Boise Police Chief Bill Bones addressing need for PTSD help

A week after stabbings, his city gives Boise's police chief hope 'to create good out of horror'
Idaho Statesman
Katy Moeller
July 7, 2018

"One can imagine what it would be like for paramedics, firefighters and others to see the horrific injuries of these victims — these small young children," Murphy said in a phone interview from Seattle. "It may be more than a human being is meant to bear."

Boise Police Chief Bill Bones was visibly emotional during a press conference Sunday, July 1. "These are victims who in their past homes have fled violence from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia," Bones said.
Meiying Wu

The emotional calluses of a 25-year career in law enforcement appeared to have been ripped away when Boise Police Chief Bill Bones stepped in front of the cameras at City Hall West on July 1.

The towering, soft-spoken chief choked back tears as he described the horror of the night before — an "evil" attack that left the largest number of victims in an incident in department history.

Nine people were stabbed, including six children, who were at or near a 3-year-old's birthday party at the Wylie Street Station Apartments just off State Street. All of the victims were members of refugee families from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia.

"Obviously, I have cried during this event," Bones said a couple of days later in an interview at his office. "Thankfully, I was alone yesterday when I found out that we had lost our little girl — because she really is, in a part, she is a daughter of the entire community. She's a part of who we are."

"I have a department of people that got into this job, into this career, because they're here to take care of others, to help others. We try hard to get them to take care of themselves," he said. "None of us do the best job at that."read more here

Florida went backwards on Suicide Prevention

Florida went backwards on Suicide Prevention
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 11, 2018

Suicide rates up 10 percent in Florida, CDC study shows
Suicide rates rose more 10 percent in Florida over a 17-year period, a new government study showed Thursday.

"Rates were up 10.6 percent from 1999 to 2016 according to the report from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention."

OK and yet, after being in Florida for 14 years, trained by most of the "experts" offering Crisis Intervention Training, topped off with being in this work for over 36 years, I am left with a gnawing thought. With all we've know for all they years we've known it, how has it gotten worse?

How is it that with so many running around Florida, and the rest of the country, screaming about suicide awareness, have not managed to learn anything before they decided to share their stunning lack of knowledge?

It isn't that we lack real experts. You know, like the ones who taught the classes I took, wrote the manuals I read and yes, gave presentations on what to do and when to do it.

Unfortunately, I have been to too many events where the self-claimed experts did not know much at all. Like the ones running around screaming about veterans committing suicide, using an "easy number to remember" as if that was all they were. Apparently these folks did not think they needed to know anything beyond what a reporter put into a headline.

Well, the above is a great example of what happens when people preach what they did not take the time to learn. 

Volusia County suicide rates continue to exceed state levels
Daytona Beach News Journal
Seth Robbins
June 11, 2018

“Take this with you, and take care of each other,” he said. “We have to watch out for each other, and we need to keep our eyes peeled and ears pricked to any signs of PTSD.”

Salvatore Gintoli spoke frankly to law enforcement and other first responders about mental illness and suicide — issues that often go undiscussed but are widespread.

Gintoli, a senior director of crisis services at Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare, was leading a course that aims to provide the skills to recognize mental health issues and reduce the stigma that surrounds them.

“People need to understand that mental illness and substance abuse are not the result of character flaws or personal weakness,” he said. “These are medical illnesses that are treatable.”

A report released last week by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention was a stark reminder that suicide remains an intractable public health crisis and that there is still much to be done in addressing mental illness within the U.S. According to the report, the suicide rate increased 25.6 percent nationwide from 1996 to 2016, with only one state — Nevada — seeing its rate fall. Florida’s suicide rate increased 10.6 percent, though most states saw larger jumps.

The numbers came out at the same time people were mourning the deaths of celebrity designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain, both of whom committed suicide. Their sudden deaths have received widespread attention, with fans of each expressing dismay and fond remembrances across social media.

