Terre Haute Firefighters Peer Support Group

08/23/2026

https://www.helpguide.org/find-help?fbclid=IwZnRzaAT4RdlwZG9mAWZkaWQWUNBHQcw5vgrd0SA7Vb5-6dllHRKQwmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5E6JySh8p0Dv8R0_49-HDlvbZWDHnFUfU-OIWVjs6W0Mx1sdOGFk5pVN2Lsw_aem_roFN4PIIwXBAeRGyYAHS8g

Do you need to speak to someone right now? HelpGuide's directory of hotlines around the world can provide you with help.

07/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BMZ9qKYF1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Can training supervisors improve employee mental health? The research says yes.

When we talk about workplace mental health, we often focus on helping employees. But what if one of the most effective interventions is equipping leaders with the knowledge and skills to support their teams?

A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis by Gayed and colleagues examined whether training workplace managers to better understand and respond to employee mental health needs makes a difference.

The answer was encouraging.

Across multiple studies, the researchers found that mental health training improved managers' knowledge, confidence, and supportive behaviors, helping them better recognize when employees may be struggling and respond more effectively.

Training helped supervisors:

👥 Better recognize signs of psychological distress

🗣️ Feel more confident having conversations about mental health

🤝 Provide appropriate support and referrals

📚 Increase their understanding of common mental health conditions

🏢 Foster healthier workplace cultures

One of the most important findings is that managers don't need to become therapists.

They need to become leaders who recognize concerns early, respond with empathy, and connect employees to appropriate resources.

For first responder organizations, this finding is especially important.

Supervisors are often the first to notice changes in behavior, performance, attendance, decision-making, or interactions with coworkers. When leaders are trained to respond appropriately, they can help reduce stigma, encourage early intervention, and create a culture where seeking help is viewed as a strength—not a liability.

This aligns closely with my own work developing preventive mental wellness training for first responder leaders. Leadership is more than managing operations; it is creating an environment where people can perform at their best while knowing their well-being matters.

Strong leaders build strong organizations.

Healthy leaders help build healthy first responders.

💬 If you could add one mental health skill to every supervisor's leadership toolbox, what would it be?

**Article Citation:**
Gayed, A., Milligan-Saville, J. S., Nicholas, J., Bryan, B. T., LaMontagne, A. D., Milner, A., Madan, I., Calvo, R. A., Christensen, H., Mykletun, A., Glozier, N., & Harvey, S. B. (2018). *Effectiveness of training workplace managers to understand and support the mental health needs of employees: A systematic review and meta-analysis.* Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(6), 462–470. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2017-104789

07/03/2026

06/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1GQcgJLepf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

**PTSD is not weakness. It is a physical and psychological response to overwhelming experiences.**

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events. For first responders, this may include repeated exposure to serious injuries, deaths, violence, threats to personal safety, or the cumulative impact of years spent helping others during their worst moments.

Importantly, PTSD is not simply "all in your head." Trauma can create real, measurable changes in how the brain and nervous system function. The body's survival systems are designed to detect danger and keep us safe. After repeated or overwhelming trauma, those systems can remain activated long after the threat has passed.

PTSD is **not a character flaw.**
It is **not a lack of resilience.**
It is **not a sign that someone is "not cut out for the job."**
It is a **physical and emotional injury resulting from exposure to trauma.**

PTSD can affect anyone. It may involve:

🧠 Intrusive memories, nightmares, or flashbacks

⚠️ Feeling constantly on edge or hypervigilant as the nervous system remains in a heightened state of alert

😔 Changes in mood, including guilt, shame, anger, or emotional numbness

🚫 Avoiding people, places, thoughts, or situations that trigger reminders of trauma

💤 Difficulty sleeping or concentrating due to the body's ongoing stress response

For many first responders, these reactions develop gradually over time rather than after a single event. The brain and body are doing exactly what they were designed to do—protect us from danger. Sometimes, after repeated exposure to trauma, those protective responses become difficult to turn off. This is not a failure of willpower; it is a physiological response to extraordinary stress.

Having PTSD does **not** erase the years of skill, dedication, compassion, and strength that someone has demonstrated throughout their career.

The good news is that **PTSD is treatable.** Evidence-based treatments, including trauma-focused therapies, can help the brain and nervous system recover, allowing people to heal, regain a sense of control, and continue living meaningful lives.

The more we talk openly about PTSD as both a psychological and physical response to trauma, the more we challenge the stigma that prevents people from seeking support.

If you would seek treatment for a broken bone or a heart condition, you deserve support for trauma-related injuries too. Psychological injuries have real physical effects, and they deserve the same compassion and care as any other health condition.

**PTSD is not who you are. It is something you may experience. It is a real response of the brain and body to trauma. And recovery is possible.** ❤️

06/08/2026

🔥🎗️ June is .

The stress of the job doesn't always end when the call is over. If you or a fellow member are struggling, help is available.

Explore resources for members ➡️ iaff.org/behavioral-health

06/03/2026

inpsps 1(855) 447-8776

[email protected]

https://ipsps.org/

Text the word SAFE to 494949

06/01/2026

1(855) 447-8776

[email protected]

https://ipsps.org/

Text the word SAFE to 494949

04/28/2026

04/28/2026

🚨 National Firefighters Day Training Opportunity 🚨

We’re excited to share an upcoming training hosted by the Su***de Prevention Center of New York featuring our Program Manager for Behavioral Health, Chief Dena Ali.

Chief Ali will discuss leadership practices at every level and how they directly impact first responder wellness, stress regulation, and operational performance. The session will also explore:

🔹 The importance of psychological safety, trust, and belonging
🔹 How strong leadership builds resilient teams
🔹 Improving decision-making in high-stakes environments
🔹 Creating sustainable systems that support both wellness and operational effectiveness

This is a great opportunity to gain practical insights you can bring back to your department and strengthen your team.

👉 Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/q9kfgf_yRgy6xXe-TUlXMA #/registration

Together, we are stronger. 💪🚒

04/15/2026

This is what reset can look like.

A moment to breathe.A moment to be dad.A moment to remember that the uniform is part of who you are, but it is not all of who you are.

In this job, we get used to carrying stress like it is just part of the deal. But burnout has a way of stealing time, patience, and presence from the people who matter most. That is why reset matters.

Reset is not soft.It is not selfish.It is how you protect your peace, your purpose, and your family while still answering the call.

Take the picture.Make the memory.Hold your people close.The job will always ask for more. Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to give a little back to the ones at home.