Supporting Wellbeing in the Forest Service with Dr. Kalim Wigfall

Forest Service Chief Wellbeing Officer Kalim Wigfall on EAP, Mental Health Month, and Supporting Wildland FirefightersIn this episode, host Catherine Kirchner speaks with Kalim Wigfall, Chief Wellbeing Officer for the U.S. Forest Service, about how he observes Mental Health Month by “doubling down” on routine check-ins and asking people how they’re really doing. Wigfall shares his background in behavioral health, military service in the Coast Guard and Navy, and how a suicide-ideation incident while serving as a Command Drug and Alcohol Representative led him into employee wellbeing work. He discusses moving beyond “checking the box” by listening at the “deck plate” level, improving trust and education around EAP confidentiality, and reframing mental health as a spectrum distinct from mental illness. The conversation covers financial stress as a workplace issue, EAP’s work-life services (including financial counseling and tax prep), typical low EAP utilization (4–7%), counseling wait times (about 4–7 days), wildfire-season demands, off-season challenges, and the importance of self-care and taking leave.00:00 Mental Health Month Check In01:02 Meet Kalim Wigfall02:10 Becoming Wellbeing Officer04:15 Beyond Checking Boxes06:33 EAP Trust And Stigma08:34 Financial Stress At Work10:09 EAP Financial Help Details13:37 Forest Service Responder Reality15:13 Wildfire Season And Off Season18:31 Self Care As A Tool20:13 Closing Thanks And ResourcesAbout Catherine Kirchner & The Pulaski PlannerHi, I'm Catherine Kirchner, a financial planner and the creator behind the Pulaski Planner. Based in Montana, I specialize in providing financial guidance for career professionals in the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, NPS, and other public lands agencies. I am a registered Investment Adviser Representative, having passed the Series 65 examination and am currently pursuing my CFP® designation. Our firm, Donalies Financial Planning, is a Fee-Only financial planning and investment management practice.Let's Connect:Schedule a Call: Ready to build your own retirement roadmap? Schedule a complimentary "Retirement Lookout Session" here: ⁠www.donaliesfp.com/pulaski-planner⁠Subscribe to the Newsletter: Get bi-weekly financial insights via my LinkedIn Newsletter,⁠ "Pulaski Planner: Your Retirement Lookout"⁠ Connect on LinkedIn.