The
Peer Reporter is an educational forum dedicated to
giving a voice to behavioral health. One
of the ways in which we as team members can meet this goal is to report back on
our personal observations from the field.
Adding a human dimension to the pages of this blog is one of the best
ways I know to spread the message of the ILFFPS.
Back in early April of this year, I wrote
an entry in my own blog where I shared both a personal experience with the Champaign
class, and my interpretation of what it means to be a peer supporter. Matt posted (with my permission) this story
to the original form of the ILFFPS blog.
In the months that have passed, our team has grown by two more
graduating classes and another is on the way.
We have also expanded our social media presence to include a Twitter
account (something suggested by the Champaign class). We are even receiving requests from other
countries who want to learn more about our organization.
Given all these recent events, I am going
to re-share with you my observations from the field as was written on April 5th,
2015. By breathing emotional life into
our body of work, the more we will resonate with those who seek our
services. As always, I encourage you as
a team member to send me what’s on your mind, because SHARING = HEALING. I now present you with:
Peer Supporters are the Ambassadors
to Behavioral Health
“Last week, the Illinois Firefighter Peer
Support Team (under the guidance of Sarah Gura and Matt Olson) held its third
training program at the Illinois Fire Service Institute in Champaign. As a team
member, I attended the first day of class and had the honor and privilege of
sharing my story with the new group of applicants, and they with me. Listening to a fellow firefighter’s story has
always had a profound effect on me and I learn something different, or confirm
what I already knew, each time I go through this experience. Before I share my observations I want to tell
you a little more about our team.
As Program Director Matt Olson put it:
“The ILFFPS was the brainchild of Sarah Gura” (a licensed professional clinical
counselor) who recognized a population in the State of Illinois that was
underserved in the realm of behavioral health, that being firefighters and
their families. Through the
collaborative efforts of Sarah, Matt, and a core group of dedicated firefighters
who were passionate about behavioral health, the ILFFPS was born. The inaugural training was held in April of
2014, and as of this writing the third group of applicants are now team
members. This organization is a work in
progress, but continues to grow in strength with each passing day.
The following Mission Statement and
definition of Peer Support are taken directly from our website:
Mission Statement
“To serve the fire
service family by providing trained peer supporters who can give confidential,
appropriate, and supportive assistance” (ILFFPS, 2015).
Peer Support Defined
“For the intents and
purposes of firefighter peer support teams, peer support is defined as a
service provided by an individual or group of trained firefighters who respond
to firefighters in need- whether that need be a personal or professional
concern. Peer support teams will serve
as a helping resource for fire service employees and their families.
Peer support also seeks
to help fire service personnel reduce stress and diminish the negative
emotional effects of this occupation.
Peer support specifically acknowledges the need to address
mental/behavioral health needs for fire service employees and their
families. Our goal is to increase
acceptance of this need through the practice of peer support” (ILFFPS, 2015).
These statements define both the team and
its mission. If you would like more
information about us please visit: http://www.ilffps.org/index.html. That being said, peer support has a much
deeper meaning to me, something I confirmed this past Monday.
As each story was laid out on the table
(so to speak), I could feel the angst as well as see the tears flow from many
of my brother and sister firefighters.
Most of the personal pain was the result of bearing witness to the
horrors that our profession often heaps upon us. However, many related about hardships and
traumas that were inflicted upon them long before they entered the fire service
(personal history can have a direct bearing on how one will respond to or act
out upon, should a future incident of a similar nature strike an emotional
cord). Coupled together, it is no wonder why so many of us suffer from
behavioral health issues. As I drove
home that day, I reflected on my experience and came to a sudden realization:
Those of us that make up the team are bound
by a common thread that the concept of peer support, or behavioral health for
that matter, was not discussed in the firehouse when we began our careers. I
can only speak for myself in saying that I wished it had existed when I was a
rookie, as it would have saved me a whole lot of emotional and physical
turmoil. If I were a betting man (and I
am not), I think most of my fellow team members would echo my sentiments.
We all learned the hard way, and that is
okay. For it is in these trials and
tribulations that we will take our lessons learned and answer the call for help
with a sense of confidence and compassion that knows no bounds. It is our fundamental duty as a member of the
human race to leave the world a little better off than we found it, and as peer
supporters I believe we will do just that.
It is for these reasons my friends why I say peer supporters are the
ambassadors to behavioral health. Not only for the fire service, but for all
humankind as well.”
References
Home
page of the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support Team. Retrieved from http://www.ilffps.org/index.html
on April 4th, 2015.
Grutzius, T. (2015,
April 5). Peer Supporters are the
Ambassadors to Behavioral Health.
Message posted to Self Care and Fitness Education blog: http://abalancedlifeselfcare.blogspot.com/2015/04/peer-supporters-are-ambassadors-to.html
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