ENROUTE: The Podcast of The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE, I’m Joseph Brigandi.  On this episode we have the privilege of visiting with a paramedic who has over 25 years of field experience and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Organizational Systems.    His book Hypnotic Communication in Emergency Medical Settings for Life Saving Therapeutic Outcomes is both groundbreaking and insightful.    How we talk to people in behavioral health and emergency medical settings makes all the difference in the world and it can make a lifesaving difference when critical communications are essential for healing and patient cooperation.   Please join me in welcoming Bram Duffee to this episode of ENROUTE. 

Conrad Weaver is a documentary filmmaker whose dedicated his life to telling stories that matter. Stories that make a difference and stories that define the many problems we all face in tangible ways that help us better understand the situation and positions us to take action and engage solutions. PTSD911 is a powerful new documentary that explores the story of first responders and the stress of the job from interviews with first responders who are struggling to cope with the impact of repetitive trauma exposure. This documentary serves as a message of hope to first responders and the community helping us to better understand that healing is possible and it examines the risks of not taking care of yourself and failing to recognize and respond to the signs of declining mental health. Conrad exposes us to the human behind the uniform and the struggles and stigmas first responders face when seeking help. First responders take care of us on our worst days and this film asks the some importiant questions, who will take care of them and How do we create a culture of wellness within our organizations? This film inspires lasting systemic change, ending stigmas and it raises awareness of the work that still needs to be done normalizing the understanding that it’s ok to not be okay. Please join me in welcoming Conrad Weaver to this episode of ENROUTE.

The focus of this three-part series is children’s advocacy. We are going to examine how first responders can benefit from collaborating with child advocacy centers during the investigation of crimes against children. In Part One of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with President & CEO of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, Irish Burch and examine the child advocacy model and why it is so important in helping you help an at-risk child. In Part Two of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Janeth Peterson, Assistant Director of Forensic Services & Mark Bradford Chief External Relations Officer of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. In Part Three of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Dr. Elena M. Doskey de Lobón, Psychologist and Director of Clinical Training for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. DCAC Website: https://dcac.org/ Training: https://dcac.org/training/ Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center coordinates the investigation, prosecution, and healing services for the most severe cases of child abuse in Dallas County – those that rise to the level of a criminal offense. Each year, DCAC serves over 13,000 children and their non-offending family members who were sexually abused, severely physically abused, or who had witnessed a violent crime. 🚑 Welcome to the First Responder Behavioral Health Institute (FRBHI) Podcast- The platform for podcasts dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of first responders. 🚨 🎙️ Audio Version Here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... 🔍 In each episode, we delve into the challenges faced by our brave first responders and provide insights from experts in the field. From stress management to coping mechanisms, our goal is to foster a supportive community and promote mental health and well-being within the first responder community. 👥 Online Courses: Enroll in our specially crafted online courses designed to empower first responders and clinicians with practical skills for managing stress, building resilience, and cultivating a healthy lifestyle. We offer dozens of courses to first responders and clinicians as well as a certification program leading to Behavioral Health First Responder and Behavioral Health Clinical Responder certifications. The Institute also serves as our international speaker’s bureau, and we bring in an amazing array of talented first responder educators and clinicians when requested to present to first responder agencies and corporations nationally and internationally. From behavioral health courses to organizational development programs FRBHI is your go to resource for first responder and clinician education and training. Reach out and let's talk about how we can help you meet your agency’s needs. Join now and take the first step towards prioritizing your mental health.

