First Responder Mental Health and Wellness, Jacksonville, FL

Presented by 1st Responder Conferences & First H.E.L.P.

Co-hosted by The First Responder Project

This training is for all 1st responders, police, fire, military/veterans, corrections, dispatchers, chaplains, retired 1st responders, spouses, professional staff, clinicians, spouses and all who work in the public safety field.

1st Responder Conferences presents a multi-faceted two-day seminar and networking event for improving the mental health and wellness of our first responders. By discussing the real 21st Century issues that are consistently facing our first responders and their families, our conference will provide awareness, resources and action items to combat PTSD/PTSI, depression, suicide, addiction, stress, and overall mental health.

1st Responder Conferences proudly introduces a line-up of credible nationally recognized speakers who will address matters that impact the personal and professional lives of first responders and their family members through dynamic and engaging presentations for the entire first responder community. This two-day seminar is unique in that your spouses or significant others who support you are invited to come learn with you.

With a progressive and forward message of optimism and sustainability, 1st Responder Conferences goal is pushing past traditional silence and bringing first responder wellness to our Everyday Heroes.

Register now, seating is limited.

Speakers and Topics:

"Living with PTSD: The Journey Through the Unknown, Denial and Fear - Captain Chris Moore, Chesapeake Virginia Fire Department- To help our Brothers and Sisters realize the reality of PTSD in the first responder world and its effects on those that are living with it. I will share my personal story and experience of living with PTSD, how it not only affected me but affected others that I love as well. By doing so, I hope to let others know what to look for, know that it is OK to ask for help/how to get help and to help end the stigma that everyone is always OK. This presentation is geared for any and all first responders, to include but not limited to: Law Enforcement, Fire Service, EMS and Dispatchers. This topic is near and dear to my heart. I have learned about it through the school of hard knocks, unfortunately. I am living proof that PTSD is real, is a struggle (but is manageable) and effects more than just the 1st responder. I am not a certified counsellor, therapist or professional by any means but being a 1st responder with PTSD, I have a lot to offer. This presentation is set forth to shed light on Behavioral Health in the Fire Service, to recognize signs and symptoms and to end the “stigma” that you are weak if you seek assistance. It is also designed for families, friends and loved ones associated with 1st responders. Chris Moore started his fire career 30 years ago in Virginia Beach as a volunteer while working full time with the Navy Exchange until getting hired full time as a Paramedic/Firefighter with the Chesapeake Fire Department. In his 20-year career with CFD, he has been one of the Coordinators for MDA in helping every year to raise funds during Fill the Boot, he is an active member of their Peer Support team, was promoted to Lieutenant in 2013 and then to Captain in 2018. Once promoted to Captain, he became a state asset as a member of the regional Hazmat Team. Chris has been on numerous podcasts talking about his PTSD journey and has been featured in an article published in Fire Engineering. He has also spoken at conferences with his service dog, Lewis, to share his story.

"Speak No Evil: Reconciling Exposure to Trauma, Threat and Tragedy Among First Responders"- Dr. Tracy S. Hejmanowski, First Responder Project Founder- Those who work across the Thin Lines of public safety and service naturally don’t want to be on the receiving end of assistance - after all, stoicism has a long history of being celebrated. But, compassionate hearts can eventually bruise or suffocate enough to make public service feel like both a blessing and a curse. This presentation will offer how to shift perspective, where ‘symptoms’ are turned into adaptive responses and resistance is leveraged toward resilience and longevity. The presentation will discuss how to punch through multiple layers of stigma, recognize the difference between traumatic stress, moral injury, and soul burden, and make sense of the built up residue from exposure to mortality, inhumanity, and injustice. First responders will learn how to speak “of” cumulative stress, without having to speak “about” things they’d rather forget. Because when we repack our baggage, we regain mental and emotional bandwidth to live more easily with ourselves and our loved ones. Dr. Tracy S. Hejmanowski is a licensed clinical psychologist, with 20 years of clinical expertise working with service members, first responders, veterans, and their families. Her work began in a VA Medical Center, followed by an assignment working with repatriated Prisoners of War. She was stationed overseas and stateside as an active duty U.S. Navy psychologist, followed by work as a DoD contractor for 11 years as the Program Manager of Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s Deployment Health Center.

