Substance use is real in first responder culture. Learn how to support a struggling peer, without enabling, judging, or ignoring the signs.

What do you do when someone you trust starts spiraling, and you suspect it’s more than just stress?

Substance use in first responder culture is more common than we want to admit. But it’s not always easy to talk about. The signs aren’t always obvious. The conversations can feel awkward. And when you’re close to the person, it’s hard to know what to say—or when to say it.

This episode is a practical, honest look at how to support a peer who may be struggling with substance use.

You’ll learn what to look for, how to approach them without judgment, and when to bring in professional help. And if it’s you who’s quietly struggling, we’ll talk about that too, with zero shame.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

1. Signs and symptoms of substance use among first responders
2. How to start a conversation with a peer without making it worse
3. When peer support is enough, and when it’s time to refer
4. What to do if you’re the one struggling

You don’t have to be a counselor to help. You just need to care and know how to step in wisely.

Share This Episode:

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First Responder Treatment Facilities:

Unified Wellness Center: https://unifiedwellnesscenter.com

Throttle and Thrive: https://throttleandthrive.com

First Responder Wellness: https://frhealth.com

Chateau Health & Wellness: https://www.chateaurecovery.com

After Action: https://afteraction.care

IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery: https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Discover the invisible wounds of moral injury and learn how to support peers struggling with it. This episode of Surviving Your Shift explores the differences between moral injury and PTSD, common scenarios in public safety, and practical steps for listening, validating, and referring.

Are you supporting a peer who's struggling with moral injury, but you're not sure what it is or how to help?

Moral injury is a hidden wound that affects many first responders and healthcare workers. It's different from PTSD, and it requires a unique approach to support.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. What moral injury is and how it differs from PTSD
2. Common moral injury scenarios in public safety
3. How to listen and validate without judgment or fixing
4. When to suggest professional help or spiritual support
5. How to support yourself when you're the one struggling with moral injury

Use this episode to enhance your peer support skills, improve your team's well-being, and create a safer, more compassionate work environment. Share it with your colleagues, and start conversations about moral injury in your department.

Share This Episode:

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/54

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Learn how to build a peer support team in a small department, with practical tips for rural first responders, fire, EMS, and police. Discover right-sized peer support looks like.

What do you say when you hear, “We’re too small for peer support”?

Many small departments struggle with the same question: “How can we start peer support when we’re already short on people and time?”

In this episode, we dive into how to build a peer support team in a small department, making it realistic and practical for rural first responders, fire, EMS, and police.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

1. What “right-sized” peer support looks like in a 20–50 person department
2. How to pick the first 2–3 people for your team
3. Simple policies you actually need for a small department
4. How to partner with nearby agencies, chaplains, or EAP to extend your reach
5. What to do in the first 90 days to ensure team effectiveness and longevity

Use this episode with your peer support team, leadership, or at your next shift meeting to start or improve peer support in your small department. Share it with other small agencies struggling with the same question.

Share this episode

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/53

Connect with Bart

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

How do you support a coworker coming back after mental health leave or a suicide attempt without making it weird? This episode will give you practical language and steps to reduce stigma and welcome them back well.

What do you say when a coworker returns after mental health leave or a suicide attempt—without making it awkward or piling on more stigma?

Many responders either avoid the person completely, crack the wrong joke, or pry for details, and the coworker ends up feeling like a problem instead of part of the team. In this episode, you’ll get clear, practical peer support skills to welcome them back, support their reintegration, and know when to step in or back off.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

1. Simple, respectful phrases you can use when a coworker returns after a suicide attempt or mental health crisis
2. Common mistakes to avoid so you don’t increase shame, stigma, or workplace awkwardness
3. How to support their safe reintegration at work while protecting your own boundaries as a peer supporter

Use this episode with your peer support team, your shift, or your leadership group to set a healthier standard for how your agency handles return-to-work after a mental health crisis.

Share This Episode:

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/52

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

When a coworker attempts or dies by suicide, the whole agency feels it. Learn how to support your team, honor the person, and navigate grief and fallout without causing more harm.

You walk into work and hear the words you never wanted to hear: “One of our own attempted suicide,” or, “We lost someone to suicide last night.” The room goes quiet, people are in shock, and you’re left wondering what to say, what to do, and how to help without making things worse.

A suicide attempt or death by suicide inside your agency hits harder than almost anything else. It affects morale, trust, and the sense of safety in your “second family.” In the middle of all that, peer supporters and leaders are often expected to somehow hold everyone together.

In this episode, we’ll walk through what to do after a suicide attempt or death by suicide in your agency, how to support the team, honor the person, and handle the ripple effects with wisdom and care.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• What to focus on in the first 24–72 hours after a suicide attempt or death by suicide
• How to talk about what happened without glamorizing suicide or spreading harmful details
• How to support the people closest to the situation and care for yourself and your peer support team in the weeks and months that follow
• You can’t undo what happened. But you can show up in a way that helps your people grieve, heal, and move forward without feeling abandoned or alone.

SHARE THIS EPISODE:

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/51

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Discovery Call

https://stresscaredoc.com/consultation

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Christmas can be beautiful and painful, especially on the front lines. This short Christmas special reflects on the birth of Christ, the reality of working through the holidays, and how to find hope and peace, whether or not you celebrate the season the same way.