“What happened is tragic,” said Kim Beck-Frate, licensed mental-health counselor in the traumatic loss program for Halifax Health Hospice of Volusia/Flagler.
read more here

So now were are left with veterans, first responders, families, all ready to accept the fact the jobs they decided to do could cost them their lives but end up facing the job itself was more dangerous off the clock and we wonder why. 

Too bad that I trained way back in 2008 to 2010 on how to help First Responders right there on the East Coast. 2008 with the International Fellowship of Chaplains, 2009 with Center for Disaster and Extreme Event Preparedness and a lot more conferences just like the one above. 

How is it that we seem to have gone backwards?

First Responder suicide shows when press leaves, the event does not

Death by suicide of paramedic who rushed to Quebec City mosque attack shines light on trauma risks for first-responders
The Star
By ALLAN WOODS Quebec Bureau
June 1, 2018

“They try to push through it. They go back to work and they push through it and they push through it and they push through it, until they can’t push through it anymore. That can be months or years down the line.” Dr. Jonathan Douglas

MONTREAL—In Lucie Roy’s retelling, the chain of events that led to her daughter’s suicide began with the burst of gunshots that killed six men and injured five others in a Quebec City mosque in January 2017.

Andréanne Leblanc, 31, was a paramedic who responded to the deadly Quebec City mosque shooting in January 2017. Her mother said the experience contributed to her suicide in March 2018. (FACEBOOK)

Andréanne Leblanc was on shift that Sunday night. She was one of the first paramedics to arrive at the bloody scene that greatly traumatized Canadians.

She and her work partner transported one of the victims to hospital. In the fear and confusion of that frigid winter night, as police hunted the armed and fleeing killer, they were told to prepare in case there were other victims.

Leblanc, 31, didn’t talk to her family about what she had experienced.

That seems to have been part of her nature.

Her grieving mother wants to draw attention to the mental health problems faced by her daughter and other emergency workers who work in difficult or potentially distressing conditions.
read more here

Song for First Responders PTSD Winner ECM

Powerful music video earns Kevin Davison first ECMA win

Kings County News
Ashley Thompson
Updated: 5 hours ago

Tribute to First Responders - Official Music Video by Kevin Davison

KENTVILLE - Kevin Davison’s gripping music video offering a glimpse into the harrowing jobs of first responders has earned the local country crooner his first ECMA win.

Davison was nearly in a state of disbelief as he walked up to the stage at the East Coast Music Awards ceremony in Halifax May 6 to collect the hardware reserved for Video of the Year winner. “I was totally shocked,” he said in a brief phone interview May 7.

“I literally didn’t even have anything written down.”

A paramedic and volunteer firefighter hailing from Kentville, Davison was nominated for the video for When Those Sirens Are Gone – an anthem for first responders that has been heard throughout the world.

The video, directed by David Pichette, earned Davison a nomination in a category contested by some of the best in the business: Heather Rankin, Ria Mae, Rose Cousins and Wordburglar.
read more here

Kevin Davison won his first East Coast Music Award May 6 as the successful nominee in the highly contested Video of the Year category.

Davison released a rough video of him performing "When Those Sirens Are Gone" on Facebook. What was meant as a message to his fellow colleagues that they were not alone in their struggles with PTSD, in just 3 months, has not only raised awareness but has caught the attention of hundreds of thousands on social media around the globe. 

Why let your engine overheat?

Crying keeps your engine cool!
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 6, 2018

We have all heard the saying "men don't cry" but that must have originated from a man who couldn't do it. Think of what he was like. He must have been one nasty individual.

Imagine not being able to cope with strong emotions. Then again, imagine what it must have been like to not be able to release that negative power. His engine must have overheated all the time.

Radiators A radiator is an integral part of your car’s engine coolant system. Its primary task is to keep the engine cool — if the radiator were to malfunction, the pistons would seize up, destroying the engine. In effect, the radiator along with the rest of the cooling system is your personal insurance against a devastating repair bill.

If you have PTSD after doing your job, then there are things you need to know beyond what you imagine.

