First Responder Wellness Podcast

Lesson’s from One Critical Incident with Mike Ming

Lesson's from One Critical Incident

 

Learn how a critical incident in 1991 shaped Mike Ming's career as a fire fighter. What does it take to create a wellness program for 8,000+ employees? That's what Mike Ming was tasked to do a few years ago for Cal Fire, the agency where he spent most of his fire fighting career. Take a listen to my conversation with Mike on how he and his team developed a program that includes preparing new fire fighters at the academy for the traumas of the job.

 

ABOUT MIKE MING

Mike started his fire service career as a volunteer in hometown of Forestville, CA in 1991. He worked as seasonal firefighter (CDF then, CAL FIRE) from 1994 until 1998 and went full time in 1998. In 2000 he became a permanent employee where he worked operationally in All-Hazard response (wildland, structural, medical, hazmat, aviation, etc.) until 2014. In 2014 Mike was promoted to Battalion Chief in the Employee Support Services program (ESS) and in 2018 promoted to Deputy Chief program manager of ESS. As the Deputy Chief wrote a Budget Change Proposal (BCP) and submitted to legislature for approval and sought permanent funding and more positions. The proposal was successful and he grew the staff from 5 positions to 27 with a permanently funded budget. In 2020 Mike was promoted to Staff Chief program manager of the newly branded BHWP.  Mike retired January of 2023, and he makes an appearance in the PTSD911 documentary. (Although you're not likely to recognize him.) 

Mike lives in Sonoma County, CA with his partner Sequoia. They have 2 adult daughters. Mike and Sequoia love the wilderness, surfing, primitive survival skills, great food and traveling to new places.

 

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FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS PODCAST/PTSD911 MOVIE
Web site:  https://ptsd911movie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptsd911movie/
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Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

The First Responder Wellness Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC

Copyright ©2023 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

 

 

Hashtag Buddycheck with Stephen Powers

Hashtag Buddycheck with Stephen Powers

On the show today Stephen Powers talks about why he and his wife started the Hashtag Buddycheck movement. #BuddyCheck has been used on many social media posts to encourage first responders and others to check on each other. What motivated Stephen and his wife to start this? Listen in to this important conversation!

 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

During my 25 years as a first responder and the time served in the Marines, I was exposed to multiple critical incidents and was negatively impacted by vicarious trauma which affected both my professional and personal life. As an officer I was trained in Basic Crisis & Hostage Negotiating, Resources for Resilience, Veteran Trauma and Engagement, partnered with the Recast Program in Charlotte- all of which have helped me learn to address trauma and resilience. I also served as a member of the Charlotte Mayor’s Initiative for Suicide Prevention in Veterans as well as partners with local agencies to advocate for suicide prevention.

In the course of my time as a sworn officer and now in retirement, I serve as Crisis Intervention Team Instructor for Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Rowan, and Stanly Counties in NC and present on topics with a central focus on Vicarious Trauma: Officer Wellness and De-Escalation Techniques: Crisis Communication. Throughout my career I was trained federally and locally as a Peer Support Officer, and I am currently certified as a North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist. I have also received certification in Crisis Incident Stress Management (CISM) through International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Inc. (ICISF) in Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention & Assisting Individuals in Crisis & Group Crisis Intervention. I have also received certification in QPR, NC Certified WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and completed the Professional Compassion Fatigue Counseling course & received a diploma issued through the CTAA (Complementary Therapists Accredited Association).

My wife and I founded Hashtag BuddyCheck, which is an approved 501c(3) nonprofit. Our mission is to provide proactive education, support and connections to vetted local and national resources for first responders and their spouses.

If you are struggling please #ReachOut to me if you feel comfortable or one of the quality organizations that exist for first responders specifically. If you know someone who may be struggling please #ReachIn as they may not be able to ask for help.

#BuddyCheck™️

Connect with Stephen: hashtagbuddycheck@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HashtagBuddyCheck

 

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FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS PODCAST/PTSD911 MOVIE
Web site:  https://ptsd911movie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptsd911movie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ptsd911movie/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

The First Responder Wellness Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC

Copyright ©2023 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

 

What is Moral Injury? - A Conversation with Dr. Rita Brock

What is Moral Injury?
Today on the show we talk about the difference between moral injury and post traumatic stress disorder. And we learn about the things that first responders can do to help heal moral injuries. 

