H.O.P.E Beyond The Badge

Chief Michael Assad joins the podcast and shares with us about his career in law enforcement and some of the mental health challenges he has faced himself throughout that career. He talks about the importance of prioritizing family, not just for himself but for his officers as well. Chief Assad also explains the specific steps he has taken to implement a culture of wellness within his department, how he incentivizes exercise and fitness, and the importance of being open and responsive to the comments, feedback and suggestions of his department members.

Scott & Lorena Bergan return to the podcast and join us for a follow up. They share a story about Compassion, Love, the Desire to Help others - Family and Loss. They describe their daughter Kaitlin and how she lived, the passion she had for life, her motivated and enthusiastic approach to entering the fire service, her love of the job, along with the grief they experienced when she died by suicide. The Bergan's also update us about the work they are doing at the first responder non-profit they started in their daughters name - Kaitlin's Heart for Hero's.

Mark DiBona is a retired police officer & current technical advisor & mental health liaison for "Protecting the Guardian" - An organization that aims to create, promote, and maintain the health and wellness of law enforcement officers.Mark joins us on the podcast & speaks openly about his own experiences with duty trauma, childhood abuse, suicide, faith, and healing.

Barb Bigalke joins us on the podcast.Barb is the founder of the Center for Suicide Awareness, a 501 c3 non-profit where they create the kind of mental health support that doesn't wait for someone to hit rock bottom. No red tape, no judgment, just real, early intervention. Barb talks about working for the department of justice delivering death notifications, and how those duties led her to an awareness about the impacts of death by suicide, and first responder mental health, which propelled her into this journey. She shares with us the many ways her center approaches its mission, which includes a HOPELine offering suicide prevention, partnering with the video game industry to educate our youth about suicide prevention and intervention, creating a documentary, developing training programs and outreach with First Responders. 

Mike Peterson joins us to discuss his military service, career in law enforcement, and shares his personal journey through trauma and loss to wellness.Mike is now a mindfulness coach, his passionate belief in the benefits of mindfulness was evident as he explained how the process can increase resiliency, performance, and well-being in first responders. To learn more please visit: https://www.nemindfulnessandperformance.org/home

Sean Kilbreth joins us on the podcast and shares about his experiences in law enforcement, his path to wellness and continued service.Sean has been a police officer for 26 years, he joins Linda and Jay to discuss his career - including his experience in an officer involved shooting. Sean shares how the job impacted his mental health, his family relationships, how stigma played a role in his life, how mindfulness and other recovery methods helped restore him to a state of well-being, and how he uses what he learned along the way to help others.

Kammie Juzwin, PsyD is a clinical psychologist and holds professional certification as a Police Psychologist.  She is an embedded Psychologist Consultant for Bartlett Illinois Police Department, where her primary role is officer wellness and support.  She provides wellness and officer-involved critical incident consultation to individual officers or to departments, participates actively as a volunteer on several crisis intervention and disaster response teams, and has published and presented on topics including first responder selection, critical incident response, understanding mental health issues, disaster mental health and line of duty death.In this episode Dr Juzwin shares how she was drawn to work with the first responder culture, critical incident response, organizational wellness, officer buy in, and how long it took for her to gain the trust of officers within her organization, the importance of officers being able to reach out for help without incurring negative consequences, and how to structure departmental policy that ensures that.

Brian shares with us how and why he chose to serve in the Marine Corps, his transition into a career in law enforcement following his military service, the many roles he held as a cop, and his pride in service. Brian talks openly about the challenges he faced, the struggles he endured, how he had been coping, and how a new friendship that blossomed into a mentorship gave way to a new pathway of healing, of coming to understand his difficulties, what had caused them, and eventually giving back to the culture of service from which he came by helping those who still suffer from stress induced or psychological injuries. Brian currently is the President & Founder of Phoenix First Responder Recovery Coaching - helping First Responders & Veterans navigate daily life in active recovery through lived experience, working hand-in-hand through the recovery process, ensuring that they achieve successful outcomes for long term recovery. 