You may think that others like you do not need to cry. After all, you are so courageous that you were willing to die for the sake of someone else. Right? Why were you willing to do that? Is it because you did not care about any of them?

Would it help to know that one of the most courageous men to walk this earth cried? 

He was feeling such empathy for someone else, he could not control his emotions and he wept.

I am sure by now you know where I am going with this. That man was Jesus. When He was in the garden, knowing His days on earth were coming to an end, He had such and inner struggle going on that when He did not weep, the emotional pressure was so great that his sweat came out as drops of blood.

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22)

His engine overheated. Now, sure, you can dismiss all of this but then you'd have to dismiss the fact that Jesus knew all along who He was and what He was supposed to do. He also knew when it would happen. 
read more here

Front-line stress and trauma: are Island first responders prepared?
Oak Bay News
KATHERINE ENGQVIST
Apr. 28, 2018

“The one thing we’re not prepared for is how this job will effect you,” Savoia said, emphasizing a need for more pre-incident training. “PTSD strikes when you least expect it.”

Emergency responders carry a man to an awaiting ambulance after being extricated from his pickup truck, one of two vehicles involved in a collision along Highway 97B in Salmon Arm (Lachlan Labere/Salmon Arm Observer file)

Big Read: Industry leaders call for more pre-incident training

They’re first on scene and there when you need them.

But for public service members who dedicate themselves to helping others, sometimes the biggest challenge is taking care of themselves.

It’s a lesson Michael Swainson learned the hard way.

“A lot of people suffer in silence … First responders put everybody else first – that’s the nature of the beast – we’re really shitty at taking care of ourselves.”

Swainson worked in the Yukon for 25 years as a paramedic, emergency medical services supervisor and dispatch supervisor, firefighter, professional ski patroller, and a disaster trainer and evaluator. As a paramedic alone, he went on roughly 6,000 calls in Whitehorse. For that area it was normal. If he had been working somewhere like Vancouver, he said that number could have easily been double.

“For first responders it’s a conveyor belt of trauma, eventually you run out of coping strategies,” Swainson said.
read more here

Florida First Responders Covered for PTSD!

Gov. Scott in Tampa today to sign first responder bill 
WFLA News 
Avery Cotton 
March 27, 2018 

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Governor Rick Scott will be in Tampa today to sign a bill into law that aims to help Florida first responders who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Florida lawmakers passed the bill extending workers' compensation benefits for first responders to include treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. 

The Florida House of Representatives voted unanimously for the legislation (SB 376) . 

Lawmakers have heard stories of firefighters and police officers who have taken their own lives or can no longer do their jobs because of repeated exposure to horrific deaths and tragedies, but they don't have benefits that include treatment for PTSD. 

Right now workers' compensation benefits only cover physical injuries. read more here

Florida First Responders PTSD Bill Being Signed Tuesday!

Gov. Scott to sign PTSD legislation into law at Tampa Firefighter Museum
ClickOrlando.com
By Mike Holfeld - Investigative Reporter
March 26, 2018

News 6 will join first responders, their families for special ceremony

Gov. Rick Scott will sign legislation Tuesday that will provide first responders with wage compensation as they receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Senate Bill 376, approved unanimously by both the Senate and the House, will provide workers compensation benefits, “Providing that, under certain circumstances, post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a first responder is an occupational disease compensable by workers’ compensation benefits.”

The new law eliminates the mandate that a physical injury must accompany the PTSD diagnosis.

During a special ceremony honoring state fire fighters in Tallahassee earlier this month, Scott took a moment to honor first responders lost in the line of duty and to PTSD.

“I want to thank all firefighters for the sacrifices they make,” he said. “I intend to sign it (SB 376) as soon as it reaches my desk.”

Scott and Chief Financial Officer/State Fire Marshall Jimmy Patronis will join dozens of first responders and their families at a special bill signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the Tampa Firefighter Museum.

