First Responders can be reluctant to seek help due to stigma and 7 in 10 say that mental health services are seldom or never used. First Responders are 5 times more likely to experience depression and PTSD.

So why, as a society, are we expecting First Responders to raise their hand and say they have a problem? What if the worst of the judgment and stigma was coming from the very department that is supposed to have your back? Kristi Tausinga gives us a front-row seat to the challenges that come with being a First Responder, how the culture promotes a “don’t show your weakness” mentality, and how her desperation eventually ended in her contemplating suicide. Thankfully, Kristi met our partners at Responder Health and over time is healing and sharing her story to give hope to other First Responders. We know that she will inspire others to seek help. This is another reminder that waiting for someone to raise their hand is a failed model. Youturn Health and Responder Health are reaching out and engaging with education and peer support- a winning combination with no rock bottom needed!

Kristi was a first responder for 25 years, working in EMS, fire, and law enforcement. She worked in Law Enforcement for 21 and Fire/EMS for 4. Those years were divided up between The City of Winslow, AZ, and the state of Arizona. During that time, she was in Patrol, a sergeant, in administration, a school resource officer, and worked with the Department of Suicide and Domestic Violence (DV) as a liaison. Kristi was also on the Board of Directors for Alice’s Place, which created a women’s DV shelter. She also taught High School Criminal Justice classes and is a Federally certified Commercial Vehicle Inspector, AZPOST Genera Instructor, High-Risk Stop Instructor, Addiction Recovery Coach, and recovering addict. Kristi is currently retired from law enforcement and working as a substitute teacher at a local High School. Kristi has four kids (a grandbaby on the way) and a husband of 18 years, living in Nevada. She teaches private softball pitching lessons and umpires little league, when not following her teenager around to her games.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-tausinga-7a75801a3/

https://responderhealth.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-riley-0604a824/

Teen substance use is America’s largest, most preventable health crisis in America. 13 is the average age of first drug and alcohol use. 9 out of 10 addictions start in the teen years. Yet there are hardly any school-based drug prevention programs that reach adolescents at the crucial time of brain development when they are most susceptible to experimenting with or using drugs. “Just Say No” did not prove successful but RIZE is taking a different approach. By putting peers in the trenches they are empowering teens to make better choices.

RIZE Prevention, created by Martine Helou-Allen, believes the only way to stop teen drug use and substance use disorder is to provide effective drug prevention along with a support system to help teens grow up drug-free. iRIZE by RIZE Prevention is an evidence-based, comprehensive school-based drug prevention program delivered in the Upstate. They use their signature Break Through – Follow Through approach in middle schools, starting in the 6th grade.

Martine Helou-Allen is the founder and executive director of RIZE Prevention, a nonprofit in South Carolina that focuses on early prevention and intervention related to substance abuse and addiction. A graduate of Furman University, Martine’s passion for saving teens from the destructive and increasingly fatal consequences of drug use has enabled her to create innovative, evidence-based prevention programming that is delivered to middle schools, community organizations, and houses of worship. Prior to founding RIZE Prevention, Martine was the Community Relations Director at the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, an experience that sparked her vision to create and deliver her first drug prevention program “Anything But Free” to teens throughout the state. Martine currently lives in Greenville with her husband Scott and her two sons, Sami and Michael.

RIZE Prevention built its iRIZE program on the latest prevention and intervention science. They reach teens before their beliefs and attitudes about drugs have been formed. Treating teens with respect, they seek to empower them to resist drugs and make healthy choices by giving them knowledge about drug use, the skills to resist drug use, and the encouragement to exercise the power of positive choices.

https://www.rizeprevention.org/

The cornerstone of RIZE success is its Break Through – Follow Through approach. They ‘break through’ teens’ current perceptions to motivate a change in how they perceive drug use. They ‘follow through’ with the critical support needed to consistently make healthy lifestyle choices. The iRIZE approach encompasses three fundamental steps to empower teens to abstain from drug use and make healthy lifestyle choices:

Enlightening them about how unmet emotional needs or underlying issues and experiences, both past and present, affect their choices

Encouraging them to overcome and reverse destructive behaviors or unhealthy choice patterns

Empowering them by supporting their choices to live a drug-free life

Opioid withdrawal symptoms can be horrific including nausea and vomiting, anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, hot and cold flashes, just to name a few. They are so debilitating that some people return to drug use just to alleviate the physical pain.