The focus of this three-part series is children’s advocacy. We are going to examine how first responders can benefit from collaborating with child advocacy centers during the investigation of crimes against children. In Part One of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with President & CEO of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, Irish Burch and examine the child advocacy model and why it is so important in helping you help an at-risk child. In Part Two of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Janeth Peterson, Assistant Director of Forensic Services & Mark Bradford Chief External Relations Officer of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. In Part Three of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Dr. Elena M. Doskey de Lobón, Psychologist and Director of Clinical Training for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. DCAC Website: https://dcac.org/ Training: https://dcac.org/training/ Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center coordinates the investigation, prosecution, and healing services for the most severe cases of child abuse in Dallas County – those that rise to the level of a criminal offense. Each year, DCAC serves over 13,000 children and their non-offending family members who were sexually abused, severely physically abused, or who had witnessed a violent crime. 🚑 Welcome to the First Responder Behavioral Health Institute (FRBHI) Podcast- The platform for podcasts dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of first responders. 🚨 🎙️ Audio Version Here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... 🔍 In each episode, we delve into the challenges faced by our brave first responders and provide insights from experts in the field. From stress management to coping mechanisms, our goal is to foster a supportive community and promote mental health and well-being within the first responder community. 👥 Online Courses: Enroll in our specially crafted online courses designed to empower first responders and clinicians with practical skills for managing stress, building resilience, and cultivating a healthy lifestyle. We offer dozens of courses to first responders and clinicians as well as a certification program leading to Behavioral Health First Responder and Behavioral Health Clinical Responder certifications. The Institute also serves as our international speaker’s bureau, and we bring in an amazing array of talented first responder educators and clinicians when requested to present to first responder agencies and corporations nationally and internationally. From behavioral health courses to organizational development programs FRBHI is your go to resource for first responder and clinician education and training. Reach out and let's talk about how we can help you meet your agency’s needs. Join now and take the first step towards prioritizing your mental health. 🎓 https://www.frbhi.com/courses/ 🔗 Connect with Us: Stay connected with our community on social media for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a chance to engage with fellow first responders. LinkedIn: / frbhi Twitter: / josephbrigandi Facebook: / frbhi Founder: www.JosephBrigandi.com YouTube: @FRBHI

The focus of this three-part series is children’s advocacy. We are going to examine how first responders can benefit from collaborating with child advocacy centers during the investigation of crimes against children. In Part One of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with President & CEO of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, Irish Burch and examine the child advocacy model and why it is so important in helping you help an at-risk child. In Part Two of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Janeth Peterson, Assistant Director of Forensic Services & Mark Bradford Chief External Relations Officer of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. In Part Three of this Special Edition Podcast Series, we talk with Dr. Elena M. Doskey de Lobón, Psychologist and Director of Clinical Training for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. DCAC Website: https://dcac.org/ Training: https://dcac.org/training/ Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center coordinates the investigation, prosecution, and healing services for the most severe cases of child abuse in Dallas County – those that rise to the level of a criminal offense. Each year, DCAC serves over 13,000 children and their non-offending family members who were sexually abused, severely physically abused, or who had witnessed a violent crime. 🚑 Welcome to the First Responder Behavioral Health Institute (FRBHI) Podcast- The platform for podcasts dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of first responders. 🚨 🎙️ Audio Version Here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... 🔍 In each episode, we delve into the challenges faced by our brave first responders and provide insights from experts in the field. From stress management to coping mechanisms, our goal is to foster a supportive community and promote mental health and well-being within the first responder community. 👥 Online Courses: Enroll in our specially crafted online courses designed to empower first responders and clinicians with practical skills for managing stress, building resilience, and cultivating a healthy lifestyle. We offer dozens of courses to first responders and clinicians as well as a certification program leading to Behavioral Health First Responder and Behavioral Health Clinical Responder certifications. The Institute also serves as our international speaker’s bureau, and we bring in an amazing array of talented first responder educators and clinicians when requested to present to first responder agencies and corporations nationally and internationally. From behavioral health courses to organizational development programs FRBHI is your go to resource for first responder and clinician education and training. Reach out and let's talk about how we can help you meet your agency’s needs. Join now and take the first step towards prioritizing your mental health. 🎓 https://www.frbhi.com/courses/ 🔗 Connect with Us: Stay connected with our community on social media for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a chance to engage with fellow first responders. LinkedIn: / frbhi Twitter: / josephbrigandi Facebook: / frbhi Founder: www.JosephBrigandi.com YouTube: @FRBHI 🙌 Join the Movement: Help us spread awareness about the importance of first responder mental health. Share this podcast with your colleagues, friends, and family. Together, let's create a supportive environment for those who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe. 🎗️Support the Cause: Consider becoming a patron to support our mission and gain access to exclusive content, Q&A sessions, and more. Your contribution helps us continue our efforts in promoting mental well-being within the first responder community. 👉 https://www.frbhi.com/donations/

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE I’m Joseph Brigandi.   On this episode we interview the multitalented Dr. Olivia Johnson the founder of the Blue Wall Institute.  The Blue Wall Institute consults with first responder agencies on needs assessments for training and education programs as well as furthering research on first responder suicide.  She’s the mind behind the concept of The Fatal 10 which examines the most significant factors and perhaps the predictive factors of suicidality not only within the first responder community within every community and social group.  Her paradigm shifting research is essential in helping us change the ways we think about suicide more globally as a community and on a society level.   Her research cuts across the professional disciplines of public safety and is equally relevant in public and private corporations, and school systems.  If your organization has experienced violence or suicide or you are trying to be proactive and prevent these things from happening, you can benefit from the research and contribution to the body of knowledge Dr. Johnson and the Blue Wall Institute offers us.   In this episode she’s going to explain why she believes our current understanding of suicide is dead wrong and she going to challenge us to dig deeper for a better understanding of this terrible phenomenon. Please join me in welcoming the, dedicated, passionate talented and controversial Dr. Olivia Johnson to this episode of ENROUTE.

