in plain, warm language for adult learners, including people in recovery and people returning from incarceration who are now doing this work.
An introduction to a whole-person model of wellness, moving beyond the simple absence of illness to active, balanced vitality.
Learning objective: Understand wellness as an active, whole-person model rather than simply the absence of illness.
What skills you will learn: The eight dimensions of wellness, and how to evaluate personal balance across them.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this framework to help someone see wellness as a daily practice, not a fixed destination.
Coming SoonWMH-4.2
Self-Care Fundamentals
Reframes self-care from a luxury to an essential daily practice required to prevent burnout and sustain life.
Learning objective: Learn to build self-care habits that genuinely prevent burnout, not just feel nice.
What skills you will learn: How to define micro-self-care habits, and how to build a personalized checklist based on real energy levels.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to build sustainable self-care habits into their own life or help someone else do the same.
Coming SoonWMH-4.3
Stress Reduction Techniques
A practical hands-on guide to physical and cognitive techniques to calm the nervous system during stress.
Learning objective: Learn practical techniques for calming the nervous system during moments of acute stress.
What skills you will learn: Grounding skills like deep belly breathing and the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, and how to insert a conscious pause before reacting.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use these techniques themselves or teach them to someone in the middle of a stressful moment.
Coming SoonWMH-4.4
Mindfulness Practices
Demystifies mindfulness, teaching peers how to bring curious, non-judgmental awareness to the present moment.
Learning objective: Understand mindfulness as an accessible, practical skill rather than an abstract concept.
What skills you will learn: The difference between formal meditation and informal daily mindfulness, and sensory grounding techniques.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to teach mindfulness in a way that feels usable, not intimidating.
Coming SoonWMH-4.5
Sleep and Mental Health
Explores the bi-directional link between high-quality sleep and emotional regulation, offering sleep hygiene habits.
Learning objective: Understand the bi-directional link between sleep quality and emotional regulation.
What skills you will learn: How to identify common sleep disruptors, and how to design a calming wind-down routine.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone address poor sleep as a real driver of their mental health, not a separate issue.
Coming SoonWMH-4.6
The Role of Exercise in Mental Wellbeing
Connects regular physical movement with chemical stabilization in the brain and improved emotional regulation.
Learning objective: Understand how physical movement directly supports emotional regulation and mental wellbeing.
What skills you will learn: The neurobiology behind exercise and mood, and how to design an inclusive, low-barrier movement plan.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to offer movement as a practical mental health tool, not just a physical health recommendation.
Coming SoonWMH-4.7
Emotional Intelligence Development
Teaches peers how to identify, understand, and manage their emotions while navigating interpersonal relationships.
Learning objective: Learn the core components of emotional intelligence and how to develop them.
What skills you will learn: The four components of emotional intelligence, and techniques for naming complex emotions in real time.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to respond to emotional triggers thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically, both for themselves and others.
Coming SoonWMH-4.8
Coping With Anxiety
Equips peers with physical somatic grounding and cognitive reframing tools to navigate anxiety and panic attacks.
Learning objective: Understand the purpose of anxiety and learn practical tools for managing it in the moment.
What skills you will learn: Box breathing to calm an over-activated amygdala, and how to gently challenge anxious thoughts with present facts.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use these grounding tools to support someone through anxiety or a panic attack in real time.
Coming SoonWMH-4.9
Understanding Depression
Explores the psychological, physiological, and social facets of depression, offering compassionate coping strategies.
Learning objective: Understand the psychological, physiological, and social facets of depression.
What skills you will learn: How to differentiate situational sadness from clinical depression, and how to use behavioral activation to rebuild momentum.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to offer compassionate, informed support to someone navigating depression.
Coming SoonWMH-4.10
Building Healthy Relationships
Provides a practical guide to establishing mutual respect, clear boundaries, and healthy communication in partnerships.
Learning objective: Learn the foundational skills that build mutual respect and healthy communication in relationships.
What skills you will learn: How to identify relationship red flags and green flags, and how to use "I" statements to communicate needs clearly.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone build or repair relationships grounded in respect instead of old patterns.
Coming SoonWMH-4.11
Boundaries for Mental Health
Teaches peers how to identify their limits, set clear boundaries, and maintain them without guilt.
Learning objective: Learn to identify personal limits and set clear boundaries without guilt.
What skills you will learn: The different types of boundaries, and firm, polite scripts for communicating them.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to model and teach boundary-setting as a mental health protection, not a rejection of others.
Coming SoonWMH-4.12
Gratitude Practices
Explores the science of gratitude, showing how regular appreciation rewires the brain toward resilience.
Learning objective: Understand the science behind gratitude and how consistent practice builds resilience.
What skills you will learn: How to use structured gratitude logs and letters, and how to share gratitude in group settings.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to introduce a simple, evidence-based practice that builds resilience over time.