Vaughn Bell of Speranza Therapeutics tells us about a new device called the S.T. Genesis that helps with these symptoms.

The S.T. Genesis is an FDA-cleared Percutaneous Nerve Field Stimulator (PNFS) that supports the reduction of opioid withdrawal symptoms by targeting the areas of the brain responsible for pain and anxiety. The lightweight device is applied to the outer ear and administers treatment for 120 hours (5 days) helping the patient during the most critical time as they reduce or stop opioid use.

Vaughn Bell, MDiv, has been dedicated to the addiction and mental health industry for all of her 35 years in the behavioral health industry. Following her graduation from Samford University with a degree in Psychology she completed her Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While working on her Master’s degree, Ms. Bell worked in inpatient treatment settings with Adolescent substance abuse patients and found her passion in helping others find help from addiction, trauma, and mental health issues. After receiving certifications in alcohol and drug counseling and marriage and family therapy Ms. Bell worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals within the National Medical Enterprise and Charter Behavioral Health System working directly with clients in counseling and ultimately overseeing the hospital admissions functions, outpatient services, and ultimately marketing and business development. She spent the next 10 years overseeing marketing in sales over multiple hospitals across the country, growing to an oversight of 25 facilities while at Charter Behavioral Health across the Southeast and Midwest.
As her career expanded over the next 20 years, Ms. Bell has overseen the marketing and business development functions at multiple companies including Behavioral healthcare corporation, Springstone, Elements Behavioral Health, Odyssey Behavioral Health, Landmark Recovery, and Pinnacle Treatment Centers. Her national footprint across the country gives her an extensive network and knowledge of the Treatment field and she is well-versed in census management and has led multiple sales teams to achieve and surpass census and EBIDTA goals year after year while assuring clinically sound care is delivered to all patients. Ms. Bell’s healthcare experience also encompasses several years in the health insurance industry working in Operations as the Account Service Director at Humana, as well as a stint as the Chief Marketing Officer of InnovaTel Telepsychiatry. Ms. Bell’s broad experience across the healthcare spectrum makes her uniquely qualified to lead business development and sales efforts in her role as SVP of Growth Strategy with Speranza. Ms. Bell was immediately drawn to the innovative treatment approach afforded to opioid patients with the S.T.Genesis and is able to use her extensive clinical knowledge and national network to bring a new and exciting detox device to help relieve the pain and suffering of those she has worked for 30 years to help find recovery. She brings a knowledge of both treatment and successful recovery to her passion for the patients and families we serve.

Every day we hear about the lack of care and services available for Veterans. A huge majority of veterans return home with PTSD and struggle to find their way-often turning to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape their pain. Over 22% of the annual suicides in the U.S. are military Veterans. Whatever is being done to help them is simply not enough. Youturn Health is using peer support specialists to bridge the gap and help Veterans in every facet of their lives.

Zach Goff is the Director of Quality & Compliance at Youturn Health and a former veteran and Youturn Health Coach. He has lived experience and a passion for helping others. Having overcome an opioid addiction himself, he has made it his mission to create a force for change using Veterans who have overcome their struggles to be a part of his team.

Our Chief Clinical Officer, Rich Jones, and Zach sat down with Veterans Rob Reveles and Freddie McAbee. As they talk, we are able to pull back the curtain on what it is like to be a veteran today and how their experience is helping them form a bond with struggling veterans.

Kristen Tomlinson is an experienced grief counselor and advocate for families who choose to honor their loved ones through the gift of life. Kristen is the Director of Grief Support services at Taylor’s Gift and the Caring Guide and Kindred Hearts Coordinator for Taylor’s Gift Foundation and Youturn Health. She joins Liz on the podcast to talk about her passion for helping donor families move through the complicated grief of losing their loved ones while having the unique opportunity to save someone’s life.

There are over 100,000 individuals waiting for an organ donation in this country. Having a conversation about organ donation with a loved one not only gives the gift of life to the recipient but can help ease the process of donation. Organ donation creates a mix of emotions from grieving your loved one to gratitude that their organs will save lives.

