Consulting & Instruction

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The items listed in this section are only a handful of teaching and training programs Insight Public Safety & Forensic Consulting offers. Please contact the office for additional information or questions.

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The Impact of Law Enforcement Officer Stress on You and Your Family

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This presentation touches on issues related to chronic stress experienced by Law Enforcement Officers and how it impacts themselves and their families. Discussion points include types of stress, common responses, and tactics for managing it. 

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The Basics of Therapy with First Responders

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Addressing the clinical needs of [JP1] the first responder population presents its own unique challenges. Through this lecture, gain a better understanding of topics such as the scientifically-validated methods for treating trauma, therapeutic considerations for differences between treating police officers and firefighters, and screening and addressing the four common clinical disorders when working with first responders: PTSD, Depression, Generalized Anxiety, and Substance Abuse.

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Family Resiliency

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There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that strong healthy families lead to resilient and healthy officers. This brief course is designed to discuss some of the potential problems and pitfalls that law enforcement or fire service families face and provide some practical tips for addressing potential stressors and pitfalls, as well as some longer-term strategies to improve overall family resiliency, communication, and endurance through stressful times.

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Suicide Awareness, Prevention, and Response

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One of the primary causes of death for Law enforcement officers and firefighters is suicide. In fact, both  are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty [1]. This presentation highlights the importance of raising awareness, engaging in prevention strategies, and responding appropriately to first responder suicide. Through this presentation, risk factors specific to first [2] responders, warning signs, assessment terms and tools, and types of responses will be discussed.

[1] Tiesman, H.M., Elkins, K.L., Brown, M. et al. Suicides Among First Responders: A Call to Action, April 6, 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Retirement and Changing Identity

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The retirement preparation and process are a unique experience for first responders. The culmination of an occupation based on a personal calling to serve others presents an array of challenges, oftentimes more complicated than those individuals retiring from a “normal” job. Data gathered on first responder retirement supports being more mindful and tactful about the process of retiring  to maximize mental, emotional, and functional wellbeing after a career of serving others.

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Self-Awareness and Tactical Longevity

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This presentation explores the importance of practicing and promoting self-awareness as a foundation for understanding and leading others. Through exploration of individual personality styles, and other tools for self-development and self-improvement, individuals will gain a better understanding of how to effectively lead. One must understand a team’s core motivations and fears to effectively coach, encourage and provide feedback, and this presentation will delve into ways in which that insight can be gained.

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PTSD and Chronic Trauma Exposure

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First responders experience a variety of psychological impacts due to the high-stress/high-trauma exposure nature of the job itself. This presentation will offer insight into those impacts in both the personal and professional life. The effects of trauma both before and during a first responder’s career can have long lasting implications, such as PTSD. It is important to understand the criteria, risk factors, treatment, and overall impact of PTSD, trauma, and chronic stress on the individual first responder and overall department.

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Overview of Command Peer Support

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Command-Level Peer Support is a formalized network of trained peers who provide assistance to fellow first responder Commanders regarding a host of personal and professional stressors that are unique to public safety leaders. These programs are designed to be both proactive and preventative in nature as well as reactive, like when an agency is in the middle of a crisis or major loss.  This specific lecture, which is an overview of the content shared in the full 4-day Command Peer Support training course, covers critical incident response, leading with good self-awareness, the importance of trauma-informed leadership in a public safety organization, and accessing high-quality resources and clinical support.

Chronic Stress and Resiliency for First Responders

First responders operate under a unique set of conditions that can result in problematic chronic stress. This presentation will help identify potential psychological liabilities that are prevalent in public safety careers and explore ways in which those liabilities can be addressed in to establish a healthier work environment and promote improved individual mental health. Additionally, strategies for supervisors are explored to help promote department stability, as well as personal accountability methods for the supervisor.

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Resiliency and Supervisory Awareness of Mental Health Issues

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Chronic and acute stress can have a significant psychological impact on a first responder. This presentation identifies signs a first responder is not coping well with stress, explores how [3] one’s personality, as well as family and work relationships can be affected by stress, and possible ways to appropriately treat and manage it. Public Safety supervisors will benefit from learning how chronic stress impacts their capacity to lead while also gaining an understanding of how stress affects themselves, the officers they lead, and the agency for which they work.