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First Responder Care: Prevention, Intervention & Postvention

In-Person
3 CE Hours

Presented By

Dates and Times

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    In-Person

Location

Description

Fire service personnel, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians and dispatchers witness more trauma, abuse & harm from their anticipated, day-to-day experiences than most people will face in a lifetime (Violanti, 2021; Ângelo & Chambel, 2015; Miller et al., 2018). And these day-to-day experiences don’t include the abrupt, major disasters and crises that impact the communities they serve (Farrell et al., 2020; Muhlhausen et al., 2019). The cumulative effects of their work can result in a variety of mental health concerns that require comprehensive & culturally responsive care (Jackson-Cherry & Perron, 2021). In this panel discussion, we will start by reviewing the importance of understanding first responder culture to effectively build therapeutic relationships. Then we will transition to sharing best practices for prevention, intervention and postvention clinical work with first responders. During the review of the three stages of first responder care, panelists will highlight their experiences utilizing assessment tools, psychoeducation resources, treatment strategies, outcome evaluations and resilience building skills with working alongside the first responder community. 

 

Two of our panel speakers are internationally renowned first responders who will speak about their lived experiences in law enforcement and professional experiences advocating for mental health care. Both have made meaningful contributions to the profession through presentations, publications & global initiatives on topics such as vicarious trauma, the influence gender on first responders, stress & burnout after critical incidents, suicide prevention and suicide psychological autopsies. Our two other panelists lead higher education programs, therapeutic initiatives and scholarly endeavors for current and future counselors providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive care. As both clinicians, educators and scholars they have participated in a range of international through local initiatives promoting research, clinical practice and advocacy in the areas of first responder mental health, resilience, trauma, disability, autism and the intersection of race, sex & gender in counseling.

Target Audience
  • • Counselor
  • • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • • Nurses
  • • Physicians
  • • Social Worker
  • • Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Summarize how first responder culture influences mental health and clinical work.

  • Identify and assess at least three first responder internal or external resources for education, support, and prevention.

  • Identify at least two evidence-based models, strategies, or techniques to apply in specific crises for tailored treatment.

  • Evaluate and plan for continued care, professional vitality and building resilience.

References

  • Alghamdi, M., Hunt, N., & Thomas, S. (2015). The effectiveness of narrative exposure therapy with traumatized firefighters in Saudi Arabia: A Randomized Controlled Study. Behaviour Research and Therapy 66:64–71. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.01.008

  • ngelo, R. & Chambel, M.J. (2015). The reciprocal relationship between work characteristics and employee burnout and engagement: A longitudinal study of firefighters. Stress and Health, 31(2). 106–114. doi:10.1002/smi.2532.

  • Farrell, A.L., Monk-Turner, E. & Scallon, C.J.A. (2020). Utilizing Goffman’s concepts of impression management and stigma in understanding the aftermath of officer-involved shootings: Exploring the intersection with masculinity. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 21(3), 392–400. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000238

  • Farrell, A.L., Monk-Turner, E., Danner, M.J.E. & Scallon, C.J.A. (2018). “There’s No Crying in Police Work:” Exploring Police Shootings with Feminist Methods. Gender Issues, 35, 220–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9198-5

  • ackson-Cherry, L. & Perron, N.C.D. (2021). Best practices for counseling first responder populations. American Counseling Association. Retrieved from: https://www.counseling.org/resources/competencies

  • Leppin, A. L., et. al. (2014). The efficacy of resiliency training programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Plos One, 9(10). Retrieved from: https://lynn.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8092771835

  • Miller, A., Unruh, L., Liu, X., Wharton, T., & Zhang, N. (2018). Individual and organizations factors associated with professional quality of life in Florida EMS Personnel. International Journal of Emergency Services, 7(2) pp. 147-160.

  • Muhlhausen, D.B., Sullivan, K., Spivak, H., Stiver, W., Violanti, J., Scallon, C.J.A. (2019). Protecting against stress and trauma: Research lessons for law enforcement – defining the problem. National Institute of Justice, Advancing Justice Through Science.https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/protectcing-against-stress-and-trauma-researchlessons-law-enforcement-defining

  • Neff, K. (2021) Fierce Self-Compassion: How women can harness kindness to speak up, claim their power and thrive. Harper Publications

  • Pol, E. (2024). Trauma and suicide psychoeducation: A brief insight to suicide psychological autopsies.” The Chief of Police, Official Publication of National Association of Chiefs of Police. https://www.copmag.org/trauma-and-suicide-psychoeducation-a-brief-insight-to-suicidepsychological-autopsies/

  • Rizzo, M. & Scallon, C.J. (2017). Burnout, stress, & fatigue: How the Vicarious Trauma Toolkit provides public safety agencies national resources & promising practices. The Police Chief. https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine-issues/october-2017/

  • Violanti, J. (2021).Occupation under siege: Resolving mental health crises in police work. Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Counselor

Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0220.

TPN.health has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7267. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. TPN.health is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Marriage & Family Therapist

TPN.health is a CAMFT-approved continuing education provider, provider #1000101.

Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0097.

Nurses
Physicians
Social Worker

TPN.health, #1766, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 03/31/2022 – 03/31/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 Clinical continuing education credits. ASWB ACE Credit is not available in NY and NJ.

Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0654.

Substance Use Disorder Professionals

This course has been approved by TPN.health, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #198061, TPN.health is responsible for all aspects of the programming.This course has been approved by TPN.health, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #198061, TPN.health is responsible for all aspects of the programing. Counselor Skill Group: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Development

CE Policy
This course is fiscally sponsored by Exchange Events. There may be potential biases or conflicts of interest inherent to this relationship, and it must be disclosed to participants. These conflicts of interest have no bearing on the course content and have been resolved.
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Debra Ainbinder

Debra L. Ainbinder is a Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, Clinical Mental Health Program at Lynn University.  She is a founding member, officer and executive board member of the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling, a new division of the American Counseling Association. Dr. Ainbinder is the administrator for the Lynn University Resilience Toolkit, a series of interventions to inspire resilience in the higher education community.  She is the Vice Chair of the Academic Resilience Consortium. Dr. Ainbinder also has a private mental health counseling practice in the community and has been on various editorial boards, academic committees, and presented Internationally and nationally on self-care, trauma, resilience, supervision, and counselor education. Debra’s focus is on counselor competency in working with the first responder community and  the associated skills for crisis, trauma and resilience counseling.

Ali Cunningham
Liz Pol

Elizabeth Pol is Chicago Police Officer with 20 years of experience on the job. She has a master’s degree in forensic psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Elizabeth focuses on First Responder Trauma and Suicide Psychoeducation and started a not for profit organization, Resilient Heroes, NFP. She is instructor certified and has her curriculum certified by The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standard Board (ILETSB).

 

Elizabeth is a certified Suicide Psychological Autopsy investigator and has conducted psychological autopsies of officers that have taken their lives by suicide. Elizabeth is also a dog handler of Arlo, a bullmastiff that is a certified Trauma Therapy Dog. She is a published author and has been serving on the Northern Illinois Critical Incident response team (NISCM) responding to critical incidents and conducting debriefings and diffusions.

 

Elizabeth has worked with The Quell Foundation on the First Responder Resilience Project (FRRP). She currently serves on the Lynn University’s Crisis Resilience and First Responder Trauma Training Advisory Council (CRAFT-AC).  

Chris Scallon
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