Having gone through this painful process of losing their daughter Taylor in a ski accident, Todd and Tara Storch decided to embark on a mission to provide support tailored to donor families. Their non-profit, Taylor’s Gift, was created to make sure that no donor family walks through the donor process alone. Through the Kindred Hearts Program, they provide a personal Caring Guide as well as access to support groups with trained facilitators who have experienced similar pain and trauma.

In 2016, Kristen started her donation career at Community Tissue Services in the Donor Referral Center taking incoming referrals and approaching families. She then worked her way up to Supervisor of the department and helped with process improvements and staff support. She also spent time working for Life Connection of Ohio, the OPO servicing Dayton and Toledo, as the first Family Services Coordinator where she was able to help build the program and serve donor families in her hometown. Prior to joining Taylor’s Gift Foundation, Kristen was the Donor Center Quality Control Coordinator for Miracles in Sight, the Eye Bank working in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Austin, Texas. Kristen has also served as a Caring Guide and Kindred Hearts Coordinator for Taylor’s Gift Foundation and YouTurn Health. Kristen’s passion for family support began at the tender age of 17 years old when she sat by the bedside of a dear friend who died of cancer and became a cornea donor. Kristen would drive 60 miles one-way to be with her friend and his family, offering support during such a hard time; This experience was the catalyst that led her to this career path. Most recently, the loss of her beloved grandfather at the height of COVID fueled Kristen’s passion to ensure no family should suffer alone. In her free time, Kristen loves to read, write, travel, and spend time with her family and friends. She is married to her best friend, Tory, with whom she shares two beautiful children.
https://www.taylorsgift.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-tomlinson/
https://www.organdonor.gov/
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/

The amount of quality sleep directly affects our mental health. Experts say we need between 7-9 hours a day in order for our bodies and minds to fully recover.

Adults who sleep less than 7 hours each night are more likely to say they have had health problems, including heart attack, asthma, and depression. (cdc.gov)

Shift workers, such as Frist Responders tend to get 2-4 hours less than required, and a lot of the time these hours are broken up throughout the day. Chris Crowley and Danielle Cook explain the importance of sleep on our physical and mental health while also giving practical solutions to those whose job does not allow for 7-9 continuous hours of rest. This podcast will give those struggling with sleep disorders education and provide hope that there are ways to help your body get the rest it needs.

Chris Crowley is the Founder of SomnoHealth Incorporated – bringing sleep lab technologies directly to the consumer. His startup in Golden Colorado is in full production with EverSleep – the only sleep improvement system that includes personalized sleep coaching based on continuous blood oxygen monitoring. www.GetEverSleep.com

Previously, he was an R&D Project Manager and Senior Mechanical Engineer with 20 years of experience in medical devices, pulse oximetry, imaging, geophysics, consumer electronics, and other industries.

His strength is managing the entire production process from concept to design to prototype to production.

His consulting experience includes Project Management, SolidWorks CAD services, 3D printing, vendor interaction, part sourcing, machining, fixture development, circuit boards, embedded software, and working models.

Engineering doesn’t stop with his professional jobs… He has a long history of “hands-on” work like glassblowing, welding, room refinishing, bicycle modification, optical and photographic experimentation, programming, sailboard building, and woodworking… He even appeared on the first season of ABC Television’s “American Inventor” show!

Specialties:
– Pulse Oximetry
– Design and production of durable, handheld, electronic devices
– Project Manager or Engineer on 18 released medical devices
– Expertise in “getting product out the door”
– Attended 300+ surgeries, 1000+ bedside patient contacts
– 6 years as a Colorado EMT

Danielle Cook is the founder and nutrition expert at First In Wellness. She has a diverse background in health as a university educator, published author, personal trainer, sports nutrition specialist, and clinical dietitian. She developed and participated in wellness programs with first responders, construction laborers, athletes, and members of the general population. Specializing in lifestyle medicine and performance nutrition, Danielle uses this integrated, performance-based approach as the foundation for program development. Danielle has a master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science, certifications in performance nutrition and personal training, and a Board Certification in Health and Wellness Coaching.