“Building Financial Strength in First Responder Families”- (Ret. Sgt.) Nicholas Daugherty, FinancialCop- Building Financial Strength in First Responder families is the premier financial wellness class designed for first responders, taught by first responders. We will cover the importance of financial wellness for your personal and professional lives. Topics include budgeting, how to avoid debt and pay off debt, the importance of will & estate planning, and how to build a plan to begin to win with money. Taught by instructors that have the heart of teachers to over thousands of first responders from over 2,000 agencies nationwide. Nick Daugherty began his career with the Grand Prairie Police Department (GPPD) in 2003 before semi-retiring in 2017 as a Sergeant. He continues to serve as reserve officer for GPPD. Nick operates FinancialCop, the largest financial wellness training provider for first responders nationally as well as providing comprehensive fiduciary only financial planning for first responders. FinancialCops have coached hundreds of first responder families through almost every type of financial crisis and scenario possible. He also works with several first responder nonprofit organizations, focusing on financial wellness for those suffering from PTSD and suicidal thoughts.

"No Half Measures"-Jeffrey McGill, First HELP, Chief Executive Officer Steve Hough First HELP Chief Operating Officer- There are times in the career of a first responders where you will be tested. Steve Hough and Jeff McGill were partners for 10 years when one of those times arrived. An officer involved shooting left physical wounds on one and operational stress injuries on both and they will discuss how to fight back. Jeffrey McGill began his law enforcement career with four years of military service. He then entered the civilian law enforcement profession at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office where he stayed full-time for 15 years. Jeff had numerous assignments including patrol, street crimes, beach/marine unit, investigations, sex offender unit, and gang intelligence. Hi is the co-author of The Price They Pay Jeff is now the Academy Director at Northwest Florida State College overseeing training for basic recruits as well as advanced courses for certified officers. Steven Hough is a 20-year veteran of Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. During his time with the Sheriff’s Office Steven also spent seven years assigned as a Task Force Officer for the US Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force based in Pensacola, FL. While serving a warrant with the task force Steven was shot numerous times, including once in the face. As a result of his actions, Steven was awarded the Congressional Badge of Bravery, United States Marshal’s Purple Heart, and the Medal of Valor from Santa Rosa County. Steven has since retired from the Okaloosa county Sheriff’s Office and is currently working as an inspector with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

"Peer Support Teams - Leading from Your Strengths"- Noel Meador, Stronger Families President & CEO, and Tim Sears, Stronger Families First Responder Liaison and Ret. Firefighter- You were created with unique strengths. These strengths were meant to be leveraged together on your team to create unity, better outcomes, and overall increased performance. Without a proper understanding of this concept, many leaders build a team of people most like themselves and miss out on a larger vision. Leading From Your Strengths empowers team leaders and teams to discover their unique strengths and the power of differences that leads to building close knit teams. This builds a culture of leadership excellence where relationships thrive. In this session we will be covering how to… -Better understand yourself through a uniquely generated report -Help yourself and your team appreciate the strengths each of you bring to the team -Learn how different people communicate and how to leverage these differences -Define areas of tension and learn to resolve conflict without “winners and losers”  Noel Meador serves as President & CEO for Stronger Families in Seattle, Washington. In this role, he is dedicated to strengthening families and marriages and ultimately, affecting the community at large. Noel is the lead author of the Oxygen for Your Relationship seminar, which provides couples with tools and resources that help them promote authenticity and renewed vitality in their relationship. Over the past 5 years, 14,000 couples have gone through OXYGEN program and 300 + facilitators have been certified to teach the program. Noel received his Master’s Degree in Education and is trained in many relationship enrichment and counseling tools and part of the John Maxwell Leadership Team. Tim Sears is a retired firefighter with 30+ years in the fire service. Tim was actively involved in water rescue, ladder truck ops, safety, hazmat and PEER support. Tim and his bride, Lauri, co-founded a Marriage Ministry in their local church and Tim started and lead a Men’s Ministry for many years. Once Tim retired from the Kirkland Fire Department in Washington State, we were more than excited to invite him to join us on our mission. Tim is looking forward to helping all First Responders nationwide with their wellness, at work and home.

"Surviving the Last Call"-Bethann McIntosh, Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist, Journey of the Heart- First Responders never run from the heat of the fire or fear staring into the wrong end of a weapon. Most dance with a lack of fear of mortality. They never think it will happen to them, and they never think about the “what if”. On a cold dark March night, Dan McIntosh suddenly passed away in the line of duty. Dan was a 13-year veteran of the Bensalem Emergency Medical Services, a Medic for the Bucks County Southern SWAT Team and the Bucks County Hazardous Material SWAT Team , a Hulmeville Borough Police Officer, and a Volunteer Firefighter for the Point Pleasant Fire Company and Nottingham Fire Department. This presentation is for the ones left behind. We often try to honor someone’s memory by dealing with the pain in unhealthy ways, instead of learning how to heal our hearts, see the smiles behind the tears, and overcoming the fear of a new normal. Bethann will share her personal stories and discuss how to work through emotionally painful experiences by incorporating the Grief Recovery Method. Over the last 10 years Bethann has been working with families of First Responders and was a key contributor to the passing of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvements Act of 2012, expanding the benefit coverage for volunteer First Responders. Bethann is the Founder of Journey of the Heart, LLC and an Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist.