In an exclusive interview, Patronis said the stories covered by News 6 along with his meeting with first responders and their families, inspired him to make the PTSD law his top priority.

“Suicide in that profession is five times higher than the rest of the United States. I hate that those sacrifices had to take place in order to bring this issue to light,” he said.

Jessica Realin, wife of Pulse first responder Gerry Realin, has been an instrumental force in pushing for PTSD legislation.
read more here

Gov. Rick Scott to sign PTSD Benefits Bill for first responders

Gov. Rick Scott declared this day Florida Firefighters Appreciation Day and urged the community to thank first responders. Gov. Scott also announced he will sign a PTSD Benefits Bill. It's a continuation of the state's support of first responders and their families. It will ensure those firefighters suffering from PTSD will receive workers’ compensation benefits.

"It's a hidden killer in the profession. This benefit is needed so we ensure our firefighters don't have... their only option, our first responders don't look to suicide as the outlet to sort through the demons they deal with and these horrific images," said Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis. 
By: Erika Fernandez | WCTV Eyewitness News
March 7, 2018
read more here

Veterans and First Responders Join Forces Fighting PTSD

Over 150 vets, first responders bicycle through FWB
Northwest Florida Daily News
Jim Thompson
March 7, 2018

The rides are part of the work done by Project Hero, a national nonprofit organization that works to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder, supports community-based rehabilitation and recovery programs and stages Ride 2 Recovery events like the United Healthcare Gulf Coast Challenge.

OKALOOSA ISLAND — More than 150 veterans and first responders, along with supporters, rode their bicycles through Fort Walton Beach on Wednesday in the United Healthcare Gulf Coast Challenge.

The ride began Monday in Tallahassee and will cover 450 miles before it ends Saturday in New Orleans. Along the way, participating veterans and first responders will exercise their muscles and also find opportunities to exorcise any unseen wounds to their spirits and psyches.

“I ride to run away from the memories,” said Leo Santamaria, a Vietnam veteran participating in his 11th Challenge ride. Santamaria was among the riders who started out Wednesday morning from the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort on Okaloosa Island for the day’s ride to Pensacola.

Santamaria said his service in Veitnam left him with a number of personal problems.

“I don’t like to remember those,” he said.
read more here

How S.C. first responders are trying to save their own

Firefighter suicides outnumber line-of-duty deaths. How S.C. first responders are trying to save their own.
The Post and Courier
Angie Jackson
February 18, 2018

Suicides such as Emily Avin’s were once overlooked by firefighters and paramedics eager to maintain an image of bravery and invincibility. But that’s changing as the profession acknowledges a deadly scourge that claims more lives than the perils firefighters face in the line of duty.

Emily Avin was supposed to come home that day in September.

Her parents had arranged it: Avin would move back into their country home in the small Florence County town of Pamplico, where she grew up playing softball and cheering for her high school football team as the mascot. It would be a break, for a month or so, from her job as a paramedic, a career the young woman loved but now found emotionally draining.

She worked one last 24-hour shift in Aiken. Afterward, instead of driving across the state, Avin called her mother upset.

Sue Ann Avin detected hopelessness in her daughter’s voice.

“Emily, you’re not thinking about doing anything to hurt yourself, are you?”

Later that morning, Emily Avin called 911 from her home in Aiken to report a suicide.

She then picked up a gun, walked outside and pulled the trigger before anyone could reach her. She was 26.
read more here

God grant me peace with memories of yesterday

A Prayer For Heroes
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 29, 2018

God grant me peace with memories of yesterday.

Courage to face what comes knowing I can make a difference this day.

Hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

Yesterday is gone. I cannot change what has been.

Help me do the best I can today and tomorrow, begin again.

You created me to be able to help others.

Help me to accept help from others.

You created within me courage to do what had to be done.

Help me to ask for help when the one in need is this one.

You surrounded me with people who would die for me.

Help me trust them with my heart so they may see the wound within me.

Let me accept help so that I may continue to 
do for others as you created me to do.
Kathie Costos 
©2018

When I think about regular people, like me, losing hope to the point where they commit suicide, it is heartbreaking. 