David Berez is a retired Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert, having served more than 20 years with the East Windsor Police Department and a total of 33 years in Emergency Services, including EMS and OEM. Following his retirement, Mr. Berez is now the President and Founder of Six4 Consultants, a Public Safety Consulting Firm. Mr. Berez is also the author of A Resilient Life: A Cops Journey in Pursuit of Purpose, co-author of Wounds to Wisdom, featured columnist, guest speaker and panelist on a variety of Public Safety discussions. In September of 2020, Mr. Berez was trained as a Resiliency Program Officer and Master Resiliency Trainer. He is a facilitator for Resilient Minds on the Front Lines, The Power of our Story, and is working to grow Resiliency for Law Enforcement Retirees in NJ with the State's Resilience Program. In this episode David shares how his experiences in law enforcement led him down a path of self discovery, and from there, into continued service to others. He speaks candidly about responding to the terror attacks of 9/11, the lack of resources available to first responders to help them understand the magnitude of what they had just been through, how they may be impacted by those events, or what to do about it if they had. He talks about the progress he has seen in the development and availability of peer & mental health resources available for first responders from that time to now, how he has contributed to those resources, and the benefits and utility of story telling & positive psychology when introduced and embraced by first response cultures.

Chief Deboard joins us on the podcast and discusses her 38 year career in law enforcement, from how it started, early experiences on the job, proving herself, climbing the ranks, the associated pride, commitment, as well as all the pressure and stress that went along with it. Chief Deboard shares about some of the strategies she began using to manage mounting stress, she talks about her experience going through Boulder Crest's Warrior PATHH program,  how she developed an unwavering commitment to officer wellness, and how she began  implemented policy in support of that commitment.

Danielle and Karla join us on the podcast and discuss their family connection to First Response, their lived experiences as first responder family members, and why the work they do serving first responders at Boston Firefighters Credit Union is more than just a job. They also share with us the many ways they can assist first responders towards achieving their financial goals, plan for long term stability, and discuss their Guardian loan program which can be obtained to support first responder families while they attend to mental or behavioral health challenges.

Katherine Boyle - the daughter of a Philadelphia Police Lieutenant - joins us on the podcast and details her experience of growing up in a first responder family. She shares her unique perspective on the challenges faced within first responder households, and discusses the work she does with Beyond the Uniform, where she uses her experience to help families build stronger bonds and stay connected, despite the demands of the job.  Katherines mission is to raise awareness about how the job affects children of police officers, advocate for their well-being, and equip departments & families with the tools to strengthen relationships, leading them to be more present and effective on the job as well as in the home. 

David joins us on the podcast and shares his story of what led him into the fire service, the love he found for the job once he was there, the challenges he faced through transition into retirement, and the importance of finding purpose post service.David talks about the importance of early introduction to mental health and wellness concepts for first responders, the importance of consistently revisiting these topics throughout a first responders career, why mental health interventions must be accusable, explains the significance of having a plan for retirement, the magnitude that purpose has in many first responders lives, and why new purpose is a significant component of a healthy and fulfilling retirement.

Erin Lynch is a Suicide Loss Survivor. She lost her father Eddie Lynch, a 35 year Boston Firefighter to Suicide in 2014. Erin shares what it was like being raised by a firefighter, she discusses the dynamics of her family, speaks openly about the day that her father passed, the days, weeks, months, and years that followed.She talks about the initial shock and turmoil, she describes the weight of her grief and how she was impacted by it, and explains how she was able to heal, move forward from that loss, and how she now uses the experience to help others. 

Tracy Ryan joined First Responder Therapy Dogs in August 2021 with her dog Sparkie in an effort to spread therapy dog love to First Responders on the East Coast.  She resides in East Bridgewater, MA, where she is a High School Guidance Counselor, mom to 2 boys, and wife of a firefighter.  Blaze most recently joined the ranks as her 2nd FRTD certified dog in 2025.  Being able to share her dogs with first responders, has been an absolute perfect fit for her and her family! In this episode Tracy shares what its like to be married to a firefighter as someone with a background in mental health, she talks about how their family manages difficult calls that are carried from an emergency scene into their home, how her journey into this work began, where her passion comes from, the effectiveness of this approach and the growth of First Responder Therapy Dogs in recent years. 