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Rita Nakashima Brock, Rel. M., M.A., Ph.D. is the Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Recovery Programs at Volunteers of America. She leads the organization’s efforts to deepen understanding about moral injury in the many populations who experience it. The center builds on Volunteers of America’s work, spanning more than a century, of helping veterans and others who live with this emotional trauma.

A noted theologian, Dr. Brock was the Founding Director of the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School, at Texas Christian University, where she also was a Research Professor of Theology and Culture. She is co-author of Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War and Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering and the Search for What Saves Us. She is a leading national expert on moral injury in combat veterans and has offered trainings for VA mental health providers, for professional chaplains, and for veterans and their families. A few yeas ago Dr. Brock  and her team also began working with first responders. 

Today on the show we talk about the difference between moral injury and post traumatic stress disorder. And we learn about the things that first responders can do to help heal moral injuries. 

Connect with Dr. Brock:
https://www.voa.org/moral-injury-resources/rita-nakashima-brock-ph-d/

 

Disclaimer: The views of guests on the First Responder Wellness Podcast are not necessarily the views of the producers and host of the show.

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FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS PODCAST/PTSD911 MOVIE
Web site:  https://ptsd911movie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptsd911movie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ptsd911movie/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

The First Responder Wellness Podcast is a production of ConjoStudios, LLC

Copyright ©2023 ConjoStudios, LLC All rights reserved. 

 

You’re Normal if You’re Not Ok - Saly Glassman

You're Normal if You're Not Ok - Saly Glassman

How do horses help with therapy? Today, I talk with Saly Glassman, founder and President of the Kindle Hill Foundation. We talk about her non-profit that helps first responders deal with the traumas they have experienced.

ABOUT SALY GLASSMAN
Saly Glassman was employed by Merrill Lynch (now Bank of America) for 39 years. In addition to her financial advisory skills, Saly has been known as an instructor, innovator, author, and problem solver. When her younger partners acquired her business, Saly had the opportunity to integrate her 60 year passion for horses with her goals of contributing to the mental health needs of Southeastern Pennsylvania. As a graduate of Cornell University, majoring in psychology, Saly has been driven to make a difference in the mental health world by developing a unique equine assisted therapy, learning and training program that offers an alternative approach to traditional mental health services. Driven by her passion to address the stigma of seeking help in the law enforcement community, she has vigorously advocated for constructive mental health protocols within the first responder community.

Saly is an Associate Member of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, and is certified in the following law enforcement trainings: ABLE (Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement), ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessments and Tactics), Resiliency Training for Law Enforcement, and CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management).

Connect with Saly: https://facebook.com/KindleHillFoundation

LinkedIn


Instagram

 

Disclaimer: The views of guests on the First Responder Wellness Podcast are not necessarily the views of the producers and host of the show.

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

Law Enforcement and Wellness with Sherri Martin

Law Enforcement and Wellness with Sherri Martin

Today's episode we talk about how the National Fraternal Order of Police provides wellness resources for their members. 

Sherri Martin serves as the National Director of Wellness Services for the Fraternal Order of Police. A career police officer, Sherri has extensive experience in crisis negotiation and intervention, serving most of her law enforcement career as a patrol supervisor and lead crisis negotiator. While a member of the Charleston Police Department in South Carolina, where she served the majority of her career, she achieved the rank of Lieutenant, and was responsible for the development of programs in the areas of officer wellness and crisis intervention within the community.

Sherri earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina and a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from the Citadel, where she was chosen by faculty to receive the J. Patrick Leverett Award presented to the most outstanding graduate student in the Psychology program.

While pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Forensic Psychology, which she completed in 2020 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Sherri led the Fraternal Order of Police National Officer Wellness Committee in a landmark survey of police officers on the subjects of critical stress, stigma, and use of wellness services.

Additionally, Sherri has experience as a clinical therapist, having served military clients diagnosed with PTSD and Clinical Depression during research conducted at Ralph H. Johnston Veterans Affairs Hospital in South Carolina. She is licensed as a Professional Counselor Associate in the State of Connecticut.

Sherri is a member of the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide, led by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, is a published author and frequent presenter on officer wellness and police suicide.

Sherri also currently serves as the 2nd Vice President in the Connecticut FOP State Lodge.

Connect with Sherri:
LinkedIn

National FOP Wellness

Local Vetted and Approved Wellness Providers

National Fraternal Order of Police 2021 Critical Issues in Policing Survey

 

Disclaimer: The views of guests on the First Responder Wellness Podcast are not necessarily the views of the producers and host of the show.

