Mental health in EMS isn’t a trend. It’s survival.

In this episode, Sophie sits down with Hanna Spanyer and Amanda Lundgreen to have an honest conversation about what it really means to take care of the people behind the badge. Recorded while attending the mental health summit in Wilmington, NC. this discussion blends lived experience, lessons from the stage, and the reality of working in emergency services.

They talk about why talking about mental health matters — not as a buzzword, but as a lifeline. They discuss how sometimes “the good guy wins”… it just doesn’t look the way we expected it to. Growth can be quiet. Healing can be slow. But it still counts.

The conversation also highlights a group that is often overlooked: dispatchers. The voices behind the headset who hear everything, carry everything, and too often are excluded from the same mental health resources offered to EMS crews. This episode challenges us to expand the circle.

This is a vulnerable, casual, and educational conversation about resilience, peer support, stigma, and showing up for each other in a profession that doesn’t always make that easy.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the United States, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.

Guest Information

Hanna Spanyer Critical Care Paramedic, EMS educator, published author, and peer support advocate in central Kentucky. Hanna helped establish both her agency and county Critical Incident and Peer Support teams and writes about resilience and the lived experience of EMS. Instagram: @hanna.spanyer Author Instagram: @hanna.spanyer.author TikTok: @hmspanyer

Amanda Lundgreen Paramedic in central Kentucky, leader of her agency’s Critical Incident and Peer Support Team, and member of the Special Operations Team. Passionate about responder wellness and operational readiness. Instagram: @amandalundgreen TikTok: @amandalundgreen1