You might be listening to this on your way to shift, in the bay between calls, or at home trying to catch a quiet moment during a busy season. Christmas looks different when you work in law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, or the hospital and Emergency world.

Some of you are working doubles while your family opens presents without you. Some are carrying grief or loneliness into a season that’s “supposed” to be happy. And some of you don’t celebrate Christmas the same way I do, or at all, but you’re still navigating the pressure, expectations, and emotions that come with this time of year.

In this special episode, we step away from training models and talk about the heart of Christmas. From my Christian faith perspective, we’ll look at the birth of Christ, God coming close in the middle of a messy, broken world, and what that means for those of us serving on the front lines today.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL BE ENCOURAGED TO:

• See Christmas as a reminder that you’re not alone, even in dark or difficult seasons
• Find small moments of peace, presence, and gratitude in the middle of busy shifts or complicated family situations
• Give yourself permission to feel what you’re feeling this year, while still holding onto hope
• Whether you share my faith or not, this episode is meant to be a few minutes of encouragement: a chance to breathe, to remember your value beyond the job, and to be reminded that light still shines in dark places.

SHARE THIS EPISODE:

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/50

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Discovery Call

https://stresscaredoc.com/consultation

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Not every crisis looks like a breakdown. Learn how to spot subtle signs someone’s struggling, and how to respond without overreacting or brushing it off.

You’re sitting in the car after a long shift when a coworker quietly says, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this. Sometimes I wonder if everyone would be better off without me.”

Your heart drops. Are they just venting… or are they really thinking about ending their life?

This is one of the most critical moments you’ll face as a peer supporter or as a trusted coworker. You don’t want to overreact, but you also can’t ignore what you just heard.

In this episode, we’ll break down exactly what to do when a peer mentions suicide, so you’re not stuck guessing or hoping you say the right thing.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• The most important warning signs and risk factors for suicide in high-stress professions
• How to ask directly about suicide using clear, honest language (without making things worse)
• How to persuade a peer to stay safe and accept help when they feel like giving up
• Practical referral options and how to make a “warm handoff” so they’re not left alone in the process

You don’t have to be a clinician to save a life. You just need to notice, ask the hard question, and care enough to stay with them while you connect them to help.

SHARE THIS EPISODE:

https://www.survivingyourshift.com/49

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Discovery Call

https://stresscaredoc.com/consultation

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Not every crisis looks like a breakdown. Learn how to spot subtle signs someone’s struggling, and how to respond without overreacting or brushing it off.

Ever look at a coworker and just know something’s off, even if they say they’re fine?

It’s one of the hardest parts of peer support: knowing when to lean in, especially when the signs are subtle.

Not everyone in crisis is going to fall apart in front of you. Sometimes, they’re still showing up to work, cracking jokes, and getting the job done, but inside, they’re unraveling.

If we wait until someone is completely falling apart, we’ve waited too long.

This episode will help you pay attention, spot red flags, and know when—and how—to check in.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• The most common warning signs someone’s struggling emotionally
• What to say (and what NOT to say) when checking in
• Why “I’m fine” isn’t always the truth, and how to keep the door open

You don’t need to diagnose anyone. You just need to notice. And care enough to show up.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Discovery Call

https://stresscaredoc.com/consultation

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Sometimes the best help isn’t a solution, it’s a safe space. Learn how active listening can help peers feel seen, heard, and ready to open up after a critical incident.

Ever been in a conversation where you could tell someone was struggling… but they weren’t saying much?

You don’t want to push, and you don’t want to say the wrong thing. So what do you do?

The answer is often simpler than we think, listen better.

In peer support, listening is everything. It’s the difference between someone shutting down or finally opening up. But most of us haven’t been taught how to listen well in high-stress, emotional conversations.

This episode gives you the practical skills to do just that. Whether you’re supporting someone after a traumatic call, or sitting with a coworker who’s barely holding it together, these tools will help you show up in a calm, helpful, and human way.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• What active listening is, and what it’s not
• How to use body language, tone, and simple cues to make people feel safe
• Four core skills to help peers open up (without advice-giving or oversharing)

Active listening isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being present. And it’s one of the most powerful things you can offer as a peer.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Discovery Call

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.

Feel lost in peer conversations? The Diamond Communication Structure gives you a simple, reliable way to support someone in crisis, without making things worse.

Ever wish someone had given you a roadmap for crisis conversations?

Too often, we freeze up when a peer says, “I’m not OK.” We either launch into advice too quickly or fumble through the silence, hoping we’re doing it right. And in peer support, those moments matter.

One wrong move can shut a person down. But the right framework? It can build trust, open up healing, and give someone the safety to talk.

In this episode, I’ll teach you the Diamond Communication Structure, a proven way to guide someone through a hard conversation, especially when they’re sharing something traumatic.

It’s not a script. It’s a shape.

And once you learn it, you’ll never go into another conversation feeling unsure again.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How to use closed-ended questions to stabilize the conversation
• When to shift into open-ended questions to invite their story
• How to paraphrase and close the loop without rushing or minimizing

This is one of the most practical communication tools you can learn in peer support. And the best part? You can start using it today.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

StressCareDoc.com

Schedule a Peer Support Discovery Call

Connect with Bart

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartleger

Facebook Page: facebook.com/survivingyourshift

Website: www.survivingyourshift.com

Want to find out how I can help you build a peer support program in your organization or provide training? Schedule a no-obligation call or Zoom meeting with me here.