“Erasing the stigma of PTSD”-Donna A Michaels, Ret. Deputy and US Navy Veteran- I will take you on a personal journey, sharing my story of how I experienced a "perfect storm" between personal life stressors and the toll it took on me after responding to traumatic events over a period of many years. Initially how it's exciting and scary and the belief that "it's just part of the job and what we signed up for". I will also discuss how we compartmentalize the traumas into a part of our brain we choose to lock away and ignore, leading to various ways of self medicating, risk taking, anger, marital problems, anger issues etc. My story touches on how the stigma is real and how I was afraid to get help because I thought I knew what would happen, so I refused to go down that path in shame. This lead to negative beliefs about myself to the point that I felt suicide was my only escape. I had never experienced depression and could never comprehend how anyone could feel so bad that they would take their own life. I saw it as selfish and cowardly. Then there I was. Donna Michaels has had a distinguished career from being a U.S. Navy Veteran and throughout her 20 years in law enforcement. She is a proud mom of a teenage daughter and enjoys her time with their three hysterically funny dogs. After being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2017, she began a journey to find answers to questions she had struggled with for years. In the course of doing so, she started to journal and before she knew it, she had written a book. Her discoveries not only allowed her to find the answers she was seeking, but in choosing to share her story she realized she could help others as well.

"Working Together Better: How Embedded Behavioral Health Teams and Peer Support Teams Can Enhance Each Other’s Mission and Help First Responders Thrive"- Ann McCulliss Johnson LCSW, (Ret) Colonel, First Responder Project and Amberly Prykhodko, LCSW, Director of Clinical and Professional Services at the Institute for Justice Research and Development- Every day, first responders work in a highly stressful environment. They witness the most challenging of human circumstances, may see the darkest sides of human behavior, and respond to scenes that those in the public cannot imagine. When they go to work each day, there is potential for their own health and physical safety to be at risk. For these reasons it is critical to provide accessible, beneficial services that first responders will access for much needed support. Providing preventative behavioral health support and helping first responders recognize when and how seek supportive services when challenges begin, can help avoid more serious behavioral health challenges later. Research shows that successful Preventative Behavioral Health Models for first responder agencies include leadership and cultural attitudes toward seeking behavioral health services, a strong peer support program, behavioral health training and awareness, impact or event response teams, an active family support network, and safe and effective messaging on behavioral health help seeking behaviors. This session will discuss the partnership between St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Institute for Justice Research and Development (IJRD) to expertly train peer support teams and leadership and build out an imbedded behavioral health team model utilizing the key factors for maintaining a healthy and operational force. This approach can revolutionize the way first responders access mental health services. In this session, we will cover the importance of well-trained peer support teams to not only provide well-informed support to their force, but to change cultural attitudes and promote behavioral health seeking behaviors. It will briefly discuss IJRD’s training and changes to the way in which traumatic symptoms are explained and understood within the peer support team and leadership, focusing heavily on the biological impact of trauma. This session will cover best practices learned by the St. John’s County Sheriff’s embedded behavioral health team as they build out their program and provide examples of how a strong peer support team and a culturally competent embedded behavioral health team can work together to support first responders. Ann McCulliss Johnson LCSW, (Ret) Colonel, First Responder Project- Ann McCulliss Johnson LCSW is a native of Philadelphia, PA and has lived all over the world. She is an innovative, behavioral healthcare leader and educator with extensive clinical and professional training experience. Ann McCulliss Johnson is a retired Operation Iraq Freedom veteran with over 30 years of military social work experience and trauma informed practice. Ms. Johnson currently resides in St Augustine, Florida with her husband George, who is also a retired veteran. Since retiring from the military in 2013 she continues to serve the veteran communities of NE Florida as the clinical director for Gratitude America Military Support Retreats. Col Johnson along with Dr Tracy Hejmanowski have launched the nonprofit First Responder Project. The First Responder Project is dedicated to working with and supporting our First Responder Community and their families in NE Florida. Amberly Prykhodko is the Director of Clinical and Professional Services where she spearheads the development and implementation of IJRD's professional certifications, specialty trainings, and other offerings designed for practitioners and key stakeholders in both correctional and community services. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience working directly with individuals who have experienced incredibly overwhelming and stressful, or traumatic events, such as homicide and suicide. Her clinical work has focused on helping people manage the aftereffects of trauma. Prykhodko frequently treats first responders in her therapy practice and is passionate about providing real tools that can help manage the impact of their frequent exposure to violence and suffering and the aftereffects of this exposure. She has extensive knowledge on the neurobiology of trauma and she has worked with many nationally recognized experts developing and delivering cutting-edge trauma treatments. Additionally, Prykhodko is a seasoned instructor and trainer – she has trained hundreds of practitioners and clinical service providers, non-profit administrators and staff, and correctional stakeholders to recognize trauma symptoms in themselves, their loved ones, and their coworkers

