From WRHSAC's FRMH Resilience Conference October 2022
The following videos and resources are from WRHSAC’s groundbreaking First Responder Mental Health Resilience Conference conducted on four consecutive Thursdays in October 2022. Each day opened with a welcome from a local first responder agency leader and keynote speaker. Two additional sessions on each day provided “drills and skills” of practical exercises and approaches designed to help first responders to incorporate resilience practices into their days and agencies.
We weren’t able to record every session due to speaker agreements. We are happy to share the ones we were able to record and hope you find them useful. Materials and links related to every session are provided. Please share these resources with other first responders. Click here to learn more about WRHSAC’s Mental Health Resilience for First Responders ongoing project.
A YouTube playlist of all the videos can be accessed here.
First Responder Mental Health Resilience Conference Day 1
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Resources and Videos
Session One: Polyvagel Theory Applied to Mental Health. A session with Dr. Stephen Porges and local first responders. (No video is available for this session).
Other resources: Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Additional resources available at https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/ .
Heart Rate Variability: A Personal Journey by Stephen Porges
https://www.stephenporges.com/
Session Two: Polyvagal Theory in Practice with Deb Dana, LCSW (No video is available for this session.
Other resources:
Deb Dana, A Beginner’s Guide to Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Theory in Practice – slides from Deb Dana’s presentation
For more on Deb Dana’s work, please see her website Rhythm of Regulation
Session Three: Be the Calm in the Storm: Polyvagal-Informed Embodied Mindfulness with Stephanie D’Angelo, CMP-T.
Additional Resources:
Stephanie D’Angelo, Polyvagal Informed Embodied Mindfulness: An Online Program
Invitation link to free telemeditation4u Mighty Network APP
First Responder Mental Health Resilience Conference Day 2
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Resources and Videos
Opening Address with Chief Jennifer Gundersen, South Hadley Police and Session One: Best Practices for Treatment Refusers and Resisters with Joanne Barros, LMHC and Dr. Victor Petreca, PhD, DNP
Session Two: Organizational Well-being: Enhancing Internal & External Resilience that Supports a Culture of Workforce Wellness with Jeremy Segall, MA, RDT, LCAT
Session Three: Keeping the Body in Mind: Embodied Tools for Resilience with Sam Chase
First Responder Mental Health Resilience Conference Day 3
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Resources and Videos
Opening Address with Bruce Arbor, MDiv, HTP and Session One: Maintaining Your Composure in the Midst of Chaos and Confusion with Dr. Rollin McCraty, PhD
Additional resources:
Jorina Elbers and Rollin McCraty, HeartMath approach to self-regulation and psychosocial well-being
Rollin McCraty and Mike Atkinson, Resilience Training Program Reduces Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers
Session two: Creating Calm in Chaos with Jennifer Hart
Additional resources:
Heartmath, Depletion to Renewal Grid
Free HeartMath Resources & Personal Wellbeing Survey
Session Three: Recognizing and Addressing Moral Distress and Moral Injury in First Responders with Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, Rel.M., MA, PhD. and Rev. Madonna J. Arsenault, M. Div., CSD and Chaplain Yuri Yamamoto
First Responder Mental Health Resilience Conference Day 4
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Resources and Videos
Session One: Peer Support and Emerging Sciences: Blending the New with the Traditional for Enhanced Wellness and Resiliency with Tom Greenhalgh, LICSW (No video is available for this session).
Session Two: Enhancing My Personal and Professional Skills for Enhances Wellness and Resiliency with Tom Greenhalgh, LICSW (No video is available for this session).
Additional resources for Session One and Two:
MA State Peer Support Network: https://mastatepeersupportnetwork.org/
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation: https://icisf.org/
Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association: https://www.eagala.org/index
Session Three: Healthy Sleep: Your #1 Resilience Skill with Robin Carnes, MBA, WAET
Additional resources:
iRest Meditation for Deep Rest with Robin Carnes
