Today, we begin a new series focusing on the mental health crisis affecting many law enforcement officers and first responders today. Guests for this series include LSU NCBRT/ACE subject matter experts Roy Bethge, Chief of Police for Cherry Valley, Illinois and Chair of the Education and Training Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police; Max Geron, Senior Director for Health and Public Safety at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and Courtney Tassin, a licensed professional counselor and Crisis Intervention Program Manager for the city of Aurora, Colorado.

In this episode, they discuss the pressures facing law enforcement and responders today, including physical, cultural, and department-level stressors that may lead responders to a mental crisis.

Below are some resources mentioned by our guests during this series: 

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Dr. Kevin Gilmartin

InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives by Joe Ehrmann

Unleashing the Power of Unconditional Respect: Transforming Law Enforcement and Police Training by Jack L. Colwell and Charles Huth

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (First Responders)

Blue H.E.L.P. Honoring the Service of Law Enforcement Officers who Died by Suicide

Bridging the Divide Podcast

If you or someone you know is an officer or first responder seeking mental health support, you can text “BADGE” to 741-741. That's a free, confidential service through the All Clear Foundation’s ResponderStrong initiative. Anyone facing a mental health crisis can always call 988.