ALPA's Pilot Peer Support Symposium

Focusing on the Human Connection to Address Evolving Mental-Health Needs

Pilots from across North America gathered at ALPA’s headquarters in McLean, Va., on June 17–18 to participate in the Association’s third annual Pilot Peer Support (PPS) Symposium. The event brought together 65 attendees representing 18 ALPA pilot groups, reinforcing the union’s expanding role as a leader in pilot mental-health and peer-support advocacy.

Capt. Wendy Morse, ALPA’s first vice president and national safety coordinator, kicked off the symposium by highlighting the critical role that peer volunteers play in supporting fellow pilots.

“Our programs succeed, in part, because humans like to talk to other humans,” said Morse, who also oversees ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO). “It’s the social interaction, the shared empathy, and the lived experience that make our peer programs so effective. I’m very proud of the work you’ve all done—and continue to do—to make aviation safer, more secure, and stronger.”

Morse also noted that the symposium was getting started just as the Association’s PPS community had received good news that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had advanced important legislation, the Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 (H.R. 2591), out of committee.

The topic of peer-support programs has been particularly relevant following two recent accidents: the mid-air accident on January 29 involving PSA Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River while the PSA aircraft was on approach to Washington National Airport and the February 17 accident that occurred in Toronto, Ont., when Endeavor Air Flight 4819 experienced an accident during landing.

“These events have tested us,” Morse remarked. “But we’ve been able to provide meaningful support through our Critical Incident Response Program [CIRP] and other Pilot Assistance Group programs for affected crewmembers and their families because of the important work that’s been done—that many of you have done over the past decade.”

F/O Carrie Braun (JetBlue), ALPA’s ASO Pilot Peer Support chair, moderated the event, facilitating discussion throughout the two-day symposium. She thanked Morse for her support of the union’s PPS initiatives.

“Capt. Morse, along with ALPA’s entire leadership team, has been a strong advocate for our Pilot Assistance programs, and specifically on the importance of pilot mental health,” said Braun. “We wouldn’t be here today without their support and understanding of how critical these programs are.”

During the symposium, participants heard from a range of subject-matter experts and peer volunteers on a wide array of topics related to pilot wellness, mental-health awareness, and effective support strategies not only for line pilots, but also for peer volunteers. Presentations and panel discussions addressed burnout, fatigue, stress, and crisis response, as well as the institutional frameworks that support these efforts within pilot groups and airline managements.

A highlight of the symposium was the “Regulatory Updates Around Aviation Mental Health” panel discussion, moderated by Braun, which featured Capt. Travis Ludwig (United), chair of ALPA’s ASO Pilot Assistance Group and cochair of the FAA’s 2024 Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC); Dr. Susan Northrup, the FAA’s federal air surgeon; and Dr. Quay Snyder, ALPA’s longtime aeromedical advisor. The panel offered insights into the progress made since the ARC released its final recommendations and explored how those changes could shape future policy and peer program development.

“Of the 24 recommendations, seven are currently closed,” commented Northrup, providing insight into the FAA’s progress regarding the ARC’s recommendations. “There are three that require specific action by stakeholders, which we don’t have much control over. The other 14 are still in progress. We’re still working on them, and we’ll get to a conclusion on those as fast as we can.”

“We’ve had a lot of publicity recently regarding pilot mental health, and it’s the folks in this room who’ve pushed that bar to a new level,” Ludwig said, offering his perspective on just how much work has been done during the decade since the Germanwings accident brought the issue of pilot mental health to the forefront. “Considering where we were back in 2015, the fact that we now have an ARC focused on mental-health issues with 24 recommendations—and an actual push on Capitol Hill for Congress to make changes—is tremendous. It’s really a testament to the dedication of all the people involved in this work.”

“We had quite diverse opinions about how to develop the recommendations,” Snyder acknowledged. “But what was really powerful, in my view, was the ability of the cochairs to synthesize everything between our two working groups—essentially the operational and the medical working groups—and to come up with a unanimous consensus. All 17 members of the ARC who signed those recommendations signed off as they accepted it. There were no objections. That took a lot of work and a lot of negotiation. But we had all these professionals looking for the best-possible outcome for our pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Attendees also heard from several other presenters. Dr. Navjyot S. Bedi, an addiction psychiatrist with the Aviation Assessment Program at the Caron Atlanta Outpatient Treatment Center, presented “A Mental-Health Road Map for Pilots,” outlining clinical pathways and support options tailored for aviation professionals.

Amanda Davenport and Christina Harris, peer-support team facilitators with the Fairfax County (Virginia) Department of Public Safety Communications, jointly presented “Answering the Call—Supporting Suicidal Callers and Peers in Crisis,” focusing on frontline strategies for high-stakes intervention.

F/O Sonny Ruff (United), the Association’s ASO Pilot Peer Support vice chair, led a panel on “Recognizing and Managing Burnout” with insights from Dr. Jessica Auslander and Mark Berg, mental-health advisors to ALPA, about how chronic stress and emotional exhaustion manifest in aviation professionals and how to manage them effectively.

Snyder delivered a practical session titled “Sleep Hygiene—Tips and Tricks,” offering actionable strategies to improve rest and mitigate fatigue.

Dr. Jaime Devine, director of sleep science at the Institutes for Behavior Resources, presented “Understanding Sleep Studies to Evaluate Fatigue,” providing information to help attendees interpret findings relevant to aviation performance and alertness.

Additional presentations addressed key structural and organizational components of peer support. Capt. Dave Fielding, a peer-support subject-matter expert with the British Air Line Pilots’ Association, discussed setting up committees for success, highlighting best practices for program implementation.

Capt. Richard Nestor (Alaska), his pilot group’s Pilot Peer Support Committee chair, and Capt. Steve Savidge (Alaska), an aeromedical and PPS subject-matter expert, offered guidance on working with management, exploring how to build trust and mutual understanding between pilot groups and airline leadership.

Capt. Randy Symanski (Spirit), ALPA’s Training Council chair; and Capt. Todd Lisak (JetBlue), the Association’s Human Factors & Training Group chair, presented “Human Factors and Training—Possible Stressors,” underscoring the subtle but significant ways training environments can impact pilot wellness.

A panel discussion on the partnership between CIRP and PPS highlighted the close collaboration among ALPA’s volunteers in these programs. Moderated by F/O Chris Arnold (United), the union’s
Pilot Assistance Group vice chair, the panel featured F/O Marshall Motley (United), a CIRP subject-matter expert, and Ruff, who discussed how the two programs work together to support pilots following traumatic events.

Throughout the symposium, attendees reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the reach and impact of ALPA’s peer-support programs. With strong backing from the Association’s leadership and new mental-health provisions included in the recently passed FAA reauthorization bill, the union’s peer-support network is positioned to grow even stronger.

Over the past year, ALPA’s PPS leaders have attended various industry conferences and have been excited that so many people have wanted to talk about the union’s peer programs. Braun noted she recognizes the benefit of those conversations and is looking at expanding those discussions into future ALPA symposiums.

This article was originally published in the August 2025 issue of Air Line Pilot.