Deborah Green on Dispatchers' Mental Health, Stigma, and Resilience Strategies

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Deborah Green on Dispatchers' Mental Health, Stigma, and Resilience Strategies

S2 E18 • Sep 19, 2024 • 47 mins

Kyle Goodknight and Deborah Green delve into the critical mental health challenges faced by first responders, focusing on dispatchers. Deborah shares her trauma experience, highlighting the stigma and the urgent need to normalize mental health discussions. They discuss the impact of work conditions, high turnover, and lack of recognition for dispatchers, alongside vicarious trauma and training inadequacies. The episode covers financial challenges, retirement concerns, and the effects of PTSD, workman's comp, and COVID-19. They emphasize the importance of peer support, alternative treatments, and closure in dispatch work. The conversation concludes with resources and stories of resilience, encouraging engagement with the podcast.

Key Points

Dispatchers experience significant trauma from the moment they answer emergency calls, often without the closure that first responders on the scene receive.
The conversation highlighted the importance of normalizing mental health discussions and removing stigma so that first responders can seek help without fear of job-related consequences.
Various mental health treatments such as EMDR, brain spotting, and CBD were discussed as effective methods for managing the complex PTSD that many first responders face.

Deborah's Contact Info https://linktr.ee/d911green

Dispatchers as Part of 1st Responders Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/reclassify911dispatchers

Wound to Wisdom Book https://www.thepowerofourstory.com/

Speakers

Deborah Green

Guest • 33%

Kyle Goodknight

Host • 67%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction to Deborah Green's trauma experience
0:11	Welcome and introduction of Deborah Green
0:41	Stigma and normalizing mental health discussions
1:00	Call to action for listeners
1:10	Work conditions and mental health impacts for dispatchers
2:14	High turnover and lack of first responder recognition for dispatchers
3:18	Vicarious trauma and training inadequacies
5:24	Peer support and stress management strategies
7:22	Outdated attitudes towards mental health in first responder professions
9:00	Financial challenges and retirement concerns for first responders
10:21	Deborah Green's PTSD journey and support systems
12:25	Workman's comp and COVID-19 impacts on mental health
16:51	Understanding ACEs and childhood traumas in first responder careers
20:30	Normalizing mental health conversations and department initiatives
22:34	Kyle's personal mental health experience and Deborah's post perfusion syndrome
24:37	Impact of mental health on job performance and insurance limitations
27:14	Challenges in seeking mental health help and alternative treatment options
30:02	Flexible spending for mental health and the need for closure in dispatch work
32:14	Alternative treatments and legal challenges with CBD/THC
35:18	Importance of closure and follow-up in first responder roles
37:47	Dispatcher's role in mental health and final thoughts
41:55	Resources and stories of resilience for first responders
45:07	Closing remarks and social media information
46:11	Kyle's appreciation and encouragement to engage with the podcast

Transcript

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