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE I’m Joseph Brigandi.  Today we have been given the opportunity to visit with one of the fire services many vocal advocates for change, better safety practices, and quality leadership programs.   He’s a consultant to many first responder agencies. He’s also a published author and a fire service instructor. He is dedicated to bringing successful transformational change to fire and EMS organizations.  He is a regular contributor to Fire Rescue One, EMS One and he has a lifetime of service as a firefighter paramedic who retired at the rank of battalion chief.   We discuss the evolution of Peer Support Teams, education and training programs and mental health advocacy within first responder organizations and retirement from the fire service.   Please Join me in welcoming the multitalented and extremely passionate Robert Avsec to this episode of ENROUTE. 

MARK HILL is a firefighter, paramedic, teacher, speaker and best-selling author of the book Two Dark Thirty, True stories to inspire teaching and learning in our local heroes and his companion workbook by the same name.  Two Dark Thirty gives us insights into training first responders and the importance of education and continuing education as we progress through our careers.   Marc will be speaking at the Louisiana Firefighters Conference and the Wisconsin Emergency Instructors Conference in February 2024. You can also catch him teaching his courses on our platform The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute.   LET’S WELCOME MARK HILL to ENROUTE! 

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE. I'm Joseph Brigandi Today we have the special privilege of visiting with Dr. Umar Latif.  Umar Latif is a very special contributor in the space of behavioral health and first responders.  He's a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology with triple board certification in General Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine.  He was selected as a George W. Bush Institute Scholar in 2021 for his work Veteran improving healthcare outcomes for veterans. Umar is the National Medical Director of Help for Heroes, which he cofounded. Its a multisite specialty program he helped design to meet the clinical needs of active-duty service members, veterans and first responders who are dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues.  He also works as the Medical Director of Carrollton Springs Hospital and has a private practice in North Texas. He was recently featured in an article by the Texas Medical Association in which he tackles the difficult subject of Moral Injury in Physicians.  Please join me in welcoming: Dr. UMAR LATIF to ENROUTE.

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE  I’m Joseph Brigandi. Today we’re being given the opportunity to get inside the mind of a man who’s been inside many criminal minds.  He’s the chief hostage negotiator for the Lubbock Police Department. He’s the author of multiple books, including  fight or flight … negotiating crisis on the front line When every word counts … an insiders view of crisis negotiations And he’s a co-author of Crisis Negotiations, managing critical incidents and hostage situation’s in law-enforcement and corrections, which is currently in its sixth edition He has been providing crisis counseling for police departments for over 20 years. He was a Co Responder long before co responder programs had been invented. He’s a pioneer in the area of integrated mental health services in public safety organizations He’s a Mentor’s, a friend, and he has a great sense of humor.  Please join me and welcoming Dr. Andy Young to this episode of ENROUTE.  Welcome to the First Responder Behavioral Health Institute (FRBHI) Podcast- The platform for podcasts dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of first responders.     Audio Version Here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/FRBHI    In each episode, we delve into the challenges faced by our brave first responders and provide insights from experts in the field. From stress management to coping mechanisms, our goal is to foster a supportive community and promote mental well-being within the first responder community.    Online Courses: Enroll in our specially crafted online courses designed to empower first responders with practical skills for managing stress, building resilience, and fostering a healthy work-life balance. The Institute serves as our international speakers bureau and we bring in an amazing array of talented first responder educators when requested to present to first responder agencies nationally and internationally.   From behavioral health courses to organizational development programs FRBHI is your go to resource for first responder education and training. Reach out and let's talk about how we can help you meet your agencies needs. Join now and take the first step towards prioritizing your mental health.    https://www.frbhi.com/courses/    Connect with Us: Stay connected with our community on social media for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a chance to engage with fellow first responders.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/frbhi/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephBrigandi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRBHI    Join the Movement: Help us spread awareness about the importance of first responder mental health. Share this podcast with your colleagues, friends, and family. Together, let's create a supportive environment for those who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe.    Support the Cause: Consider becoming a patron to support our mission and gain access to exclusive content, Q&A sessions, and more. Your contribution helps us continue our efforts in promoting mental well-being within the first responder community.  https://www.frbhi.com/donations/    Subscribe now for a compassionate journey into the world of first responder mental health, where we explore stories, strategies, and solutions to support the heroes who serve our communities. Thank you for joining us on this important journey. Together, we can make a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of our first responders.   http://www.drandyyoung.com/