Hope is what keeps all of us from giving up this life we have. Often it is not enough to love others, if we feel as if we do not deserve to be loved.

There was a time in my life when I felt that way. While I did not attempt suicide, I prayed that God would to it for me. I lost hope, a sense of self worth, but above those, I lost faith that God even cared about me.

When the people committing suicide were those who dedicated their lives to saving others, it is beyond heartbreaking.

If you are among those in the military, veterans, police, firefighters and first responders, please read the prayer I wrote for you because after all these years of working with some of you, that is what I see within all of you!

Florida First Responders example of wrong way PTSD crash!

Will Florida do the right thing for our First Responders...finally? If we do not acknowledge that this is a wound that comes with the job, then our veterans will think Florida feels the same way about them.

It is a simple question. Do we value those who risk their lives for us or not?

With emotion, legislators and relatives of late firefighters push PTSD bill

Florida Politics

Danny Mculiffe

January 16, 2018

“The numbers don’t lie,” Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer and state marshal said. He cited research from 2015 that showed 15 percent of firefighters had made at least one attempt at suicide during their career, while 46 percent of firefighters had thought about taking their lives.

“Recovering a toddler’s body from the river, pulling bodies from a car that ended up in a canal and carrying a decapitated teen’s body across the sand who was the victim of a shark attack would certainly take a toll on anyone,” Leslie Dangerfield said behind teary eyes.

She was describing the atrocities her husband, Indian River Battalion Chief David Dangerfield, had witnessed before he ultimately took his life. Leading up to her husband’s suicide, Leslie Dangerfield said his behavior had changed. He had succumbed to the “beast of PTSD,” or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Leslie Dangerfield told her story during a press conference Wednesday aiming to alert the public on bills in the Legislature this year that would provide workers’ compensation for first responders suffering from PTSD.

Currently, workers’ compensation laws do not provide for benefits in cases of first responders suffering from mental health-related injuries, unless they are accompanied by physical injury.

The issue has permeated the judiciary branch. 

Compensation Judge Neal Pitts denied workers’ compensation for former Orlando Police officer Gerry Realin last week. Realin responded to the Pulse nightclub shooting, which left 49 massacred and 58 others injured in June 2016.
read more here 

PTSD Expert Responds to Firefighters in Palm Beach

Palm Beach Fire Rescue hosts national firefighter PTSD expert for training course

WPTV 5 News

Amy Lipman

January 12, 2018

"Silence often surrounds the emotions that come with constantly witnessing tragedy."

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - More firefighters committed suicide in the U.S. than died in the line of duty in 2015 and 2016, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. That group’s founder is part of a movement to try to change those statistics.

“Saying that we’re supposed to be strong and brave and handle it ourselves, it’s impossible to do," said Jeff Dill, founder and CEO of FBHA.

Palm Beach Fire Rescue firefighters along with members of other departments around the area sat in on training sessions with Dill. 

Years of research has gone into the course he around the country, but Indian River County Battalion Chief David Dangerfield is the reason he came to South Florida to talk about it. Dangerfield suffered from PTSD and committed suicide in October 2016. Dangerfield’s wife, Leslie, set up the training.

read more here 

First Responders and Veterans with PTSD Share Healing Horse Power

Veterans, first responders with PTSD encouraged to find peace in Middleburg horse pasture

Florida Times Union Jacksonville

Joe Daraskevich

December 26 2017

“I want people to know that this is a place that nobody is going to be judging them.This is a peaceful place away from all distractions.” Rebecca Davenport

Rebecca Davenport envisions veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder enjoying yoga classes, group meetings, counseling or alone time in a peaceful spot where horses graze and city sounds are miles away.

For years she’s offered help to veterans suffering from physical and emotional issues through interaction with horses at Hope Therapy in Middleburg. Now she feels she has more to offer for anyone with PTSD who needs a place to get away.

