Stress & Resilience in First Responders

The focus of this episode which aired on June 28th, 2018 is on the stress experienced by First Responders and the tools that one can use to bolster your resilience to that stress. This episode has two guest speakers, Gary and Andrew. Gary is a retired paramedic who shares insights on how he increased his resilience to the inevitable on-the-job stress he experienced.

The second guest speaker is Andrew Scollick who is the Director of PDA International, a Psychometric Behavioural Assessment and Consulting firm. This firm applies the DiSC behavioural profile theory in the workplace to understand individuals' underlying behaviours, reactions to stress and risk tolerance. Andrew works with police services and other first response teams, as understanding our tendencies can help us bolster our weaknesses. For more information about PDA International and the DiSC model, visit Andrew's website here.

For more information on Dr. Stephanie Conn, first responder turned psychologist, you can watch Dr. Baranowsky's interview with her here. She discusses 'strengthening your personal armour' and how police and emergency personnel can develop and increase their resilience.  

The Road to Mental Readiness is a mental health continuum model that can be useful for First Responder Teams and mental health professionals to understand what is happening to you when you are impacted by stress. You can find more information on this colour chart here.