Terre Haute Firefighters Peer Support Group

11/03/2026

Jeff Dill has traveled 1.6 million miles confronting su***de among firefighters and emergency responders, building a nationwide network of education, counseling, and support for grieving families.

10/10/2026

The helmet color doesn’t matter. Neither does your rank.
We all carry things the gear can’t protect us from.
Take care of yourself, check on your people, and reach out when you need support.

10/06/2026

🧠 Could float rest help fire fighters with PTSD?

Join the IAFF Center of Excellence this Wednesday, Oct. 7, for "Float Rest for Nervous System Regulation" – a webinar exploring float rest and its potential role in supporting fire fighters dealing with PTSD.

📅 Oct. 7
⏰ 12–1:30 p.m. ET
💰 Free
🖥️ Zoom

Register ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x6bz5

10/01/2026

Fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs, and 911 Telecommunicators face intense and often repeated stress throughout their careers that can take a significant toll on mental health and overall well-being. Supporting the health and safety of our members remains a top priority for the Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana and the International Association of Fire Fighters.

If you or someone you know needs support, PFFUI Peer Support services are available. You can connect directly with a Peer Support Network Coordinator by visiting the link in our bio. They are available to provide guidance, resources, and confidential support.

Additionally, you can contact the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery by visiting the link in our bio for immediate assistance.

You are not alone. Help is always within reach.

09/13/2026

September is Su***de Prevention Month.
And while we need to talk about the people who are hurting enough to believe su***de is their only way out, we also cannot forget the survivors left behind.

The spouses. The kids. The parents. The brothers and sisters.
The coworkers and crews who replay every conversation and every missed sign, wondering what they could have done differently.
They need support too.

They need someone to check in after everybody else has gone back to normal. They need a place to talk without being judged, rushed, or told to "just be strong." They need to know that grief after su***de is messy, angry, confusing, and heavy-and none of that makes them weak.
If you are carrying this, you do not have to carry it alone.

Check on your people. Ask the hard question. Sit with someone in the ugly part. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
For our public-safety family: reach out. It's confidential, it's free, and there is no judgment here.
If someone is in immediate danger, call or text 988 or call 911

09/11/2026

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

You can’t outwork trauma.

You can’t sleep it off forever. You can’t just “toughen up” and expect the hard calls, the deaths, the sleepless nights, and everything you carry home to have no effect.

And the fire service is finally learning that talking about mental health doesn’t make you weak.

This World Su***de Prevention Day, Firefighter Nation is continuing our focus on firefighter mental health through the lens of science.

We’re looking at what the research actually tells us about su***de, trauma, PTSD, sleep, substance use, resilience, treatment, and recovery in the fire service.

Not clichés. Not “suck it up.” Not feel-good advice.
Real research. Real conversations. Real options for firefighters who are struggling.

Because taking care of the people who run toward the worst days of someone else’s life has to include taking care of what those calls can do to them.

Know the signs. Know the science. Know that getting help is not the end of your career or a failure to handle the job.

Sometimes, getting help is how you stay in it.

09/10/2026

https://www.iaff.org/behavioral-health/recovery-month/

Recovery

09/07/2026

❗ WEBINAR: Understanding the Fire Service ❗

Join the IAFF Center of Excellence for training that helps clinicians, treatment providers, and community partners understand the culture and challenges of the fire service.

Firehouse life, trauma exposure, shift work, mental health stigma, and more.

📅 Sept. 9
⏰ 12–1:30 p.m. ET
💰 Free
🖥️ Zoom

Register ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x5t23

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