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April 25, 2018
Title: Mental Health among First Responders
Topic: Cop Lives Matter
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
Part 1 of 2
Disclaimer: Use caution when listening to this segment around young children. Issues discussed might be upsetting or hard for little ones to understand.
Being a first responder can create a huge toll on one’s mental health. Like a physical wound left untreated, an emotional wound like PTSD can be equally deadly. Why aren’t there more resources available for first responders to seek help? Furthermore, why are so many afraid to tell anyone of their PTSD issues?
Robert Michaels first served in law enforcement with the 229th Military Police Battalion of the
Virginia Army National Guard and with the Norfolk (VA) Police Department. Robert is currently a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress,
National Center for Crisis Management. Robert also serves as Chaplain for the FBI Memphis Division and State Chaplain for the Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Serve and Protect crisis hotline at 615.373.8000.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Robert Michaels begins this first segment by telling several stories that he witnessed/experienced personally as a police officer that he will never forget…
What is secondary trauma? Can it be just as serious as witnessing the event personally?
Do first responders often experience extremely horrific scenes – sometimes on a daily basis?
Tune in to the next segment with Robert Michaels as he discusses the need for a national protocol for first responders dealing with traumatic situations and PTSD.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
Title: Part 2 of 2 - Mental Health among First Responders
Topic: Cop Lives Matter
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
Disclaimer: Use caution when listening to this segment around young children. Issues discussed might be upsetting or hard for little ones to understand.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Why are many first responders afraid to ask for help?
How many first responders has Serve and Protect helped?
Is it common for first responders to be fired if they seek help for PTSD? Listen
as Robert Michaels shares some personal stories of officers being fired after
being shot or experiencing major trauma.
After tragic events, should there be a national protocol to follow-up with
properly trained trauma therapists who specialize in PTSD? Should first
responders also be exempt from termination/forced retirement due to PTSD?
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Serve and Protect
crisis hotline at 615.373.8000.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
September 26, 2016
Title: War on Cops Taking a Toll on Officers
Topic: Cop Lives Matter
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
In Dallas, Baton Rouge, and elsewhere in America, 66 officers have died in the
line of duty this year, 31 of them by gunfire. That is 94% increase of gunfire
deaths over 2015. In Orlando, the police were confronted with 49 victims of
murder. These traumatic incidences are leaving emotional wounds that cut deep
and will lead to Post Traumatic Stress.
When officers seek mental help in dealing with these traumatic situations, they
run the risk of being fired. How are they to receive help, then?
Rob Michaels is a former police detective and Founder of Serve and Protect, a
non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating trauma resources for public
safety professionals and their families.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Is Hillary Clinton and President Obama’s divisive, anti-police rhetoric fueling
the record number of murders of police officers this year?
What are the facts surrounding the killing of black men and women by police
officers? How many white, Hispanic, Asian, or other races have been killed by
police officers?
Must Hillary Clinton and the BLM gang change their message and their tone?
FACT: The founder of the BLM movement is living in a home that is owned by
George Soros – a home that is worth nearly 1 Million.
Is routine police work extremely stressful, without adding the reality that at
any time, from anywhere someone could be pointing a gun their direction?
If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD due to the stresses related to
being a First Responder, contact Rob Michaels and Serve and Protect at
615.373.8000 or click here.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
July 28, 2016
Title: War on Cops Taking a Toll on Officers
Topic: Cop Lives Matter
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
In Dallas, Baton Rouge, and elsewhere in America, 66 officers have died in the
line of duty this year, 31 of them by gunfire. That is 94% increase of gunfire
deaths over 2015. In Orlando, the police were confronted with 49 victims of
murder. These traumatic incidences are leaving emotional wounds that cut deep
and will lead to Post Traumatic Stress.
When officers seek mental help in dealing with these traumatic situations, they
run the risk of being fired. How are they to receive help, then?
Rob Michaels is a former police detective and Founder of Serve and Protect, a
non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating trauma resources for public
safety professionals and their families.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
Is Hillary Clinton and President Obama’s divisive, anti-police rhetoric fueling
the record number of murders of police officers this year?
What are the facts surrounding the killing of black men and women by police
officers? How many white, Hispanic, Asian, or other races have been killed by
police officers?
Must Hillary Clinton and the BLM gang change their message and their tone?
FACT: The founder of the BLM movement is living in a home that is owned by
George Soros – a home that is worth nearly 1 Million.