“The back of our property is under some really pretty oaks,” Davenport said. “I decided there needed to be something out there.”

With construction assistance from sailors stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Davenport added a gazebo, a fire pit, benches and a pergola to create an atmosphere where veterans can escape the stresses of life.

read more here

Deeper Problem When Life Savers Commit Suicide

First Responders Should Never Be Last Lives Saved
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 9, 2017

We can talk all we want about "suicide awareness" but when we're talking about men and women, valuing the lives of others so much, they are willing to die for strangers, dying by choice should never happen.

That is the point to all of this, or at least it should be. Whenever you read statistics about civilians committing suicide, it is vital to consider that those who serve the rest of us, are just as human as the rest of us. Now try to imagine those humans ready to face the day knowing it could be their last one on their job, and on this earth.

None of this is new.

"For many first responders, post-traumatic stress disorder is becoming part of the job." 

"Becoming part of the job" is what this article implies. The trouble is, when you look at the research on the link, it is clear, PTSD has been part of the job for a very long time.

In the wake of suicide: Developing guidelines for suicide postvention in fire service

Because of the nature of the job, many of the 1.1 million firefighters in the United States are routinely exposed to high levels of traumatic and occupational stress (Beaton and Murphy, 1993; Haynes and Stein, 2014; Kimbrel et al., 2011), both of which are associated with mental health problems such as PTSD, alcohol use, and depression (e.g., Byrne and Espnes, 2008; Corneil, Beaton, Murphy, Johnson, and Pike, 1999; Kimbrel et al., 2011; Murphy, Beaton, Pike, and Johnson, 1999; North et al., 2002; Tak, Driscoll, Bernard, and West, 2007). Of most relevance to the current project is that these disorders are associated with increased risk for suicide (e.g., Cougle, Keough, Riccardi, and Sachs-Ericsson, 2009; Kessler, Borges, and Walters, 1999; Nock et al., 2009). Thus, the stresses of the job and frequency of these high-risk disorders among emergency responders has led to the rising concern about suicide in fire service (Armstrong, 2014; Dill and Lowe, 2012; Finney et al., 2015; Gliha, 2010; Miller, 2015; Peluso, 2010).

Shouldn't we be asking why they are not taken care of after all these years? We depend on them being there when we need them. When exactly do we show up when they need us?

First Responders, Families Fight For PTSD Coverage Under Workers Comp

WFSU By KATE PAYNE • 12 HOURS AGO

Credit Ariel Dovas via flickr

First responders run towards crashes, emergencies and catastrophes, not away from them. And for some, their experiences are leading to post traumatic stress disorder. But in Florida, first responders who develop PTSD on the job don’t get compensated, unless they have a physical injury as well. Now there are efforts at the statehouse to change that. A note to listeners, the following story includes frank discussion of death and suicide. 
read more here

Florida First Responders Fighting PTSD Comp

Florida bills could allow first responders to get workers' comp for PTSD

WPTV 5 News

Amy Lipman

December 2, 2017

"I started to withdraw from family, friends," Wallwork said. "Further and further from any social interaction. Hyper vigilance. I was always worried about bad things happening."Wallwork has worked in fire rescue for 28 years. He was diagnosed with PTSD two years ago.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - First responders run toward danger, risk their lives and witness tragedy first-hand, but if all of that results in mental distress, they can't get workers' compensation for it under current Florida law.

“We see things that you can only imagine in a movie and then we’re expected to get right back on the truck, go to the next call without time to process it," said Pete Wallwork, who suffers from PTSD as a result of his career as a firefighter.

read more here

$178 million investment for Florida's active military, veterans

Gov. Rick Scott proposes $178 million investment for Florida's active military, veterans
ABC 27 News
November 13, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Gov. Rick Scott says he supports a proposal to provide free college tuition to the families of first responders, state law enforcement officers and military members who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The Florida governor announced that he will $178 million in total funding to support active military, veterans and their families in Florida as part of his 2018-2019 recommended budget.