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

 

Healthy Relationships at Home = Healthier Work Life with JD & Shelli Schulgen

Healthy Relationships at Home = Healthier Work Life with JD & Shelli Schulgen

The national divorce rate for married couples has been at 50% for a while. For first responders its much higher, as much as 75 percent. That’s a staggering statistic. 8 out of ten first responders you work with are likely to be in a divorce. How can that change. Well the couple I have on the show today is working on that. 

JD & Shelli Schulgen have been married for almost 43 years! JD is a station Captain with the Garland Fire Department with 39 years of service. Shelli is a full-time farm wife running a small beef cattle operation outside of Dallas Texas. JD & Shelli present a Fire Fighter Family Orientation for new recruits to give them some tools to cope with the stress of fire service life. They are pouring themselves into the married couples of the Garland fire department and making a difference. What are their secrets, and how have they lasted for 43 years? Today we’ll find out.  They have two sons (who are both are firefighters) and 4 grandchildren.

Connect with JD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jd-schulgen-12025436/

 

Disclaimer: The views of guests on the First Responder Wellness Podcast are not necessarily the views of the producers and host of the show.

 

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

 

 

Building a Culture of Wellness is a Process with Anna Fitch Courie

Building a Culture of Wellness is a Process with Anna Fitch Courie

In this episode Conrad talks with Dr. Anna Fitch Courie, Director of Responder Wellness, with the FirstNet Program at AT&T. Their conversation centers around the need to support first responders with the resources they need to thrive and live healthy lives.

Dr. Courie, is the Director of Responder Wellness, with the FirstNet Program at AT&T. She is a nurse, Army wife, former university faculty, and author. Dr. Courie has worked for more than 20 years in the health care profession including Bone Marrow Transplant, Intensive Care, Public Health, and Health Promotion practice. She holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Clemson University; a Master’s in Nursing Education from the University of Wyoming; and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the Ohio State University. Dr. Courie’s area of expertise is integration of public health strategy across disparate organizations to achieve health improvement goals.

Learn more about Responder Wellness, with the FirstNet Program: https://www.firstnet.com/community/health-and-wellness.html

White Paper: https://www.firstnet.com/content/dam/firstnet/white-papers/firstnet-helping-the-helpers.pdf

 

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

Fair is Just a Weather Condition with Marc Junkerman

Fair is Just a Weather Condition with Marc Junkerman

Marc “Junk” Junkerman joins us on today's episode of the First Responder Wellness Podcast. Marc is a retired law enforcement Lieutenant from Maryland who gave 28 years of active service. His diverse assignments included tours in Patrol, Special Operations/SWAT, Special Investigations, Warrant/Fugitive Apprehension, Planning, and Training. He also served for nearly a decade in the US Army and US Army Reserve as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer.

He hails from a service family and is proud to be a fourth generation US military veteran, to be married to a retired police officer, to have two daughters in the nursing field, and a son serving as an active police officer.

He now operates as an independent consultant whose primary focus is in assisting clients with the design, implementation, and sustainment of wellness and resiliency cultures. His approach is best reflected in the US Army’s leadership mantra of “Mission First, People Always” and is rooted in practical, holistic leadership and management applications.

Marc is a faculty member and outreach ambassador with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) headquartered in Maryland and has been fortunate to consistently support local, state, national, and international clients and audiences. He has been tapped on numerous occasions to brief or testify in front of state and federal lawmakers, serves regularly as a keynote speaker, and is the creator of the CISM 360© and S.O.A.Ring with CISM programs.

He was a certified law enforcement and corrections instructor for the State of Maryland for over 20-years during which time he taught various courses to include blocks for his state’s mandated First Line Supervisor and First Line Administrator trainings. He also presented for over a decade in support of the Greater Chesapeake Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Seminar co-sponsored by the FBI. He is a certified Mental Health First Aid and a Crisis Intervention Team instructor and consistently teaches on these topics on the Maryland Eastern Shore.

Marc also volunteers for various public service organizations which include the Special Olympics of Maryland and the Maryland Department of the American Legion.

He holds a BA in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College as well as MS in Managment and Graduate Certificate in Leadership from Johns Hopkins University.

Learn more about ICISF: http://www.ICISF.org

Connect with Marc: http://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-Junkerman-457983255

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

Surviving Grief with Lisa Zoll

Surviving Grief with Lisa Zoll.

