Webinar Information
We are now presenting live interactive webinars. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you will be able to see the recorded webinar.
These webinars are Public Presentations and are open to anyone with an interest in the subject matter. These webinars are particularly aimed for all 1st Responders and their families, Police, Fire, EMS, Dispatchers, Military/Veterans, Corrections, Coroners, Chaplains, Retired 1st Responders, Professional Staff, Clinicians and Health Professionals and those who work in helping professions who work with others.
By having these webinars, it is our goal to improve the mental health and wellness of our first responders. By discussing the real 21st Century issues that are consistently facing our first responders and their families, our webinars will provide awareness, resources and action items to combat PTSD, depression, suicide, addiction, stress, and overall mental health.
1st Responder Conferences proudly introduces a line-up of credible nationally recognized speakers who will address matters that impact the personal and professional lives of first responders and their family members through dynamic and engaging presentations for the entire first responder community. These webinars are unique in that your spouses or significant others who support you are invited to listen and learn with you.
With a progressive and forward message of optimism and sustainability, 1st Responder Conferences goal is pushing past traditional silence and bringing first responder wellness to our Everyday Heroes.
Registration space is limited!
Warning!
Some of the material presented at these webinars may cause emotional triggers. If you are in need of additional resources please contact us. These webinars are not intended to provide counseling services, whether medical, psychological or of any other kind, nor to diagnose, prevent, cure or treat any disease, disorder or injury. These webinars are certainly not intended to replace the advice of a physician. If you need expert advice, please consult a competent professional. These webinars are only intended for “educational” use and they should only be used as a guide.
Upcoming Webinars
October 1, 2020 at 1630 PST
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
October 1, 2020 at 1630 PST
From the Ashes
Live interactive webinar that will cover a personal journey to Wellness.
This webinar will also be recorded in case you cannot attend the live webinar. Registration is required. Click on the Find Out More button for further details.
October 9, 2020 at 0900 PST
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
October 1, 2020 at 1630 PST
Creating a Culture of Courage
Live interactive webinar that will cover a Behavioral Health Study of Resilience and Response to Traumatic Events for First Responders and Suicide Ideation
This webinar will also be recorded in case you cannot attend the live webinar. Registration is required. Click on the Find Out More button for further details.
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
Processing Stress, Enhancing Performance & Introduction to YFFR
Live interactive webinar that will cover Processing Stress, Enhancing your performance and an intro to You for First Responders!
This webinar will also be recorded in case you cannot attend the live webinar. Registration is required. Click on the Find Out More button for further details.
October 23, 2020 0900 PST
October 23, 2020 0900 PST
October 16, 2020 at 0900 PST
Turning Stress Into Strength
Live interactive webinar that will cover Stress and Strength. This webinar will also be recorded in case you cannot attend the live webinar. Registration is required. Click on the Find Out More button for further details.
October 29, 2020 1630 PST
October 23, 2020 0900 PST
October 29, 2020 1630 PST
Overcoming Post Traumatic Stress
Live interactive webinar that will cover Post Traumatic Stress. This webinar will also be recorded in case you cannot attend the live webinar. Registration is required. Click on the Find Out More button for further details.
Upcoming Webinar List
Save the dates! Additional Information Coming Soon
October 1st at 1630 PST- “From the Ashes” presented by Cody Schroeder, firefighter, Beaumont Fire Department
October 9th at 0900 PST- “Creating a Culture of Courage: A Behavioral Health Study of Resilience and Response to Traumatic Events for First Responders and Suicide Ideation”
presented by Dr. Brett Ellis, Harris County ESD 48 FD- Asst. Chief of Operations
October 16 at 0900 PST- “Introduction to Yoga For First Responders” presented by Olivia Mead, Founder and CEO of Yoga For First Responders
October 23 at 0900 PST- “Turning Stress into Strength” presented by Kwesi Millington, Resiliency Speaker and Trainer
October 29 at 1630 PST- “Overcoming Post Traumatic Stress” presented by Kevin Zimmerman, National Director of Outreach/Help For Heroes
November 6th at 0900 PST- “Substance Use Disorder and First Responders” presented by Simone Lee Joannou, Research Coordinator for Heroes Helpline at UTHealth, Houston
November 12th at 1630 PST- “First Responder Sleep, Hypervigilance, Energy, Motivation and Drive” presented by Andi Clark, CEO and Founder of 911 Lifestyle
November 20th at 0900 PST- “The 411 on Mental Health Treatment for First Responders” presented by Jeni McCutcheon, Psy D., PLLC
Thanksgiving Break- Happy Thanksgiving!
December 4th at 0900 PST- “Childhood Trauma and the Brain” presented by Erin Snow, Bella Monte Recovery Program Director, MS, LMFT
December 11th at 0900 PST- “Emotional Stability, the True Strength of a First Responder" presented by Pat Ellis, Puget Sound Fire, Kent Police Department Crisis Intervention Coordinator/Chaplain
December 17th at 1630 PST- “Saving Lives on Both Sides of the Call- A 9-1-1 PTSD Journey!" presented by Tracy Eldrige, Public Safety Community Engagement Manager at RapidSOS
Christmas Break- Merry Christmas
If you have a presentation you would like to share, please fill out our online speaker form and we will contact you soon! Speaker Form
Become a Resource Partner/Sponsor for our Webinars
Interested in Sponsoring our Webinars?
We would like to cordially invite your organization to join us as a Sponsor/Resource Partner for our upcoming webinars.
This training focuses on the health and wellness for our Everyday Heroes and their families. Together we are committed to the mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of the public safety workforce. We recognize that 1st Responders are our greatest asset and we feel it is our responsibility to create a climate that supports good health and resiliency. We provide education, mental health tools and resources for agencies, individuals, and family members. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all who dedicate themselves to protecting and serving others.
Our webinars are for all 1st Responders and their families, Police, Fire, EMS, Dispatchers, Military/Veterans, Corrections, Coroners, Chaplains, Retired 1st Responders, Professional Staff, Clinicians and Health Professionals.
Learn More
1st Responder Conferences would not be able to provide our webinars without the help from other organizations. If your organization would like to help support our first responders and their families by being a sponsor/resource partner, please fill out the Sponsor/Resource form below and we will schedule a call with as soon as possible. Thank you for supporting our Everyday Heroes!
Financially Fit Webinar
Recorded Webinar (1 Hour 20 mins) 7 Day Access
About this Webinar:
Description of the Presentation: For most Americans, finances represent a leading cause of stress. Our first responder and military communities are no different in this regard. The most common approach is to seek more income, but this rarely fixes anything and often does not secure the track toward meeting our short to long-term financial goals. The great news is that life simply does not have to be this way any longer! No matter where you stand today with your finances, you can DO BETTER. Mission Ready Finances is here to help guide you onto a path of restored financial hope, peace and security. In this presentation, we will be sharing proven and actionable steps that each and every person can follow to make improvements to their financial resiliency and effectiveness, regardless of their age or current financial standing. Following the presentation, our MRF speaker will open up the floor and field questions from participants. Make the decision, today, to improve your financial standing in life. If not today, when?
About the Speaker: Marco Parzych is the founder and executive director of Mission Ready Finances, a nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a vision of financial hope, peace and success for all who bravely serve our nation as military members or first responders. He is an accredited financial coach and published author of the book, Mission Ready Finances, of which all sale proceeds go back into the nonprofit to further their mission and reach. Marco is a retired Air Force officer, having had the distinct honor and privilege of leading forces into combat both in the air and on the ground.
Post Traumatic Growth, A Positive Change
Recorded Webinar (1 hour 20 mins) 7 Day Access
About this Webinar:
Mike is a Team lead with the Seattle Fire Departments Critical Incident Stress Management Team, which provides basic and immediate mental health assistance to firefighters, military, and civilians in the wake of high impact stressful situations. Mike will take you on his life journey and describe how he grew from the traumatic incidents he endured throughout his life and how you can make a positive change for yourself and others. Mike was recently featured in "Upstanders", a collection of short stories created by Starbuck's, showing various courageous people in America. Mike Washington has been a Seattle firefighter for 25 years. Mike is HAZMAT, Aircraft Rescue Firefighter and Wildland Fire certified. Mike is also a member of the Puget Sound USAR Team. Mike is a member of the Seattle Fire Departments Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM ) response team.. Mike was recognized by the Seattle Fire Department as Community Service Member of the Year in 2016. Mike is also the Washington State Fire Service Representative at the Washington State Fusion Center. Mike served a tour at the National Counter Terrorism Center in Washington. Mike is a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant serving a total of 23 years of service and 4 combat tours. Mike is a member of Team Rubicon, an internationally recognized veteran’s volunteer disaster relief organization. Mike holds a Master of Strategic Intelligence from American Military University.
PTSD, Cumulative Trauma, and the Ripple Effect
Recorded Webinar (1 hour 20 mins) 7 day access
About this Webinar:
While PTSD has been an official diagnosis since 1980, it is still misunderstood and often overlooked despite its prevalence in the first
responder community. A common misconception is that first responders have more resiliency than the general population when it comes to traumatic events. Unfortunately, training and time on the job can’t erase the sights, sounds, and outcomes one sees on a daily basis. Many silently suffer from the cumulative effects of repeated exposure to traumatic events. Many think they are fine and continue on in their careers until one day, one call changes everything. We will explore the lack of closure, the need to move on to the next call for service, and the negative impact that has on the individual. We will discuss the differences between acute stress disorder, PTSD, and cumulative PTSD. We'll explore how the job not only impacts the individual but the family as well. We'll provide recommendations on how agencies can train first responders for these types of incidents and promote debriefings of catastrophic incidents, and highlight the importance of being a proactive agency. We will provide recommendations and prevention strategies for coping with and handling stress, both for yourself and others, as well as when to seek help and get appropriate treatment.
About the Speaker: Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., B.C.E.T.S., C.A.T.S.M., F.A.A.E.T.S., is President and Founder of C3 Education and Research, Inc., a training and consulting firm. Nick has held multiple positions over a 20-year career in clinical operations, project management, multidisciplinary training for civilians and law enforcement, as well as diagnostics and assessment. He has directed, managed, and presented training programs globally across various topics including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, verbal de-escalation techniques, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, and vicarious traumatization. He is an author on over 300 book reviews, has presented globally on over 300 professional presentations, workshops, and in-services, and has authored or co-authored numerous articles and text supplements in psychiatry and psychology.
First Responder Mental Health Issues and Wellness
Recorded Webinar (1 hour 9 mins) 7 day access
About this webinar:
Mark's presentation will include his personal story and issues he endured throughout his 33 year career as a first responder. You will learn about methods in which can help prevent these issues and the negative impacts they have. Mark will also discuss how to identify a First Responder who is struggling and how to get them help. Mark Dibona began his Law Enforcement career in Massachusetts, June 1985. In 1993 he moved to Florida to continue his Law Enforcement career, retiring as a Patrol Sergeant in March 2019. Presently, he is the Public Information Officer and Board Member with Blue H.E.L.P. His mission is assisting First Responders with mental health issues and suicide prevention.
About the Speaker: Mark DiBona was born and raised in Boston Massachusetts. In 1985, Mark began his Law Enforcement career with the Braintree Police Department and later transferred to the Amtrak Police Department. During 1993, Mark moved to Florida and continued his Law Enforcement with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, where he retired as a Patrol Sergeant in March of 2019. During his career, Mark held several positions and assignments to include Peer Support Team and Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Mark is a Police Academy Instructor at the Seminole State College Police Academy. During his career Mark devolved PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and attempted suicide. Mark is dedicated to advocating for the elimination of the stigma concerning mental health issues of Law Enforcement Officers and also prevention of Law Enforcement Officer suicides. Mark is a Board Member with Blue H.E.L.P., Member of International Law Enforcement Educators, Trainers Association, (ILEETA) Technical Advisor for In the Line of Duty Videos and Bravo748 Speakers Bureau.
Stress: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Recorded Webinar (1 hour 11 mins) 7 day access
About this webinar:
Stress is a prevalent and necessary part of life for a first responder. There is the immediate stress of responding to a call, whether it is a traffic citation, structure fire, motor vehicle accident, domestic dispute, etc. Every time a first responder receives a call and leaps into action, there are physical and psychological changes induced by the situational stress that allow him or her to perform at peak levels. There is the anticipatory stress in waiting for a call to come in. So even the "quiet" days can produce an underlying stress of waiting for something to happen. There is also the chronic stress of shift work, overtime, time lost with family, coping with changes in bureaucratic requirements, supervisors, and civilians. And obviously, there is the stress that comes from the repeated exposure to trauma that affect all first responders.
Ineffective, and often harmful, methods of attempting to manage this stress are easy to fall into. Substance use, improper use of medications, anger outbursts, isolating from family and other loved ones, avoidance, etc. all generally start as ways to just get through the day, or get to sleep. But they can quickly get out of hand and cause ripple effects at work, with our families, and even our physical and mental health.
However, there are better ways to cope with the stress. This presentation will cover some ways to manage stress in the middle of an emergency situation, as well as some slight changes to perspective and lifestyle that will profoundly improve your ability to manage the ever present stress in your life. Safer and more effective treatments for anxiety, insomnia, depression, and pain will also be discussed.
About the Speaker: Josh Briley PhD, FAIS, is the Science and Education Director for Electromedical Products International, Inc., the manufacturer and distributor of Alpha-Stim devices. Dr. Briley is a licensed clinical psychologist. His multi-faceted career has given him experience with a wide variety of populations and psychological difficulties. He began his career working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons first as a staff psychologist at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, TX, then as a Residential Drug Abuse Program Coordinator at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, OK. While employed with BOP, he also served on, and was later assigned to lead, two institutional Crisis Support Teams. He was also selected to be an Assistant Team Leader for the Regional Crisis Support Team in the South Central Region of the Bureau of Prisons, and served as both a Regional and National trainer for Crisis Support Team exercises and classes.
Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Treatment Protocols
Recorded Webinar (1 hour 12 mins) 7 day access
About this webinar:
Whether you are a treatment provider for PTSD or a first responder to a traumatic event, this presentation will clarify the symptoms, treatment of, and best practices for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You will leave with tools and knowledge of the physiological process of the brain and effective strategies to move towards recovery. For the last 15 years, Tim has gained experienced working in clinical settings in all walks of life - children through adults, with a wide variety of mental health needs. He has worked with first responders in both an in-patient and outpatient setting. He's partnered with families and kids walking through adoptive and foster care placements, attachment therapy, and couples seeking to strengthen their marriages. He's worked in an in-patient and outpatient settings specifically with active duty and retired military service members diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, mental health issues and PTSD both combat and non-combat related. In addition to these services, he has a taught at the university level and also has given presentations on substance use issues as well as PTSD. In his spare time, Tim is outdoors, trail running and spending time with his family. Tim's current certifications include: EMDR, Trauma-focused CBT, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, & DBT Therapy.
About the Speaker: Tim Erhardt, LCSW. For the last 15 years, Tim has gained experienced working in clinical settings in all walks of life - children through adults, with a wide variety of mental health needs. He has worked with first responders in both an in-patient and outpatient setting. He's partnered with families and kids walking through adoptive and foster care placements, attachment therapy, and couples seeking to strengthen their marriages. He's worked in an in-patient and outpatient settings specifically with active duty and retired military service members diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, mental health issues and PTSD both combat and non-combat related. In addition to these services, he has a taught at the university level and also has given presentations on substance use issues as well as PTSD. In his spare time, Tim is outdoors, trail running and spending time with his family. Tim's current certifications include: EMDR, Trauma-focused CBT, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, & DBT Therapy.
The Struggles of Moral Injury and Compassion Fatigue
Recorded Webinar (55 mins) 7 Day Access
About this webinar: Moral injury affects every person in their lifetime but this is specifically a concern for first responders. Whereas many of us are familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder many people are unaware of what moral injury is and how it affects your ability to complete your professional expectations while protecting your personal values. Due to the overlapping symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury, many people that are experiencing moral injury may not be treated for it properly thus believe that they are failing and their treatment. With a goal of educating and supporting those who experience moral injurious events on a regular basis, this presentation is designed to educate those that it affects and provide guidance in securing appropriate treatments.
About the Speaker: Jessica Harp, LPC has worked in the mental health field since 2004. After spending five years working with developmentally delayed populations for the state she focused on leadership to be a catalyst of change for vulnerable populations. In her mission to improve the lives of others she was a director of an assisted living for neurologically impaired elderly, created curriculum for multiple populations of mental illness and addiction and most recently led a large outpatient program in Ohio. Presently Is the clinical program manager of the Help for Heroes program. Miss Harp divides her time between mentoring and educating new clinical therapists, providing therapeutic interventions for active duty military, veterans and first responders and providing continuing education units and educational presentations for the public.