Dave and Christie Dyke join us on the podcast.Dave talks about working in Law Enforcement for 28 years, how he expected to stay on the job for at least 35 years, and shares how stress, trauma, mental health challenges and suicidal ideation led him to an earlier retirement than he had planned for. His wife Christie shares how she devoted herself to saving Dave, along with their marriage, how she herself became lost along the way, and eventually considered suicide as an option as well. Together Dave and Christie share their raw, powerful story of struggle, suffering, commitment, resiliency, recovery, and healing. 

Barb Bigalke joins us on the podcast.Barb is the founder of the Center for Suicide Awareness, a 501 c3 non-profit where they create the kind of mental health support that doesn't wait for someone to hit rock bottom. No red tape, no judgment, just real, early intervention. Barb talks about working for the department of justice delivering death notifications, and how those duties led her to an awareness about the impacts of death by suicide, and first responder mental health, which propelled her into this journey. She shares with us the many ways her center approaches its mission, which includes a HOPELine offering suicide prevention, partnering with the video game industry to educate our youth about suicide prevention and intervention, creating a documentary, developing training programs and outreach with First Responders. To learn more about Barb and the Center for Suicide Awareness click here: https://www.centerforsuicideawareness.org/

Madison is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor & the owner of Madison Elie Counseling where she provides online trauma therapy for adults across Maryland & Pennsylvania. Coming from a First Responder Family, Madison has been working almost exclusively with First Responders, Veterans, and other professionals in high stress roles since 2018. Her work focuses on helping clients recover from trauma, reduce burnout, and rebuild balance in their lives. Madison is passionate about supporting those who serve their communities, and creating a space where they can slow down, process what they've been through, and reconnect with themselves and others.In this episode Madison shares with us her own journey thru life and into this work, she explains how she gravitated into specializing in trauma and working with First Responders and Veterans. She talks about first responders, families and relationships, the importance of communication, accountability, and outlines the 9 steps to recognizing or delivering an authentic apology. For more information about Madison you can check her out at - https://www.madisoneliecounseling.com/

Fran Graham is an International crisis response & trauma specialist, instructor & consultant with proven emergency management skills. Proficient team builder & strategic planner, with an emphasis in First Responder Peer Support & Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Before Fran was a trauma specialist, before she was an expert in peer support, and before she was an international crisis response leader, Fran was a cop, she began to struggle, she didn't have the help, the support, or the resources she needed, and she lost her career as a result. In this episode Fran talks about her path to becoming the resource she needed herself during that time but didn't have, she explains the difference between post traumatic stress and PTSD, the importance of peer support, the importance of leaders being educated on these topics, organizational wellness programs, and so much more. 

Our regular listeners and followers might notice that this episode is being released on a Wednesday, where our weekly episodes are typically released on Fridays. The reason for that is because SGT Alex G. Kokoros died by suicide on October 29th 2018. Today marks the 7th anniversary of his loss.So this episode is in memory of Alex - with his family in mind.This episode is also a tribute to Alex's friends & fellow officers that were left behind - Those that struggled after his loss. We hope you are all doing well, and understand that does not mean that you don't still miss him. This episode is also in recognition of all first responders around the nation who are getting help today, and a call to those who need it. If you do - we hope this peer discussion will prompt you to reach out for the support that you deserve - the support you have earned.Police officers Justin Simmons, Ryan Doherty, Thomas Lesage, Tom Delaney, and Tony Gentile are Alex's friends and coworkers on the Abington Police Department.  It was a privilege to hear the stories of how Alex lived, and an honor to listen as these gentlemen shared their own experiences as suicide loss survivors. 

Jeff Dill is a retired Fire Captain , the founder of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA), and the behavioral health administrator for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. At FBHA they hold workshops to educate firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers on behavioral health, moral injury, and suicide prevention. They also track data on firefighter, EMS, and dispatcher suicide, host retreats for suicide loss survivors, and so much more. In this episode Jeff shares with us that suicide remains the greatest threat to the lives of first responders, some of the reasons why, and what steps can be taken by organizations to combat that unfortunate reality. If you listen to this episode, you will hear Jeff talking about how to change the culture to improve first responder behavioral health, he talks about regularly working with departments and EAP's to help them implement effective programs to do just that. 