"Planning 2 Thrive:  Reflections from the rearview mirror"- Marc Junkerman, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Faculty Member and Behind the Lines Volunteer- I was once told by a wise man to think of my public safety journey as a marathon, not a sprint. He was so right! Emerging both personally and organizationally “better” and not “bitter” is a choice which requires mission focus, commitment, and strategic decision-making. This installment of the Planning 2 Thrive (P2T)® series is intended to introduce Perspective Predicated Planning (P³)© and to share some of its lessons through the eyes of a recently retired cop. Marc is faculty member with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Ellicott City, MD as well as a supporting contributor to Behind Lines, Inc based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He retired as a law enforcement commander after 28 years of service which included over 14 years in various peer support leadership roles at the local, state, and regional levels. During his tenure, he placed a special emphasis on advocating for resilience centric management primarily within the public safety and public service arenas. This has led to the development of his Planning to Thrive (P2T)® program designed to assist individuals and organizations in creating cultures of wellness. He has been fortunate to serve as a presenter, trainer, and consultant for various clients and organizations throughout North America. Marc holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College (PA) as well as a graduate degree in Management and a graduate certificate in Leadership Studies from Johns Hopkins University (MD). He serves as an instructor for various outreach models to include CISM and Mental Health First Aid and has also taught a variety of leadership development topics to first line supervisors and administrators in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. He is a US Army veteran who served as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer. Additionally, he is an active volunteer in his community with organizations such as the American Legion, Saratoga Warhorse, and Horses in Public Service. Most importantly, he is a proud Dad who salutes his daughter Sarah for selflessly serving as a critical care nurse in an urban hospital during the COVID pandemic.

Wekiva Springs Center is providing CEU's for the following: LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, RN, ARNP, and LPN

Registration is $300.00 (plus Humanitix platform fees) and includes the following:
A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided on both days. The venue has limited food choices so if you have dietary restrictions or allergies, please be advised. Networking Social on January 13th from 4:00-6:00 pm @ the venue. This is a great opportunity to get to know others, ask questions and share your ideas and thoughts with other like-minded professionals. Appetizers will be provided and beverages will be available for purchase.

Accommodations: HYATT PLACE JACKSONVILLE ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER

4742 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32246, USA

Book now by clicking here or call call the Reservations line at 800-596-3685 with the group code of G-1RHC.

Each individual will be responsible for making his/her own reservation with the hotel by Sunday, December 12, 2021.

To download a flyer please visit www.1stresponderconferences.org or contact us for flyers, basic info letters, and sponsor/industry partner/vendor forms for your organizations to share.

*You must register to attend. Seats are limited for this conference.

A limited amount of scholarships are available for those with financial hardships. Please contact Amanda at amanda@1stresponderconferences.org for more information.

*Disclaimers*

Photograph/Video Disclaimer Statement

1st Responder Conferences (1RC) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any event sponsored by 1RC , without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. 1RC may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted by 1RC including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, etc. No video recording by attendees permitted.

Waiver of Liability

Some of the material presented at this event may cause emotional triggers. We will have onsite assistance if needed. There will also be additional resources available if needed. This conference is not intended to provide counseling services, whether medical, psychological or of any other kind, nor to diagnose, prevent, cure or treat any disease, disorder or injury. This conference is certainly not intended to replace the advice of a physician. If you need expert advice, please consult a competent professional. This conference is only intended for “educational” use and it should only be used as a guide.

COVID-19 SAFETY INFORMATION:

While participating in events held by 1st Responder Conferences (1st RC) “social distancing” should be practiced and face coverings worn for those who are unvaccinated to reduce the risks of exposure to COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is spread mainly from person-to-person contact, 1st RC has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 1st RC cannot guarantee that its participants, volunteers, partners, or others in attendance will not become infected with COVID-19.

At registration we will have a waiver of liability and a photo release form that must be signed. If you have any questions regarding the waiver please contact us, so we can be of assistance.