Let’s face it - you don’t know what you don’t know, until you realize you don’t know it.

The issue of mental health in the first responder world has been brushed under the figurative rug for generations, and the cost of continuing that practice is far too high.

With ever-rising rates of suicide, substance use issues, and burnout, just to name a few, we need to do a better job of knowing not only how to identify mental health issues in staff, but what to do about it when something is discovered.

I offer consultation to managers and command staff, to not only educate about warning signs for mental health issues, but to also educate about how to help staff getting the support and services they need, instead of creating a punitive issue, along with creating and implementing programs, while offering additional resources to staff, in order to create a more proactive departmental response to mental health issues.

We cannot afford to wait for mental health issues to happen anymore before doing something about it - the time to be proactive is now.