Matthew and Elizabeth Fiorenza join us on the podcast .Matty and Liz are husband and wife, they are both strong advocates for first responder and family mental health and well-being. Matty is a retired firefighter paramedic with 22 years of service. His journey into the realm of mental health advocacy began a decade into his career when he began facing personal battles with anxiety, stress, and depression, which ultimately led to a diagnosis of PTSD. These experiences fueled his passion to help others in the first responder community. Matty speaks publicly and works with first responders directly to help address critical issues including PTSD recovery, addiction, mental health, and the importance of support within the first responder community. .Liz is a dedicated professional with a deep commitment to supporting first responders and their families. Particularly spouses, who face the unique challenges associated with this high stress profession. As a mother, and the spouse of a retired first responder, Liz brings a personal understanding to her work, along with a passion to help others navigate the challenges of life in a first responder family. Liz currently serves as the office manager for the Anaheim firefighters association where she oversees day to day operations and organizes fundraising efforts that directly benefit the associations initiatives and support programs. Matty and Liz share their story with raw, open, honesty. They talk about real issues like addiction and suicide, they discuss the pain they have experienced as individuals, together as a couple, how they overcame the challenges they faced, how they came back together as a couple, and the work they are doing to help other first responder families navigate their own challenges. 

Retired Police Chief Neil Gang joins us on the podcast.Chief Gang is a nationally recognized Law Enforcement Leader with over 36 years of service, he has a reputation for innovative leadership, transformational change, and a deep commitment to organizational wellness.Chief Gang discusses his career in law enforcement, he openly shares about losing a friend and fellow officer early on in his career to suicide. In the wake of that loss, he pledged to one day improve the conditions for police officers reporting and seeking help for stress related injuries. Years later as the Chief of Pinole Police Department in California, Neil created the Asher model, a 7 point approach to creating a culture of wellness. Chief Gang speaks to the benefits of improved wellness within a first response organization. He speaks to the conditions as they were when his friend Asher Rosinsky died by suicide. He speaks to the importance of first responders being able to request help and access services confidentially, He speaks to leaders, encouraging them to facilitate change within their own organizations.

Carrie Mathews joins us on the podcast.Carrie is a police officer from from the Chicago Police Department, and comes from a family of service in law enforcement. Mental health has always been a focus of Carries. However, when her father - a retired officer himself - died by suicide, Carrie became an outspoken advocate for mental health in first response, and has become known for bringing attention to "the other side of suicide". In this episode Carrie shares what it was like growing up in a law enforcement family, the pride, the challenges, and the influence her father had on her life. She talks about the experience of becoming a cop herself, her career with Chicago PD, and the devastating impact that losing her father had on Carrie and her family. She shares about her grief, the complexity of those emotions, how she moved forward, and converted her pain into purpose by advocating for first responder mental wellness. 

Katie Carlson joins us on the podcast.Katie is the director of wellness initiatives and peer support team coordinator for the Marion County Sheriffs office in Indianapolis Indiana. She also serves as an instructor at multiple law enforcement academies where she teaches meditation, yoga, breath work, and crisis intervention strategies to public safety professionals, with a focus on nervous system regulation and trauma recovery. Katie shares with us about her background as the departments Public Information Officer prior to assuming her current role, and the work she did in the political arena prior to that. Katie also shares openly about her own trauma's, challenges she has faced, struggles she has endured, how she overcame those experiences, and how she has incorporated what she learned along the way into the delivery of wellness to her organization. 

Donna Georgiana joins us on the podcast.Donna lost her son Mitchell - a police officer, to suicide. After Mitchell's loss, and based on one of the last text messages he had sent, Donna felt a sense of duty to keep his name alive, and his memory served, so she founded the non profit "Gotcha Covered Blankets". While she has always been involved with church and community, Donna now focuses on this foundation to keep her sons name alive, and hopefully, to make a difference in the community, the culture, and the lives of police officers. Donna speaks openly about being a mother, having her son become a police officer, what she knew about his job, what she didn't, and her experience as a suicide loss survivor.https://gotchacoveredblankets.com/

Mike Morgan joins us on the podcast.Mike transitioned from working as an accountant to a 30 year career of service in law enforcement. In this episode Mike reflected on those years, he spoke about his love for the job, shares with us about some of the difficult calls he responded to, including the incident that was most impactful for him. He shares his experience of coming to recognize that he had been affected by trauma, the steps he took to recover and heal, how he discovered his purpose to help other first responders during a psychedelic retreat, and how he carries out that purpose today.To learn more about Mike, check out his podcast - The Resilient Warrior Nation.

Chris Michael is a retired Police Captain with 25 years of experience in law enforcement in a large Metro area Atlanta department. When he retired, Chris was the departments peer support team commander. Chris discusses his career with us and some of the critical incidents he experienced, to include 2 officer involved shootings, his partner and backup being shot and wounded, being involved in an on duty fatal car accident, and another collision where Chris believed he was going to die. Chris shares that he saw countless other tragedies throughout his career, for many years he didn't realize these incidents had impacted him. Chris explains that his exposure to a fatal car accident/fire was the call that brought his many years of service, and all those critical incidents to the surface. Chris suffered with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation before he finally reached out for help. After going through his own healing process, Chris began advocating for first responder and veteran mental health. Chris shares his experience of struggle, suicidal thoughts, and a return to wellness with departmental leaders to help other first responders and promote a positive change in culture.Chris also shared about some of the non-profit organizations he is involved with, if after listening to this episode you would like more information about Gotcha Covered Blankets or Creed of Ink, follow the links below.https://www.thecreedofink.org/https://gotchacoveredblankets.com/

Elizabeth Bartholomew joins us on the podcast. Liz worked as a police records clerk in Batavia Illinois  where she met Joe Bartholomew, a paid on-call firefighter, they married in 1980.  Joe was hired as a full time Firefighter in 1986.  While their daughters were young Liz was able to be a stay at home mom.  Later she drove a school bus part-time in Naperville, Illinois, became Band Booster President and was on the coaching staff at East Aurora High School.    In 2005 Joe was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder from a response call, he later retired on a duty disability pension after 33 years as a firefighter.  Seeing the reaction in the workplace to his PTSD diagnosis and watching him learn to live with PTSD she came up with the concept of Responders Retreat as a place to open a conversation and know that you are not alone. For more information check out : https://www.firstrespondersretreat.org/home

Regan Faulk joined us on the podcast and shared the story of meeting her husband Kevin in collage, falling in love, starting a life together which included marriage, the birth of their twin boys, and Kevin joining the Philadelphia police department. She spoke about how much he loved the job in the beginning, she spoke about the changes she witnessed in his mood and personality over time, the impact those changes had on their family, and she spoke about the experience of losing her husband to suicide. Keven Regan was a devoted husband and father who was passionate about serving his community.  Regan founded the Keven Regan Family Foundation in October of 2022 following the tragic loss of her husband.The Keven Regan Family Foundation is a non profit organization committed to helping families of fallen first responders, specifically those who have died by suicide, and those who struggle with mental illness.  The foundation provides not only financial relief, but also the mental health resources needed to support struggling frontline fighters and their loved ones.  The Kevin Regan foundation is dedicated to Suicide prevention, and treatment by improving mental health awareness and education throughout the first responder community.For mor information, visit:https://kevinreganfamilyfoundation.com/

Erin Maccabee joins us on the podcast.Erin is an ICF trained integration coach who specializes in supporting First Responders, their partners, and departments. Erin has nearly a decade of experience, with almost half that time focused on trauma exposed populations. Erin is the creator of the Pressure System - A whole human framework for navigating high stress environments, and The Connection Code - A self guided program that helps responder couples strengthen communication on their own time. Erin also hosts the Flashpoint podcast - where high performance meets human healing. Erin's mission is personal, shaped by the loss of her Firefighter boyfriend to substance misuse in 2011.Erin details her journey into the work she is currently engaged in, shares openly about her loss, and her commitment to helping first responders heal, develop healthy coping mechanisms, recover from or avoid the pitfalls of addiction, and helps couples connect more deeply. Contact Erin for more information @ [email protected]

Part 2 of a 2 part episode.Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector. Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to. Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.