• Ultimate Guide to Maximizing Sleep: https://youturnhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ultimate-Guide-to-Maximizing-Sleep.pdf
• Top 6 Sleep Myths eBook: https://youturnhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Top-6-Sleep-Myths-eBook.pdf
• Sleep Hygiene eBook: https://youturnhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sleep-Hygiene-eBook.pdf
• LEO’s Guide to Maximizing Sleep: https://youturnhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LEOs-Guide-to-Maximizing-Sleep.pdf
• Firefighter Guide to Sleep: https://youturnhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Firefighter-Guide-to-Sleep.pdf

https://www.firstinwellness.com/

Mr. Dave Weiner has served both military and civilian communities passionately for well over 27 years in military, law enforcement and corporate security service. Mr. Weiner started his law enforcement career in the United States Air Force in 1993 as a military policeman. As his career progressed, he worked a variety of assignments such as a patrol officer, field training officer, K-9 handler, Special Response Team, Training Coordinator and in supervisory positions over both Patrol and Investigations. Mr. Weiner also has many years of senior leadership experience in law enforcement and corporate security. Holding executive level positions such as Director of Security and Asst Chief of Police, Mr. Weiner successfully rose to the level of Regional Chief of Police of the US Department of Veteran Affairs Police in Long Beach Ca in 2014. During his tenure, he worked collaboratively with agencies such as LASD MET, LAPD MEU and Long Beach Police Department MET to address Veteran related issues such as crisis intervention and Suicide Prevention. He created innovative police department programs to keep the communities in which he served safer. Notably, he implemented a mental health co-response program for Veterans called VMET (Veteran Mental Evaluation Unit) and a Threat Management Unit to proactively prevent acts of violence in a healthcare setting that caters to the Veteran community. The VMET program has been adopted by the US Department of Veteran Affairs and is currently being rolled out as a pilot program at several major Veteran Affairs medical centers nationwide. Mr. Weiner is currently holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona Psychology program, a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, is certified in Veteran Behavioral Health and is a Qualified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist. He holds Board or Advisory positions on: • International Public Safety Association Mental Health Board • Los Angeles County DMH Suicide Prevention Network • Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Advisory Committee – Veterans • Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Advisory Committee – Mental Health (Consultant) • City of Los Angeles Mayors Challenge to Prevent Veteran/Military Suicide • Argus Service Dog Foundation (provides service animals to disabled Veterans at no cost to the Veteran.) • Los Angeles County DMH Suicide Prevention Network Mr. Weiner has presented to many audiences on a great number of topics including Veteran Cultural Competencies for First Responders, Veteran Culture for Community Providers, Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Veteran Risk Management, Workplace Violence prevention, First Responder Cultural Competencies, Emergency Preparedness and management, Leadership development, Interpersonal communication, Crime prevention and Active shooter response. After working in law enforcement, Mr. Weiner founded and is CEO of Secure Measures, LLC, a Veteran Owned, Public Safety Training & Consulting firm based in Southern California. Contact Info: dave@secure-measures.com

March 5-11 is Women In Construction Week and we would like to highlight some of the great work being done by women in this space. From reducing stigma to creating a safe work environment both physically and emotionally, these two Ironworkers are forging a path for other women to follow.

Erin Craw talks to Heather Kurtnbach and Vicki O’Leary about the changing landscape of the construction industry and how they plan to continue making it less intimidating for women to jump into this profession.

While construction has predominantly been a man-dominated industry, times are changing. Women make up about 14% of the Construction Workforce but the numbers continue to grow.

Heather Kurtenbach has been an Ironworker for 18 years, finishing her apprenticeship in 2009. She went on to become a foreman, GF, instructor, and now a Business Agent for her Local, Ironworkers Local 86 in Tukwila, WA.

Vicki O’Leary joined Ironworkers International in January 2016. Since that time, she became Chair of the North American Building Trades Union (NABTU) Tradeswomen’s Committee. She is a 30+ year member of Ironworkers Local #1 in Chicago. She completed her triple major Bachelor of Arts degree in Union Leadership & Administration, Labor Education & Labor Studies from the National Labor College (2008) and obtained her Master of Arts Degree from Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership (2012). She has also graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Program (HTUP- 2018) along with Cornell’s National Labor Leadership Initiative (NLLI- 2018). She passionately strives for equal opportunity for all ironworkers – one that is free from bullying, harassment, and intimidation.

