We can talk a lot about wellness resources, but when someone is hurting, how does one access them?  We can think about these elusive, intangible words and ideas like "reaching out, EAP, Peer Support, and resources" but what are the different modalities, organizations, and strategies?

Shawn Thomas, retired LEO, founded 1st Responder Conferences to address this. She shares about her career, what prompted this recognition and need, and what her conferences (which I have attended) are all about.  We also hit on other LE topics like working a dog, selection processes and the necessity to be your advocate - whether for health or your training and development!

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Shawn is the founder of 1st Responder Conferences and a retired deputy from the King County Sheriff's Office in Seattle, WA. Shawn retired in 2022 after 25 years of service as a Wellness and Resiliency Detective and a therapy K9 handler. During her career, Shawn worked patrol, served as an undercover detective, a detective in the warrant unit, transit patrol, and as an explosive K9 handler. She was also a dedicated member of the peer support team for 16 years, serving as a team lead for several of those years.

Shawn is married to Jeff, who is also a retired King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. Together, they have two young men: Andrew, who is a volunteer resident firefighter, and Cooper, who is actively involved in the Army ROTC program and the Washington National Guard. Outside of her professional work, Shawn is passionate about supporting first responders, promoting mental health awareness, and fostering community resilience. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and continuing to find ways to give back to those who serve.

Website: www.1strc.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1stresponderconferences

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1st-responder-conferences

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1st_responder_conferences

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*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic