Support for Emergency Responders Facing Stress |

1. Emergency Responders In Need Helping the Helpers 2014

2. Emergency Responders In Need:Part of the Southwest OhioCritical Incident Stress Management Team(SWOCISM)

3. ERIN • There is mounting evidence that the stresses of the Public Safety Professional life have a strong impact on the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs by those public servants.

4. ERIN • There is mounting evidence that the stresses of the Public Safety Professional life have a strong impact on the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs by those public servants. • “Emergency Responders In Need” (ERIN), a Southwestern Ohio public safety-based group now offers….

5. ERIN • …an effective and confidential service to help firefighters, police officers, EMS professionals, dispatchers and others to find a pathway of recovery from the devastating effects of alcohol and drug misuse.

6. Emergency Responders:Who We Are • Public Safety:

7. Who We Are • Public Safety: • Law Enforcement

8. Who We Are • Public Safety: • Law Enforcement • Fire

9. Who We Are • Public Safety: • Law Enforcement • Fire • EMS

10. Who We Are • Public Safety: • Law Enforcement • Fire • EMS • Dispatchers

11. Who We Are • Public Safety: • Law Enforcement • Fire • EMS • Dispatchers • Medical Staff

12. The Challenge • Public Safety: • Professional

13. The Challenge • Public Safety: • Professional • Mission: “Save Lives and Property”

14. The Challenge • Public Safety: • Professional • Mission: “Save Lives and Property” • “Protect and Serve”

15. The Challenge • Public Safety: • Professional • Mission: “Save Lives and Property” • Often work in a dangerous environment

16. The Challenge • Public Safety: • Prepared to sacrifice personal comfort and wellbeing. Detroit 1930

17. The Challenge • In spite of it all…

18. The Challenge • In spite of it all… • Must maintain a spotless professional bearing

19. The Challenge • In spite of it all… • Must maintain a spotless professional bearing • In the face of an often less-than-forgiving public

20. The Challenge • In spite of it all… • Must maintain a spotless professional bearing • Often, less-than-forgiving public • Public scrutiny holds us to a higher standard

21. The Challenge • In spite of it all… • Must maintain a spotless professional bearing • Often, less-than-professional public. • Public scrutiny holds us to a higher standard. • WEhold ourselves to a higher standard.

22. The Challenge • NEVERTHELESS!

23. The Challenge • We are, after all… Human

24. The Challenge • Public Safety is a profession

25. The Challenge • Public Safety is a profession • We are human beings who occupy that profession

26. The Challenge • Public Safety is a profession • We are human beings who occupy that profession • As humans, we are subject to human frailty

27. Stressors:

28. Stressors: • Unusual Schedule:

29. Stressors: • Unusual Schedule: • Interruptions:

30. Stressors: • Unusual Schedule: • Interruptions: • Disturbing Scenes

31. Stressors: • Unusual Schedule: • Interruptions: • Disturbing Scenes • Time off (BORING!!!!)

32. Stressors: Anything else!

33. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress:

34. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: What is it???

35. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • …any event that has a stressful impact sufficient enough to overwhelm the usually effective coping skills of an individual.

36. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • Critical incidents are abrupt, powerful events that fall outside the range of ordinary human experience.

37. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • Examples of Critical Incidents – • Major disaster, e.g. airplane crash, major bombing, etc. • Mass casualty incident with serious or critical injuries • Serious injury, death or suicide of emergency response personnel • Death of a person known to responding personnel • Traumatic death of a child

38. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • Examples of Critical Incidents – • Prolonged incident with negative outcome • Incident that attracts unusually heavy or critical news media coverage • Any incident that requires unusually high personal risk for emergency workers. • Administrative betrayal • Any incident with a powerful impact on responding personnel

39. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • How Critical Incident Stress may manifest: • Physical Signs: • Fatigue • Nausea • Muscle tremors • Twitches • Chest pain • Difficulty breathing • Elevated BP • Rapid heart rate • More…

40. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • How Critical Incident Stress may manifest: • Cognitive Signs: • Blaming someone • Confusion • Poor attention • Poor decisions • Heightened or lowered alertness • Poor concentration • Memory problems • Hyper-vigilance • More…

41. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • How Critical Incident Stress may manifest: • Behavioral Signs: • Change in activity • Change in speech patterns • Withdrawal • Emotional outbursts • Suspiciousness • Change in usual communications • Loss or increase of appetite • Alcohol consumption More…

42. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • How Critical Incident Stress may manifest: • Emotional Signs: • Anxiety • Guilt • Grief • Denial • Severe panic (rare) • Emotional shock • Fear • More…

43. The Challenge • Critical Incident Stress: • How Critical Incident Stress may manifest: • Emotional Signs • Uncertainty • Loss of emotional control • Depression • More…

44. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: Alcohol in particular is known for its ability to depress unpleasant emotions, and the high percentages of PTSD sufferers who have also been diagnosed with a drinking problem seems to lend credence to the idea that at least some are turning to intoxicants to help them forget their other woes. THE RANCH, online.

45. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Critical Incident Stress are similar; however: • …Post Traumatic Stress Disorder differs from critical incident stress by lasting longer than four weeks after the event triggering the emotional, mental or physical response. Most instances of critical incident stress last between two days and four weeks…United States Department of Labor.

46. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: …Stress - and especially trauma - is considered a major contributor to substance abuse initiation, continuation, and relapse. Studies have consistently shown that there is a greater likelihood of alcohol and drug abuse when stress is high, and now research supports the theory that trauma is one of (my emphasis)the pathways into addiction… Council on Alcoholism and Addictions of the Finger Lakes

47. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: • About 4% of the US population meets criteria for alcohol dependence .... In Canada, about 4% of men and 2% of women meet alcohol or drug dependence criteria (CCHS, 2003).

48. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: • About 4% of the US population meets criteria for alcohol dependence ... • It is estimated that about 17% of [U.S.] men and about 8% of [U.S.] women will meet criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives. CDC, Atlanta, GA

49. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: • About 4% of the US population meets criteria for alcohol dependence ... • It is estimated that about 17% of [U.S.] men and about 8% of [U.S.] women will meet criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives. CDC, Atlanta, GA • In Canada, about 4% of men and 2% of women meet alcohol or drug dependence criteria (CCHS, 2003).

50. Trauma to Addiction • The Connection: When we look specifically at alcohol use among firefighters, we see that: Studies of firefighters demonstrate that 29% of active duty fire fighters have possible or probable problems with alcohol use (Boxer and Wild, 1993).