How do first responders deal with death? They face it almost daily, and yet have to continue on their work. In this episode Conrad talks with Lisa Zoll who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in helping clients challenged by loss, grief, and trauma.

WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS FRANK TALK ABOUT DEATH AND SUICIDE.

Her experience as a volunteer firefighter and EMT at Camp Hill Fire Department, Company 14 led her to become a trainer and volunteer for the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team (KCIT) and to join with On the Job and Off's First Responder Assistance Program to provide mental health services to first responders.

Lisa believes that when grievers tell their stories, they are often struggling to make sense of the event.  Grievers, telling and retelling their stories, are an integral part of the grieving process.  She has developed an approach for how we look at the journey of grief that removed the stages, expectations, time frames, and banishes the word closure.  The approach is more about weaving your loss into your life and honoring your journey instead of treating it like a problem to be solved.

Lisa graduated with her MSW from Temple University, Harrisburg in 2003.  Lisa’s experience includes 12 years as a Clinical Psychiatric Specialist at the Penn State University Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, working in the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program and Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic.  In 2008, Lisa began teaching Loss & Grief as an Adjunct Instructor in the Master of Social Work at Temple University, Harrisburg.  In 2014 she was appointed as a full-time faculty instructor where she taught courses across the curriculum until the closure of the program.

Lisa founded “Grief Relief, LLC” in 2019 and specializes in helping clients challenged by loss, grief, and trauma. She has published several articles and has spoken on the local, state, and national level about loss and grief and how they can impact individuals, families, communities, and organizations. She completed EMDR training in January 2022. 

Learn more about Lisa and Grief Relief: https://www.griefrelieftherapy.com/

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only

 

Yoga Rescue with Vance Row

Yoga Rescue with Vance Row

Within 30 days of his first studio class, he knew he wanted to teach cops, firefighters, correctional officers, dispatchers and first responders.

Guest: Vance Row, Yoga Teacher/ Police- Fire Dispatcher/ Former Police Corporal

BIO: Vance first found yoga after a number of back injuries in 2008 and 2009. During physical therapy, he would use yoga as a change of pace type workout. When Vance did, he always did so at home where he could struggle with difficult poses and try to follow along with what he saw on the screen. Vance says that he always had anxiety about entering a yoga studio because he felt like he wasn’t good enough to practice with other attendees. That changed in November 2019 when Vance signed for and attended a class in Fenwick Island, DE.

Vance quickly discovered that yoga practice is a powerful community of connection and challenges. Through his regular practice, Vance has found an incredible amount of physical and mental benefits including making him a far calmer person. At the time, Vance was struggling with his own mental health issues which included a toxic work environment, career ending injury, and poor coping mechanisms like abusing alcohol.

Prior to becoming a Yoga Teacher, Vance was a Police Officer for more than twenty years and worked for both Ocean City, MD Police and Salisbury, MD Police during his Law Enforcement career. After seeing the physical and mental benefits yoga provided for Vance, he decided that he wanted to teach yoga to other First Responders/ Public Safety Professionals. Vance completed his 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training thru Yoga- Vibez in Ocean City, MD in March 2021. Throughout his training, Vance was mentored in the Hatha Yoga tradition by Tana Martin (RYT-500). Since that time, he has also completed Warriors at Ease Training, Aerial Yoga Teacher Training and most recently Veterans Yoga Project Mindful Resilience. Vance blends a practice mixed with breath, movement, and mindfulness for an overall feeling of well being. During these sessions students can expect to move, stretch, work of alignment, build strength, and nurture flexibility. He believes that the practice of Yoga is really for anyone and makes his classes fun and accessible to ANY level.

Ultimately, his story shows the power of yoga in resilience and why Vance wants to use yoga to combat First Responder/ Military Suicide. Vance founded “Yoga Rescue” as a way to do so.

Learn more about Yoga Rescue: https://www.yoga-rescue.com/

Follow Yoga Rescue on Instagram and Facebook: @Yoga.Rescue

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First Responder Wellness Podcast

Patreon Channel: https://www.patreon.com/FirstResponderWellnessPodcast

PTSD911 Documentary: https://ptsd911movie.com/

Purchase the PTSD911 film for your public safety agency or organization: https://ptsd911.myshopify.com/products/ptsd911-digital-toolkit-pre-orders-only