Part 1 of a 2 part episode.Allan Garcia is a retired police officer from the Middletown Rhode Island Police Dept. He joins us on the podcast and shares his story of growing up in a seaside community, being raised in a first responder family, his time in the military, and how he became a police officer.Allans career included service as a DARE officer, Uniformed Patrol, Field Training Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT Team Member, Firearms Instructor, Academy Instructor, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Patrol Sargent, and Detective/Inspector. Allan talks openly about his transition into policing, some of the mistakes he made early on in his career, the lessons he learned, and the calls he responded to. Allan describes the challenges he faced balancing family and the job, the duty he felt to serve his community and the pride he experienced fathering his children, one of which he was raising with special needs.

Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast. Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years oflaw enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between theMarine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service. In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny. While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help for herself.Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healingjourneys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is nowfocused on raising awareness around the often-overlookedmental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric foundedMaking Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated tosupporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.

Meg Hawkins and Erik Provow join us on the podcast. Meg is a dedicated police officer with over 21 years oflaw enforcement experience, and the proud wife of Eric - a firefighter/paramedic and retired combat veteran who lives with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Eric’s military career spanned two decades, split between the Marine Corps and the Air Force. He served in elite units including Marine Recon, Force Recon, and as a Combat Controller with the Air Force Special Operations Command. He later deployed with premier teams under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), completing multiple contingency operations and three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, during a close-quarters firefight, Eric sustained invisible wounds that led to a decade of undiagnosed PTSD—one of many traumatic experiences throughout his service. In 2017, their world was shaken when Eric went missing and nearly died by suicide. That night marked a turning point in their lives. With Meg’s unwavering support, Eric began his long journey toward healing—trying various therapies, attending veteran programs, and finding support through his service dog, Denny. While Eric’s mental health began to stabilize in 2019, Meg soon found herself struggling. The trauma of nearly losing her husband, and the toll of always being “the strong one,” led to her own diagnosis of PTSD. In 2020, she sought help and began herself.Both Meg and Eric continue to walk their healing journeys—stronger together and as individuals. Meg is now focused on raising awareness around the often-overlooked mental health needs of spouses and significant others of veterans and first responders. These Silent Warriors endure their own battles, often in silence, as they support their loved ones through trauma and recovery.In 2018, amid their personal struggles, Meg and Eric founded Making Everything Good (MEG), a nonprofit dedicated tosupporting first responders, military members, veterans, their families, and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.Their journey is one of resilience, advocacy, and love—and they remain committed to helping others find hope, healing, and Strength.

In this episode - We bring together a panel of siblings who tell us about their brother or sister who worked in first response, the lives they lived before the job, & the process of losing their loved one to suicide. 

Rich Creamer - A native of Chelsea Ma, is a Navy Veteran, and retired Sergeant with 24 years of service with the Norfolk VA police dept. During his career Rich worked homicide, gangs, served on the FBI's violent crimes task force, and in the training division. He is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of officer wellness and peer support, and served as a consultant for the IACP's officer wellness and safety initiative. Rich currently serves as the director of public safety insights at Lighthouse Health and Wellness, Military public safety liaison at the Farley Center, and first responder liaison with Mutts with a Mission - placing facility dogs with agencies nationwide. He is also a board member and trainer for Blue Cancer Connect, and co-host on the podcast Trauma Behind the Badge. Rich opens up about his childhood, his pathway into law enforcement, his career as an officer, and all the trauma's he had collected along the way. He also shares with us how those trauma's impacted his life, how his suffering impacted his family and relationships, and how he overcame those struggles, reconnected with his family, and began to heal. 

Tommy is a 30 year fire service veteran, lieutenant, and mental health advocate who has dedicated his life to changing the culture of public service. After battling depression, PTSD, and anxiety from years of service on the front line, Tommy now uses his voice to break the stigma  around mental health for first responders.  He authored the Book "Unseen Battles - The Price of Duty in a Life of Trauma and Sacrifice".  He is the founder of First Responder Support LLC.  Through powerful storytelling and lived experience Tommy speaks to the silent troubles many first responders carry, and offers a message of Hope, healing, and purpose.   Tommy shares with us his story going back to his youth, entering the fire service, some of the difficult calls he experienced along the way, how those calls impacted him, his struggles, his growth, and his calling to serve those who serve.