Ernest (Ernie) Stevens is a published author with a #1 best-selling book on Amazon titled: Mental Health and De-escalation: A Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals. Ernie was also a contributing author for, Police MentalBarricade. Ernie was a police officer for 28 years, serving 26 of those years with the San Antonio Police Department where he was a founding member of the Mental Health Unit.

Ernie has been featured on the Emmy Award Winning HBO Documentary, Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops. He has also been featured in NBC’s documentary, A Different Kind of Force. Ernie was interviewed by ABC’s Nightline’s Byron Pitts and featured on officers trained to respond to mental illness calls.

Ernie has been featured in over 27 publications and deemed an expert in Crisis Intervention Training. He is a graduate of Wayland Baptist University and holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice. He is married to his wife Lisa who he attended school since elementary school. He has two incredible children, Reed and April.

Ernie continues to support law enforcement agencies around the nation by providing technical assistance and best-practice approaches to mental health crisis calls.

Ernie currently serves as the deputy director of law enforcement for the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

Erin Craw, Ph.D. earned her doctorate in communication from Chapman University in Southern California, emphasizing in health and interpersonal communication. Her research interests are at the intersection of health and interpersonal communication as it relates to social support, stigma, and resilience. Her dissertation explored police officers’ preferences for support and factors influencing mental health-related disclosure decisions.

She is particularly interested in translational research that improves access to needed support for underserved populations and those who face extensive barriers to gaining assistance. As the daughter of a police officer (36 years) and granddaughter of a firefighter (40 years), she has a true passion for research that informs mental health-related interventions for first responders, enhances communication surrounding mental health, and improves access to support.

Erin’s research has been published in Health Communication, the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Communication Education, and the Journal of Applied Communication Research. She has also been invited to be a guest on several podcasts to discuss how her research can help enhance new approaches to improving mental health support and communication.

At Youturn Health, Erin manages the public sector accounts, ensuring that clients successfully access needed support.

https://erneststevens.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Mental-health-escalation-enforcement-professionals/dp/B09QG55XM6

https://www.hbo.com/movies/ernie-and-joe-crisis-cops

Commissioner Randall Liberty literally meets people where they are. This just happens to be in Maine prisons. He believes that treating prisoners like people and starting to help them rehabilitate is the only way to do things. He believes in MAT and knows this helps reduce the number of overdoses upon release. Wouldn’t it be great if every prison could operate under a system that changes lives, saves lives, and makes people better citizens?
See his impressive bio below!
Commissioner Randall Liberty began his career at the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office in 1989. Over twenty-six years, he served as a Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Major, Chief Deputy, and as the elected Sheriff for nine years. He served as the President of the Maine Sheriffs Association and as the Chairman of the Maine Drug Enforcement Advisory Board. He continues to serve on the Board of Visitors at the University of Maine (Augusta) and on the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s Board of Trustees. In addition to his active duty service as a Military Policeman in Korea, Commissioner Liberty performed an additional twenty-one years in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. He served as a Mountain Infantryman in Italy, as a Drill Sergeant, and as an Instructor at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. During Liberty’s last deployment, he served as a Command Sergeant Major embedded with 772 Iraqi infantrymen in the City of Fallujah. Liberty is a three-time Law Enforcement Officer of the year. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the National Sheriffs Leadership Institute, and the New England Chiefs of Police Command Course. He earned a Master’s in Management and Leadership from Liberty University and a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Maine (Augusta). Liberty served as the Warden of the Maine State Prison and was later appointed as the Commissioner of Corrections, by Governor Janet Mills in 2019. During his tenure as Warden and Commissioner, he and his team have reduced restrictive housing, enhanced educational and vocational opportunities, improved nutrition, and expanded treatment for addiction. He and his team provide public safety through supportive intervention and opportunities for the incarcerated Mainers in their care.

https://www.pbs.org/video/matter-duty-matter-duty_1/

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2019-01-16/the-big-changes-randall-liberty-would-make-as-head-of-maines-prisons