Tag: first responder wellness

Podcast 37: Positive Connections Radio
Faces after Suicide
Lindsay Doolittle

Lindsay Doolittle was married to a police officer who died by suicide. Brett Doolittle and was a Sergeant for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. Lindsay discovered his death and describes the suffering she endured afterwards by the lack of support, respect and common decency from the ones who worked closely with Brett.
Lindsay was stuck in shame and was alone. The Coroner’s conclusion that Brett’s suicide was largely to blame from a broken marriage caused by Lindsay herself helped her to have a moment of clarity.
Lindsay got help and began attending support groups for suicide survivors that led her to drawing to better focus and feel less stressed during these meetings. Lindsay began drawing the faces of other group members and began an art exhibit that gives respect and honor to all suffering from losing a loved one to suicide.
www.abovetherug.com
www.SASS-MoKan.com
www.MentalHealthNewsRadio.com
www.COPLine.Org

Sgt Greg Dean is a 30-year police veteran currently working as a manager of Victoria Police’s Welfare Services who provide 24/7/365 confidential wellbeing support to all 20,000 Victoria Police as well as their immediate family. Greg was recently awarded the Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship that allowed him to travel to the USA, Canada and the UK to research and investigate early intervention into mental health in serving police and peer support for former police employees.
Today I met with Sgt. Greg Dean at PSPSA, Public Safety Peer Support Association 2019. We talked about peer support in Australia and how we can work together to help end the stigma of mental health issues among First Responders.
Sgt. Dean stated, “We’re about sharing and working together as a unified force to get rid of this beast” (Stigma).
Please contact Sgt. Greg Dean with any questions or comments: Greg.Dean@Police.Vic.Gov.AU
www.MentalHealthNewsRadio.com
www.COPLine.Org
www.PSPSA.Org

PCR Podcast 35. Strength from Within
Mindy Andrade
Overdosing at one-and-a-half years old, growing up addicted and using with her mother, street gangs, dropping out of 8th grade. Turning her life around at 15, becoming a successful business woman and mother and using her life experience to give back. An extraordinary woman with an incredible story of survival and a message of hope. Her passion for life and helping others needs to be shared.
www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

PCR Podcast 34. “When a Child Dies”
Dr. Anne Bisek
One of the most difficult situations, if not the most difficult, is responding to a death of a child. Dr. Bisek gives her perspective and shares her experience dealing with those who handle these tragedies on a daily basis. She offers positive coping mechanisms and shares a breathing exercise to help anyone focus and get through a stressful moment.

www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

In this episode I describe one of my darkest moments after losing it all to addiction and what I did to survive.

Stephanie Samuels (Director of COPLine) along with Emily Eng and John Sierega discuss this confidential support line for police officers. COPLine is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving law enforcement officers and their families by providing 24/7 trained peer support for crisis intervention along with referrals to specifically skilled mental health professionals for follow up and continued assistance.
www.mentalhealthnewsradionetwork.com

Mynda Ohs is a recognized expert and speaker on firefighter wellness issues with over 14 years of experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. She is a former EMT who married a firefighter and began her road to her present writing of the book Fully Involved- A Guide for Being in A Relationship With A Firefighter.
www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

Sarah Gaer talks about her life dealing with first responders as a clinician and touches close to the heart with her book titled “The Price”
Sarah is a suicide loss survivor and a master’s level clinician with 20 years experience in the field of mental health care. Since 2012, Sarah has worked as a suicide prevention specialist focused on first responders. She has trained hundreds of first responders in trauma and suicide prevention in Massachusetts and is a QPR (Question, persuade and refer) Master trainer for the QPR institute. Sarah is a member of the Riverside Trauma Center trauma team and has responded to suicides, homicides, natural disasters and terrorist attacks throughout Massachusetts.

www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

Duty, Honor and the COURAGE to ask for HELP. Michael Sugrue

Michael is a retired police sergeant with the City of Walnut Creek with over 14 years of service including specialized assignments as a Field Training Officer, SIU Detective and Undercover Special Agent assigned to California Department of Justice Drug Task Force.
Before becoming a police officer Michael served 6 ½ years in the U.S. Air Force as a Captain (Security Forces) specializing in Global Force Protection, Anti-Terrorism, Air Base Ground Defense, Nuclear Security and Law Enforcement.
As a new police sergeant, Michael encountered a situation that was not only tragic and overwhelmingly surreal but it was a call for duty that changed his life forever. Michael found himself in reckless abandon and on the verge of self-destruction until he mustered the courage to ask for help.
Michael tells his story of survival, recovery and healing after a deadly force incident and wants others to know that they are not alone.

www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

Next Rung
Firefighter Charlie Brown is a firefighter/paramedic for the Glendale Fire Department in Glendale, Ca serving as a firefighter for 8 and a paramedic for 5. Charlie is the co-director of Next Rung alongside founder Blake Stinnett.
Next Rung’s mission is to help combat mental health issues among Firefighters and First Responders. Mental health issues and an alarming amount of suicides have become more of an issue among Firefighters, EMS Personnel and the First Responder Community as a whole.
Next Rung is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides peer support (one-on-one conversation with another firefighter/first responder) and financial assistance for licensed counseling. Next Rung gives back to families who have lost their Firefighter/First Responder to suicide by providing a care package and monetary donation.
Next Rung’s desire is to bring a new level of awareness to the increasing issues we face as Firefighters/First Responders.

www.mhnrnetwork.com
www.positiveconnectionsradio.com