Is routine police work extremely stressful, without adding the reality that at
any time, from anywhere someone could be pointing a gun their direction?
If you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD due to the stresses related to
being a First Responder, contact Rob Michaels and Serve and Protect at
615.373.8000 or click here.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
June 21, 2016
Title: Cop Lives Matter – Physically and Emotionally
Topic: Cop Lives Matter
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
Published statistics show that 85% of first responders experience
some elements of PTSD, and every 17 hours a law enforcement officer commits
suicide. The good news is that with a trained therapist, a good
support group, a strong family system, and perhaps the listening ear of a
chaplain, psychological trauma and emotional wounds can be addressed, treated,
and healed.
Guest Rob Michaels has had an extensive career in law enforcement and the
military. He is currently a member of the American Academy of Experts in
Traumatic Stress at the National Center for Crisis Management. Rob also
serves as Chaplain for the FBI Memphis Division, State Chaplain for Tennessee
Fraternal Order of Police. He can be found
here.
Questions/Issues Discussed:
After a tragic event like the one in Orlando, must we address the emotional
wounds of our first responders? Rob recalls several tragic situations that he
was personally involved in and how horrific it must have been for those police
officers in Orlando.
Like a physical wound left untreated, can an emotional wound be equally as
deadly? The documentation alone is enough to make even the strongest man sob
like a baby. Weeks later, the nightmares can wreak havoc and many officers try
to self-medicate.
Do Law enforcement and emergency services personnel mask their emotions for fear
of job termination? Listen in as Rob describes the “cast-iron shield”.
After tragic events, should there be a national protocol of follow-up with
properly trained trauma therapists who specialize in PTSD?
Serve and Protect is here to help. THE BEST NEWS: They do not charge a dime for
their services! Please call 615-373-8000 for more information
or click here.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization
June 22, 2015
Title: A War of Values
Topic: Serve and Protect
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
Part 1 of 2
Disclaimer: Use caution when listening to this segment around young children.
Issues discussed might be upsetting or hard for little ones to understand.
What really happened at the pool party in McKinney, Texas? Will we ever know the
real story? After all, it is the kids’ word against the officers’. It has even
ripped strife among neighbors who have vastly different stories to tell.
New guest, Robert Michaels, is a former police office. He has been in tough
situations before. What is his take on this incident? Well, first of all, Robert
says, “After the first call he received [concerning a suicide] the officer
should have been brought in to the station for a debriefing.” However, he was
sent to another call – another suicide call! Then BAM! The pool party call.
Robert goes on to describe how emotional wounds (like from a suicide or bad car
accident call) are just as important as physical wounds. Both need time to heal.
The pool party incident would not have been easy for any officer to handle, let
alone someone who had just been on two suicide calls. Listen in as Robert
Michaels explains more of the situation and also makes a bold statement
concerning the chief of police who reprimanded the officer before all the
evidence was examined.
If you or someone you know is a first responder, please click [here] to find out more information about their services.
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Title: Part 2 of 2 - A War of Values
Topic: Serve and Protect
Discussed by Robert Michaels
with Serve and Protect (www.serveprotect.org)
“The biggest issue we’re
facing in our nation today is not a war of races; it is a war of values,”
Robert Michaels declares. Robert continues to describe the events of the pool
party and the officer’s reaction to the teenagers charging at him, yelling at
him, cursing at him, and the threat he felt during the heat of the moment.
It is Robert Michaels’ position that 100% of those in public safety positions,
from dispatchers to the first responders on the scene, experience symptoms of
PTSD. They will forever hear the screams for help. They will remember the
bloodied baby still strapped in her car seat after a drunk driver slams in the
family minivan. They will see the murder victim’s faces in their nightmares.
They will remember. And so will their families.
Many officers believe they will be belittled or even fired if they express their
mental state to their supervisors. This is why Serve and Protect exists: To give
first responders and their families a safe environment to talk to someone about
what they’ve witnessed and discuss their options. All calls are confidential.
Please do not hesitate to call them at (615) 373-8000.
The American Psychiatric Association even recognizes PTSD in first responders.
Robert points out that not everyone who sees the same trauma has the same
reaction. “The point of doing a debriefing is to find out what their mental
state is in that moment,” he says. Listen as Robert concludes his discussion on
the McKinney incident and offers help to those who may be suffering from similar
experiences.
More from this Guest More on this Topic More from this Organization