Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!

Tag Archives: suicide

Primer for Firefighter Mental Health

February 25, 2016 2 Comments

My contribution of "sunshine" today is to post this "round up", if you will, of posts from this blog along with other sources that I've encountered over the past couple of months as I've become more informed and educated about firefighter mental health challenges.

What to say about Firefighting and PTSD?

November 10, 2015 10 Comments

During that year, more physical issues came to the surface. Feeling tired, yet unable to sleep; feeling irritable, aggressive, and anxious; nightmares and night terrors were surfacing and night sweats were now a normal nightly routine. If only I could get some sleep...but there was much more to come.

Successful Transformational Change in a Fire and EMS Department: How a Focused Team Created a Revenue Recovery Program in Six Months--From Scratch Now available on Kindle and in paperback editions!

The Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) membership includes fire service leaders, psychologists, and masters-level mental health clinicians (e.g., LCSW, LPC, MFT) who are committed to "building a bridge between professional psychology and the fire service.
Two primary elements of that "bridge" are (1) developing Culturally Competent Clinicians and (2) developing a true understanding of the 5 domains of psychology (Assessments, Intervention, Industrial/Organizational, Operations, and Consultation) and what how they can improve the mental and behavioral health of firefighters and EMS personnel.
It’s essential to practice self-care and check in with yourself regularly. Be aware of how you’re feeling, especially after difficult shifts. Don’t let symptoms of trauma or stress reach a dangerous level. Visit the FSPA website, www.firepsychology.org for more information, including how you can join the effort to "build the bridge!"