He also said he supports a proposal being considered by the Constitution Revision Commission to provide free tuition to the families of fallen first responders, state law enforcement officers and military members who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The proposal would make each family entitled to one four-year degree from a Florida state college, university or participating technical school.

$200,000 for search and rescue vessels and protective equipment for our National Guardsmen to use during deployment;

Nearly $8 million to begin operations at the Lake Baldwin State Veteran Nursing Home, which will allow this facility to serve more than 110 veterans in the coming year;

$2 million for Building Homes for Heroes to build and modify homes for veterans who were severely injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan;

$2 million for the Florida Defense Support Task Force, which helps support our military and defense communities and the many families who rely on them; and

$2.7 million to support veterans looking to obtain employment, start their own businesses and make Florida their home, including $1 million for Veterans Florida to continue their mission of helping veterans find great jobs at Florida businesses.
read more here

How to Help Mandalay Bay Survivors. Be There!

This morning I posted advice on Google+ about how to help someone after they have survived something like Mandalay Bay shooting. It is really simple advice.

"If you know survivors of the shooting in Las Vegas, be there to listen to them. Do not turn it into a contest or try to "fix them" with any words, other than letting them know you care. Hold their hand and hold your tongue. Be there as they bring what happened as survivors back into the safety of what "normal" life is supposed to be."

Aside from living through many times when my life was on the line as a civilian, (remember, I am not the veteran in the family) this works. My family did it naturally, not knowing they were beginning my healing as a survivor. I also studied it, trained to work with First Responders, because of how much I do believe it works. 

Having seen the worst that can happen after a survivor is suffering without help, I weep more because I know that suffering did not need to happen.

It isn't just me saying this. It is repeated over and over again from the type of experts I learned from. You know, the ones with degrees up the you know what and a proven history of being right.


This is from one of those types of articles that just came out from an interview with Michele Hart.

A place to feel safe
"The first step is safety. Give someone a safe place to be and just be," she said. "Right now the talking isn't the important part."

Hart said the priority should be giving people a place where they can cry and express emotions and begin to process what has happened in a way that is safe and comfortable.  

The rush for 'psychological first aid' in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting
CNBC
Jessica Mathews
October 3, 2017

The morning after Stephen Paddock opened fire on 22,000 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Resorts promptly opened a crisis center.
What was to be an evening of country music and celebration turned into a night of bloody terror, leaving those affected at risk of severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
Clinical social worker Michele Hart, who specializes in stressor-related disorders, says one of the best measures to treat PTSD is providing a place where those affected can cry and express emotions.

Denise Truscello | Getty Images
People embrace during a vigil on the Las Vegas strip for the victims of the Route 91 Harvest country music festival shootings on October 2, 2017, in Las Vegas.

The morning after 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on 22,000 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Resorts promptly opened a crisis center, asking certified trauma counselors to volunteer and go to "Circus Circus – Ballroom D," according to a tweet. The makeshift crisis center was open to all victims, family members and anyone else directly impacted by the events, including Mandalay Bay guests and employees.

"Psychological first aid," or early mental health response, after the aftermath of horror and heartbreak is relatively new. In the first two weeks after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings on December 14, 2012, which left 29 people dead, more than 800 people visited the main crisis counseling center in Newtown, Connecticut. Within 24 hours after the June 12, 2016, nightclub shooting in Orlando, which claimed 49 lives, local counselors began circulating a spreadsheet, asking practitioners to sign up for shifts to offer therapy and support to victims, their families and community members. In a few days 650 practitioners signed up.

The Las Vegas shooting on Sunday night turned out to be the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, leaving 59 dead and 527 injured. For nearly 15 minutes shots rained down on the attendees, who had nowhere to escape. What was to be an evening of country music and celebration turned into a night of bloody terror, leaving those affected — whether directly or vicariously — at risk of severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here


But remember, it isn't just about the survivors. It is the First Responders, the families, the friends and the people who just left, will also be changed. Will you be there to help them change again for the better?