Coming SoonWMH-4.13
Journaling for Emotional Clarity
Provides participants with structured journaling frameworks to navigate emotional overwhelm and track personal growth.
Learning objective: Learn structured journaling techniques that support emotional clarity and processing.
What skills you will learn: Techniques like brain-dumping and structured emotional processing, and how to build a consistent journaling routine.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to offer a private, low-cost tool for someone navigating emotional overwhelm.
Coming SoonWMH-4.14
Nutrition for Mental Health
Connects gut health, dietary choices, and emotional well-being, focusing on budget-friendly mood-boosting foods.
Learning objective: Understand how nutrition directly affects mood and mental health.
What skills you will learn: How the gut-brain axis produces serotonin, and budget-friendly adjustments that support brain health.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone see food choices as a real, accessible mental health tool.
Coming SoonWMH-4.15
The Connection Between Gut Health and Mood
A close look at the enteric nervous system, explaining how digestive health directly influences emotional states.
Learning objective: Understand the physiological connection between the digestive system and the brain.
What skills you will learn: How chronic stress impairs digestion and gut bacteria, and daily habits that support gut health.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to explain the mood-gut connection in plain terms and offer practical, food-based steps.
Coming SoonWMH-4.16
Resilience Building
Teaches peers how to develop a growth mindset, adapt to setbacks, and bounce back from life struggles.
Learning objective: Learn the core traits and practices that build resilience, and how to develop them intentionally.
What skills you will learn: Cognitive reframing techniques, and how to build a strong personal safety net of supportive connections.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone build real resilience skills instead of just telling them to bounce back.
Coming SoonWMH-4.17
Work-Life Balance Strategies
A practical guide to managing professional responsibilities without sacrificing personal health and family life.
Learning objective: Learn practical strategies for managing work responsibilities without sacrificing personal health.
What skills you will learn: How to identify warning signs of overload, and how to set clear boundaries between work and home life.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone build a sustainable relationship with their job instead of running on empty.
Coming SoonWMH-4.18
Digital Detox and Mental Clarity
Addresses the mental fatigue caused by screen overload, providing strategies to build a healthier relationship with tech.
Learning objective: Understand how screen overload affects mental fatigue, and learn to build a healthier relationship with technology.
What skills you will learn: How to create tech-free zones and screen-free time blocks, and how to sustain digital boundaries over time.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone reclaim mental space and sleep quality from constant digital demands.
Coming SoonWMH-4.19
Creative Expression for Healing
Focuses on utilizing creative arts (painting, writing, music, crafting) to process emotions and heal.
Learning objective: Learn to use creative expression as a tool for processing emotion and trauma.
What skills you will learn: How creative activities bypass verbal barriers, and how to set up a low-cost creative workshop.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to offer a creative outlet to someone who struggles to process emotion verbally.
Coming SoonWMH-4.20
The Role of Nature in Mental Health
Connects outdoor exposure and green spaces to lowered stress, reduced anxiety, and improved mental clarity.
Learning objective: Understand the science behind how nature exposure supports mental health.
What skills you will learn: How nature exposure lowers cortisol, and how to incorporate green breaks and mindful outdoor walks into daily life.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to offer a free, accessible mental health tool that just requires stepping outside.
Coming SoonWMH-4.22
Workplace Wellness
Provides strategies to build a supportive, psychologically safe, and healthy work environment.
Learning objective: Learn strategies for building a psychologically safe and supportive workplace.
What skills you will learn: How to identify systemic workplace stressors, and how to advocate for mental health breaks and reasonable limits.
How this applies in the field: Any peer working within an organization can use this to help build a healthier, more supportive team culture.
Coming SoonWMH-4.23
Cultural Perspectives on Mental Health
Explores how diverse cultural backgrounds, traditions, and historical contexts influence mental health views and care.
Learning objective: Understand how cultural background shapes views on mental health, stigma, and care.
What skills you will learn: How to practice cultural humility and curious listening, and how to bridge cultural gaps in mental health support.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to make mental health support more accessible and welcoming across different cultural backgrounds.
Coming SoonWMH-4.24
Crisis Coping Strategies
Equips peers with immediate, practical emotional regulation tools to maintain safety during acute crises.
Learning objective: Learn immediate, practical tools for supporting someone through an acute mental health crisis.
What skills you will learn: De-escalation techniques like somatic grounding, and how to build a clear crisis plan with professional contacts.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to respond effectively and safely in the moment a crisis actually happens.
Coming SoonWMH-4.25
Hope as a Wellness Practice
Reframes hope from a passive wish into an active cognitive skill that can be built through daily practice.
Learning objective: Learn to build hope as an active, practiced skill rather than a passive feeling.
What skills you will learn: The science of hope theory, and how to use small, measurable goals to build self-efficacy.
How this applies in the field: Any peer can use this to help someone build genuine, sustainable hope instead of relying on empty encouragement.