Deputy Commissioner Matt Walsh of the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Joins us on this weeks podcast! Matt is a Weymouth Native who takes us on a journey from growing up in Weymouth, traveling to Florida to pursue a career in Law Enforcement, his early career including an officer involved shooting and how that impacted him, his rise to leadership, and his experience developing, implementing, and participating in officer wellness programs.Deputy Commissioner Walsh is the FDLE Executive Director leading public safety services, which includes  Officer Wellness.  His career began 28 years ago at the Lee County Sheriff’s office where his assignments included road patrol, auto theft detective, homicide detective, and SWAT operator.     In 2003 Matt accepted a position with FDLE, since then he has worked and held leadership positions in Sebring, Ft Myers, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee Florida.  In 2020 he was appointed as interim Sheriff for the Clay County Sheriff’s office by Governor DeSantis.  Matt has lectured and trained law enforcement members in the areas of death and homicide, stress management, and mental health and resiliency.  He is the founder of the FDLE CISM / Peer Support team and has lead interventions following the pulse night club attack, Broward airport shooting, Parkland school shooting, Sebring mass shooting, Pensacola NAS, and other critical incidents. Matt Earned a Master of Social Work Degree from Florida State University and has provided psychotherapy to the veteran and law enforcement population.  He has attended several leadership schools, to include the Naval Post Graduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security Executive Leaders Program, he has been recognized for his service to the citizens of Florida, to include commendations for the Combat Cross, 3 unit citations, Gallantry Star, Grand Cordon, 2 U.S Attorney Officer of the year awards, and the Commissioners Medal. 

Dr. Gilmartin joins us on the podcast, Dr Gilmartin is a behavioral scientist specializing in law enforcement and public safety related issues. He is the author of the book Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families. He previously spent twenty years working in law enforcement in Tucson Arizona. During his tenure he supervised the Hostage Negotiations Team and the Behavioral Sciences Unit. He is a former recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police-Parade Magazine, National Police Officer Citation Award for contributions during hostage negotiations. He presently maintains a consulting relationship with public safety and law enforcement agencies in the U.S, Canada, and Australia. The Department of Justice, FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, New South Wales Police and International Association of Chiefs of Police have published his work. He holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and resides in Tucson Arizona and Bend Oregon.

Meghann has been working in law enforcement for 24 years & currently serves as her organizations first wellness coordinator. Meghann's partner Kelly has been working with youth and families for over 20 years, and is the current executive director of Caminos programs in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In this episode Meghann and Kelly take us on a journey that involves trauma, struggle, insight, growth, and service. Together - Meghann and Kelly have developed programs to teach, train, and educate first responders and their families about the signs and symptoms of duty trauma, how to remain operationally durable to the impacts of trauma, and what to do if they recognize that they are struggling. 

Chief Frank Fredrickson is a retired Police Chief of the Yarmouth Police Department, the current director of governmental affairs for the Massachusetts Fraternal Order of Police, and the executive director of the New England Association of Chief's of Police.Chief Fredrickson talks about coming from a LEO family, how he entered a life of service, the first call that had an impact on him, what it was like to lead his department through the tragic line of duty death of Sgt. Sean Gannon, and what a valuable asset the peer support network was to his organization in the aftermath of that tragedy. He also shares with us some of his experiences working in sex crimes, goes into detail about one investigation that led to the arrest and prosecution of of a serial rapist, and how that same investigation led Frank to his future wife. 

Tara Waters is a Police Officer, Wife, & Mother of two children. Tara discusses duty trauma, the impact(s) of her son's diagnosis & battle with cancer, faith, family, & how difficult times helped her grow into a more compassionate Police Officer. 

