The hosts of the H.A.L.T. and Call for Backup podcast series, Jim McLintock and Mike Koch, and Cassie Sexton, series regular, get into the nitty gritty of addiction, trauma, and the day of small beginnings in emergency response.
Melissa Alterio, Director of Emergency Communications at Cobb County 911, discusses her paper “Peer Support Programs – Mitigating the Emotional Effects of Vicarious Trauma Experienced by 911 Dispatchers.” She talks about the methods for writing it and the takeaways for emergency dispatchers.
The occupational demands of public safety communicators has led to conditions such as high levels of stress, anxiety and PTSD1-4
Chaplain Russell Myers, Allina Health EMS, talks about the role of chaplains in EMS and emergency dispatch. He discusses research he's conducted about the most stressful EMS calls as well as things to consider when deciding whether to bring a chaplain into your center...
Historically, 911 professionals have not received specialized training in dispatch and call management related to mental crises and suicidality. This lack of training may contribute to lack of confidence and elevated anxiety in successfully handling these call types. A new model of training, Emergency Mental Health Dispatching™ (EMHD), which aims to equip 911 professionals to manage these calls has been developed to address this need. The objective of this case study was to measure the impact of EMHD via two specific aims. The first aim...
Isabel talks with Dr. David Rozek, a clinical psychologist at the University of Utah. They discuss similarities between veterans and first responders, what cognitive processing therapy focuses on, and how to begin managing the effects of trauma in your own life right now...
Isabel talks with Rhonda Kelly, ResponderStrong Program Manager at the National Mental Health Innovation Center. They discuss Rhonda's circuitous route to her current career, barriers to emergency responders getting mental health help they need, and where mental health treatment is heading...
Isabel talks with Julie Hardle, Manager of Recovery and Resiliency for Optum Salt Lake County. They discuss the origin of Mental Health First Aid, rituals to put in your self-care toolbox, and how common mental illness is...
Emergency dispatchers serve as a unique population to examine the impact of exposure to trauma given their continuous indirect exposure to stressful and traumatic calls. Furthermore, the unique experiences of emergency dispatchers warrants consideration of preventative measures to mitigate the negative outcomes associated with the job. Due to the continuous stress and exposure to trauma, present perceived control is offered as a variable of interest. Present perceived control (PPC) is examined in two studies by the present...
Emergency dispatchers are exposed to potentially traumatic events at rates that likely exceed that of emergency first responders. Although not physically present at the time of the incident, it is likely that this repeated exposure in concert with highly stressful work conditions could lead to potentially negative emotional and physical outcomes. To date few studies have examined rates of stress related pathology and subsequent impairment in emergency dispatchers. The following study takes an initial step to investigate rates of Acute Stress Disorder, Secondary Traumatic Stress and...