CISM News
Stress can feel even tougher than usual during the holiday season — especially in 2020. Practicing rituals of self care can help calm your mind and relieve stress.
The holiday season can be a joyous yet demanding time. This is particularly true this year, in the face of the challenges we all have had with COVID-19. However, many find that taking time for yourself is something we can do to reduce stress. From all of us at ICISF, may you find a renewed sense of Joy and Peace this holiday season.
- How To Deal With Grief If It’s Your First Holiday Without A Loved One
- A Pandemic Holiday Season Offers Opportunities For Community, Too
- A New Program Pairs Crisis Response Dogs Along with Chaplains to Provide Emotional Support to Firefighters
- Mental Health Has Been a Prevailing Health Issue Among Firefighters and COVID-19 Has Poured Gasoline on a Fire That May Soon Be an Out of Control Raging Inferno
- Utah Law Enforcement: There Has Been an Uptick in Officers Reaching Out For Help with Mental Health Issues This Year
- Law Enforcement Officers Are Just as Susceptible to Life’s Challenges as Anyone Else
- 911 Operators Face Untold Stress on the Job. Sometimes They Need Help, Too
- Veteran with PTSD and his Family are Gifted a Home for the Brave
- Veterans’ Mental health issues: Programs developed to combat them
- “The impact of pandemics on health professionals”
- First Responders reaching out for mental health support: increase of 50%
- National First Responders Day: Break down the stigma
- 911 night-shift supervisor launches peer support team
- First responders in all 50 states using University of Minnesota app to manage compassion fatigue
- Helping Australia’s first responders deal with the trauma they see daily
- VALUE LIFE: Pandemic, civil unrest affecting first responder mental health
- Mental Health Awareness for first responders
- Opinion: Peer support can help bridge gaps in mental-health services
ICISF is proud to be a National Strategic Partner with the Lighthouse Health & Wellness to share their important mission and resources for public safety officials and agencies.
Lighthouse Health & Wellness, New ICISF Partner
The Lighthouse Health & Wellness Mission
Their mission is two-fold. First and foremost, Lighthouse Health & Wellness seeks to ensure that every public safety agency in the nation is able to provide its employees and families with confidential and anonymous access to health and wellness resources. Second, they want to foster the discovery, development, and distribution of health and wellness tools, information, and initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by first responders and those who support them.
Providing Access with No Strings Attached & the Desire to Give Back
When it comes to something as critically important as officer’s mental health, profits shouldn’t be the highest priority. Our public safety officials deserve streamlined access to these essential and potentially life-saving tools, and Lighthouse Health & Wellness is proud to be able to deliver that service free of charge.
Additionally, they can provide customizable agency-branded apps that house the core tools, along with additional features for a very reasonable price. The funds raised from the custom version allow them to continue to innovate and expand program awareness.
As the Lighthouse Health & Wellness community grows, they pledge to foster the discovery, development, and distribution of health and wellness tools, information, and initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by first responders and those who support them.
Law Enforcement Health & Wellness Scholarship Application
In partnership with the National Center for the Prevention of Community Violence and supported by funding from Apex Mobile, Lighthouse Health & Wellness is now offering scholarships for the development of custom health & wellness applications to law enforcement agencies across the nation as part of Project Lighthouse.
The Project Lighthouse initiative promotes public safety wellness through use of mobile app and web portal platforms to provide our nation’s first responders and families confidential, anonymous access to culturally competent, cutting edge health/wellness information and resources.
- The pandemic proves we all should know ‘psychological first aid.’
- Positive result on PTSD screen linked to 58% increase in veteran suicide mortality risk
- Peer Support: The missing piece of the mental health puzzle
- Researchers work to help COVID-19 responders in mental distress
- Whether it’s hurricanes or COVID-19, disasters are driving a mental health crisis
- September is National Preparedness month! Disasters Don’t Wait- Make your plan today
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2020
First Responders Dealing with PTSD is the Focus of an Upcoming Documentary
Frederick, MD – PTSD is having an impact on first responders all across the United States and a new documentary is being developed to tell the story. Filmmakers, Conrad Weaver and Nancy Frohman are working on the documentary in order to shed light on this ongoing issue that has often been ignored or glossed over.
PTSD911 will be a feature-length documentary telling the stories of fire fighters, paramedics, police officers, and 911 dispatchers who are struggling with the effects of years of encountering severe traumatic incidents. Suicide rates among first responder groups in the United States are much higher than the general population. In 2016, 139 firefighters died by suicide; and in 2019, 228 police officers died by suicide, nearly twice the number of officers who died in line of duty. Both firefighters and police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Many first responders self-medicate with alcohol or other self-destructive and abusive behaviors in an effort to cope with the stress and trauma they deal with daily. And unfortunately, many of their agencies are not providing them a supportive environment where they can get help.
Weaver says the film will help educate the general public about the stressors first responders face, “We expect them to show up when we call and take care of us when we’re at our worst. We know they are heroes; but we don’t realize that many are in trouble themselves!” Weaver hopes the film will not only raise awareness, but also inspire systemic changes in agencies that don’t have adequate support systems in place to care for members who are suffering from post-traumatic stress.
The film project has been endorsed by a number of organizations who provide help and training for first responders, including Concerns of Police Survivors, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Blue HELP, the National Emergency Number Association, and others; a complete list can be found on the film’s web site, www.ptsd911movie.com.
The filmmakers recently released a teaser trailer for PTSD911 and they have launched a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo.com (bit.ly/PTSD911) to raise funds for the production of the film. “We’ll begin working on this as soon as the funds are in place and COVID-19 restrictions are eased allowing us to travel more freely. We hope to have the film completed by
Fall of 2021,” says Weaver.
To learn more about PTSD911, visit the web site at www.ptsd911movie.com
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Many 911 responders often experience critical incidents that break their spirits and leave them with physical and emotional scars. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder negatively impacts mental wellbeing, interferes with work performance, relationships, and self-care. It may increase premature retirements, marital discord, and even suicide. The more we know about PTSD, the more we can reduce its risk. PTSD is treatable and we encourage people to seek help before more serious damage occurs. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder effects can be reduced and in many cases eliminated. This PTSD911 documentary can help individuals suffering from PTSD to have hope that tomorrow will be a better day than today.
