Mastering the Mental Load of First Responder PTSD Through Resiliency
First responders often carry lingering mental images of crisis and overarching feelings of despair. When a shift is over, firefighters, police officers, and dispatchers go to their homes and families, expected to enjoy their off time, but instead are filled with sadness. Brains are trained to process trauma the same way, but individual coping capacity can vary wildly. While essential training helps to ensure respondents are tactically getting the job done in an efficient manner, they are not trained to mitigate the effects of numerous traumatic events they experience firsthand. Culminating such incredible challenges while on the job can be potentially life-altering.
Full-scale resiliency is a concept meant to help mitigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through education, peer support training, and entrenching a culture of resiliency throughout an entire department. It empowers every first responder to use techniques that promote a life where they can be “stronger on the backside” and where “every first responder is a peer.” For risk managers engaged in mental health advocacy, it offers the possibility of educating first responders on managing the chronic stressors experienced on a daily account.
In this session from PRIMA 2024, a panel of experts broke down the importance of full-scale resiliency training. From combatting the impact of PTSD to promoting mental wellness, leaders across the industry identify some of the main benefits of first responder resiliency, while detailing effective techniques to help support your risk management strategy.
Speakers included:
- Ariel Jenkins – Assistant Vice President – Risk Services, Safety National
- Brenda Tilman – Principal, Readiness Group, LLC
- Erika Sallee – Owner and CEO, Readiness Group, LLC
- Kelly Guidry – Chief Operations Officer, Readiness Group, LLC
Resiliency Defined
In simple terms, resiliency can be viewed as a method to help keep up in moments of adversity, but in the context of first responders, it has evolved into so much more. Not just a conditioned mentality and attitude, resiliency is a process that provides humans with the ability to bounce back from hardship.
Whether in law enforcement or medical practice, a first responder is programmed to think “then what?” Every day, they experience chronic stress on various accounts. On the scene, first responders activate a safety factor known as “the thousand-yard stare.” An age-old technique, this tactic is intended to help first responders push through the chaos of a traumatic environment, but consequentially, it often pockets the disturbing details post-traumatically.
Reacting to Trauma
Trauma is different for everyone. What is traumatic to one person may not apply to the next. While trauma is a fresh feeling in our consciousness, it doesn’t affect us all uniformly. It comes and goes in various forms at unpredictable times, but it never completely gets pushed away.
Our brain interprets trauma through experience and survival. After a traumatic feeling sets in, we face a choice—give in to the emotion or take a proactive approach towards healing. Humans develop an innate ability to cope with traumatic issues, but our coping capacity is controllable. Whether positive or negative, we ultimately decide how it dictates our thoughts and actions.
The Scale of PTSD
PTSD has always been a prevalent topic in the world of first response, especially with the rising concern of mental health awareness. In today’s landscape, 80% of the first responders experience traumatic events on the job. Studies show that now, 1 in every 3 first responders develop PTSD compared to a 1 in 5 general population.
Mental stress isn’t the only downfall related to PTSD either. Many times, significant financial complications follow a traumatic event. Overall, a great uncertainty exists around the cost of claims. According to a CA Public Entity Report, “Mental Disorders coupled with accumulated trauma are particularly expensive, averaging $132,000 for a 2012 to 2019 period.”
Today, nearly a dozen states have introduced legislation to expand, enhance, or presume mental injuries. In 2023, NCCI reported that six states enacted legislation to make PTSD for First Responders compensable or more compensable. Connecticut expanded compensability for all workers, while Washington expanded to nurses. Currently, Minnesota is undergoing various studies to improve outcomes of work-related PTSD as a whole.
A Culture of Resiliency
A resilient culture is built on the foundation of three important principles:
- Supportive leadership
- Effective peer support
- Individual practice
While the leadership component is not mandatory for the resiliency program to work, it remains an imperative element. It makes an immense difference when supervisors and administrators believe in their resiliency strategy and process.
Resiliency Framework
As we trend towards a movement of mental and physical wellness, more and more first responders are developing greater value for the responsibility of resiliency from leaders to peers. To carry out the greatest effect from resiliency tactics, it is critical to prioritize the “three R’s.”
- Readiness: Accessible resources and education.
- Response: Adaptable critical response procedures when reacting to trauma (often peer-driven support).
- Recovery: Providing applicable resources to help stimulate healthy coping and healing.
Red to Green Reset
Resiliency is not just about adapting to challenges; it is an opportunity to reset and rebuild. Severe trauma can create major setbacks, both personally and professionally, but proper resiliency can help thwart damming effects. Craving a fresh start, first responders look for opportunities to proactively adjust their mentality before the trauma takes its toll. Following an incident response protocol like the “red to green reset” pattern can help pinpoint the severity of risks in various situations.
Much like a stoplight, “the red to green reset” is split into three phases of colors:
- Red: The most serious phase, the red label identifies when someone is regularly living and coping with ongoing accounts of chronic stress. If you find yourself in the red category, you are often experiencing great duress stemming from traumatic situations.
- Green: During the green stage, one is more aware of their own trauma. Unlike the red phase, someone in green has a clearer vision of the conflict, and can effectively view the full scope of the situation without being fully consumed by stress.
- Orange: Much like the body’s natural fight or flight response, the orange category indicates when the window of tolerance is diminished. Essentially, one can sense when the trauma is picking up, which often sets up the transition into the red pattern.
Resiliency Call to Action
When it comes to resiliency training, the goal is to bridge the gap between risk management and first response. This requires creative resourcing and an adaptable strategy. First responders must be equipped to roll with the situations they continually encounter while on the job. So, when identifying PTSD, the key is to educate people early and build versatile techniques to help mitigate potential risks.
Keep in mind, it takes 30 days to fulfill a PTSD diagnosis. By showing initiative and enacting a philosophy like the “lean it, live it, and lead it” model within a first response unit, leaders can help curb future physiological dangers for everyone in the division.
- Learn it – Understanding and empathizing with chronic stress and traumatic events.
- Live it – Leaders and supervisors taking personal action to combat associated factors of PTSD.
- Lead it – Continual education and demonstration of healthy and applicable treatments and coping.