In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and Police Week (5/12 – 5/18), Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati and Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino commend the nearly 200 local first responders, including many law enforcement officers, who are taking advantage of the first series of “First Responder Resiliency Awareness” training courses, designed to help overcome the stigma that can prevent first responders from reaching out for mental health support. The course is being offered throughout Dutchess County. The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office hosted a session today at the Law Enforcement Center in Poughkeepsie with more than 50 first responders in attendance.
Through the nature of their work, first responders are confronted with stress and trauma far more than the average individual. The life span of a first responder is, on average, 20 years less than that of the rest of the population. Since 2018 more than 1,200 first responder suicides have been reported across the United States to 1st H.E.L.P., a site that tracks first responder suicide statistics and provides training and support. First responders often avoid seeking help to avoid being perceived as weak or unfit for duty. The First Responder Resiliency Awareness course seeks to overcome those misconceptions and stigma.
With a focus on peer support, the First Responder Resiliency Awareness course empowers first responders with essential skills and strategies to strengthen resilience amidst the continued demands in their respective roles. Participants delve into fundamental concepts and techniques aimed at stress management, maintaining well-being, and fostering mental resilience in the face of ongoing challenges. This necessary training will provide a pathway to further development into resiliency officer training, peer support and critical incident stress management.
The training is open to and encouraged for all Dutchess County first responders including Firefighters, EMS, Law Enforcement, Public Safety Dispatchers, Corrections Officers, and Probation Officers. Three additional courses will be held at local fire departments over the coming weeks.
The course is a collaboration among the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response (DCER), and the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH). It is taught by Melissa Lawlor, who was appointed as DCER’s volunteer Deputy Coordinator for First Responder Health and Wellness and DCSO Sergeant Alonzo Montanya, who also serves as the lead Law Enforcement liaison for this undertaking.
The Sheriff’s Office was proud to support and collaborate on this latest mental health initiative. During his tenure as Sheriff, Sheriff Imperati has prioritized the need for peer support in the first responder community, working with Mental Health America (MHA) of Dutchess County to have an in-house behavioral specialist, as part of the ECHO program, to support the well-being of law enforcement officers. The MHA specialist, along with the existing Critical Incident Stress Management team, will be part of a formal Resiliency and Wellness Unit the Sheriff is implementing in the near future.
Regarding the collaboration, Sheriff Imperati said, “As the Sheriff’s Office works together with these County agencies, the hope is to create a first responder matrix of services and a peer support network that will help our first responder community to get better together. Now more than ever, our first responders need to feel supported and have to know they’re not in this alone.”
Expanding access to mental health is also a top priority for Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino and she has given her full support to the program. “Protecting the mental health of our first responders is vital. These dedicated men and women put their lives on the line in order to protect their community each and every day and witness unthinkable tragedies. Our law enforcement officers respond to every call, never knowing what they may face. It has never been more important to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to handle the stresses and emotional tolls of their roles,” said County Executive Serino.