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE.  I’m Joseph Brigandi.   Today we have Mark Bouchard visiting with us.  Mark is a current member of the RCMP The Royal Canadian Mounted Police.   He is a member of their ERT Emergency Response Team which is the Canadian equivalent of a SWAT team.  He also holds the special designation and achievement of MEDIC on the team.   He is assigned to the Williams Lake detachment in British Columbia a suburb of Vancouver.  Mark completed a master’s degree in leadership from Royal Rhodes University.   He’s the author of Setting My Sights on Stigma – Thoughts from an Injured Mind.    A book which details his road to recovery and the many challenges he’s faced along the path towards recovery and achieving wellness after receiving a PTSD diagnosis in 2015.   He’s a peer support member and a Road to Mental Readiness Instructor for his agency.   Mark offers a two-part course titled POLICE CULTURE AND LETHAL FORCE DECISIONS on our platform The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute.    I’m my pleasure to welcome Mark Bouchard to ENROUTE. 

Dr. Roger Solomon is a psychologist and psychotherapist specializing in the areas of trauma and grief. He is on the Senior Faculty of the EMDR Institute and provides basic and advanced EMDR training internationally. He currently consults with the US Senate, NASA, and several law enforcement agencies. Dr. Solomon has provided clinical services and training to the FBI, Secret Service, U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. Attorneys), and numerous state and local law enforcement organizations.  Internationally, he consults with the Polizia di Stato in Italy. Moreover, Dr Solomon has planned critical incident programs, provided training for peer support teams and has provided direct services following such tragedies as: Hurricane Katrina,  September 11 terrorist attacks,  the loss of the Shuttle Columbia,  and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Dr. Solomon has expertise in complex trauma, and collaborates with clinicians on utilization of EMDR as informed by clinical understandings on The Structural Dissociation of the Personality (TDSP).  Roger has authored 42 articles and numerus book chapters pertaining to grief, trauma, complex trauma and dissociation.

Welcome to this edition of ENROUTE I’m Joseph Brigandi, thank you for joining us.  Today we have the opportunity to visit with a very unique firefighter paramedic.  Over one million people would say he’s the funniest fire fighter on YouTube with the possible exception of fire fighter, Fenton,  but most of you know him as the brilliant mind behind fire department Chronicles  and the spokesperson for fire department coffee. It’s my extreme pleasure to welcome the comedic genius and the gentle soul that is Jason Patton to Enroute

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Sundahl, firefighter, paramedic, award winning artist and mental health advocate. In the first responder world if you don’t know him by name you most certainly know him by his artwork and images. Daniel talks with us about the therapeutic process, his journey towards post traumatic growth, art as a part of the healing process, and his annual peer recovery and resilience symposium in Canada. Please join me in welcoming Daniel Sundahl to this episode of ENROUTE.

Welcome to this episode of ENROUTE the podcast of the First Responder Behavioral Health Institute. Today we are privileged to have a legend in the area of fire department leadership on the show with us. Frank Viscuso, FRANK has a long history of published works and public speaking engagements including. · Step Up and Lead · Step Up Your Teamwork · Flashpoint: Ignite Your Team and Forge a Winning Culture · It’s Time to Step Up · Common Valor: The True Stories of Americas Bravest · Fireground Operational Guides · Practice Scenarios · The Mentor · Sprinkles the Fire Dog ONE AND TWO He’s a regular contributor to Fire Engineering Magazine. Frank is a keynote speaker who is booked all over the country and internationally over 60 times a year. LET’S WELCOME CHIEF FRANK VISCUSO

We will have best-selling author Michael Sugrue the author of RELENTLESS COURAGE: Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma. Michael is a medically retired police officer and an air force veteran who has served all over the world and returned home to serve his community as a police officer and detective. Suffering a critical incident on the job placed him in the unenviable position of seeking solutions to his trauma and ultimately documenting his road to recovery in his book RELENTLESS COURAGE.  Michael’s mission is to help first responders overcome traumatic related incidents and normalize mental health within the first responder community. One of the ways he does this is by public speaking, seminars, workshops and by serving in a peer support role with The West Coast Trauma Retreat and as an ambassador for the Save a Warrior Program.