Jimmy Ward joins us to talk about his career in law enforcement, and what he's doing now to help his fellow LEO's and first responders. Jimmy  is a former Senior Trooper with the Maryland State Police, where he served for over 15 years—more than 90% of that time focused on narcotics enforcement. His work placed him on the front lines of complex investigations, serving as a Task Force Officer with both Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.  Jimmy shares with us how over time the job became overwhelming, how his life became chaotic, and the circumstances that ultimately led him to seek help.   It was during that period of self discovery that he made the decision to step away from the job and into the world of first responder mental health and wellness.   Today Jimmy’s mission is clear: to break the stigma around mental health in first responder culture, encourage honest conversations, and help others discover strength in vulnerability. His story is one of service, evolution, and hope—and we’re honored to have him here to share it.

Greg Wilcox is a suicide loss survivor of a police officer . Greg shares the story of losing his husband Joe Nagle to suicide (EOW 8/4/2019). He also shares the story of falling in love, witnessing the decline of a loved one over time, and the red flags he is aware of now, that he was unaware of in real time. Joe also discusses how he was able to pick the pieces back up following the loss of his husband, the work he does with Survivors of Blue Suicide, and how sharing his & Joe's story to help others is a therapeutic process for Greg. https://www.survivorsofbluesuicide.org/

Chris Moore Joins us on the podcast. Chris is a highly respected Fire Captain on the Chesapeake Va FD,  a National keynote speaker, and one of the most influential voices in the movement to transform how first responder agencies approach mental health, wellness, and suicide prevention.   Chris shares with us how years on the job began to effect his moods, behaviors, and relationships.  He speaks openly about the lowest points in his life, how he got there, how he recovered,  how a department leader played a key role in that process, how other first responders can avoid similar circumstances, and how agencies can support that process by supporting their department members.

Part 2 of a 2 Part Episode - Mark and Pat Freire are father and son, they are both LEO's, they are both compassionate towards first responder trauma, and passionate about first responder wellness. Mark Freire (Father) - is a retired Boston Police officer, and past director of the departments Peer Support Unit. He speaks openly about some of the calls and conditions that caused him to struggle, what he came to understand about himself, the job, and the resources available. Pat (Son) - is a LEO with the Plymouth County Sheriffs Dept, a Veteran of the National Guard, and an active member of the SEMLEC CISM Team. Pat also talks openly about his own experiences, how he struggled, recovered, and now uses his experiences to help others. 

Part 1 of a 2 Part Episode - Mark and Pat Freire are father and son, they are both LEO's, they are both compassionate towards first responder trauma, and passionate about first responder wellness. Mark Freire (Father) - is a retired Boston Police officer, and past director of the departments Peer Support Unit. He speaks openly about some of the calls and conditions that caused him to struggle, what he came to understand about himself, the job, and the resources available.  Pat (Son) - is a LEO with the Plymouth County Sheriffs Dept, a Veteran of the National Guard, and an active member of the SEMLEC CISM Team.  Pat also talks openly about his own experiences, how he struggled, recovered, and now uses his experiences to help others. 

Jim is an OEF/OIF Veteran who served 30 years in the Army and retired as a LTC, and a 25 year Veteran of the Boston Police Dept. Jim has worked patrol, as a bomb technician, in sexual assault investigations, and as an operations supervisor.   Jim talks openly about his own struggles, personal and family problems, the challenges of being a single parent, alcohol abuse, and the many friends and coworkers he has lost to suicide.  He shares with us about the wake up call he experienced that led him to quit drinking, to focus on being a father, and how he began to start putting the pieces of his life back together.  Today Jim speaks about those experiences with other first responders in person and at academies with the hope that the next generation can struggle a little less, and get help a little earlier.

Josh Goldberg is the CEO of Bolder Crest Foundation - A nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on ensuring the military, veteran, and first responder communities can live great lives in the aftermath of trauma. Boulder Crest Foundation is the home and global leader in the development of  Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). They exist as an organization to transform the way that our society thinks, feels, and acts when it comes to notions of mental health and struggle, so that we live in a world that is fueled and founded in notions of PTG, not PTSD, diminishment, diagnosis, or dysfunction.Josh joins Linda & Jay to discuss Bolder Crest's mission, how the foundation came to exist, what their purpose is, the programs they currently offer, and the future of PTG. Josh also shares his own story; one of struggle, growth, development, purpose, and meaning.