Episode 07: Mental Health Support for Families of First Responders With Dr. Kelly Schwartz
Welcome to a brand new episode this week on the Mental Health Mixtape! This week, we invited Dr. Kelly Schwartz, an expert on helping families of first responders on the show to share with us his experience and knowledge of working with families and their unique challenges.
In this episode, we cover the unique struggles faced by the families of first responders, shedding light on their often overlooked difficulties.
Dr. Megan McElheran shares the similar coming of realization with Dr. Schwartz when she first introduced the BOS group in 2018, emphasizing the importance of shared understanding among family members to strengthen their bonds. Our co-host and ex-paramedic, Ryan also shares his personal struggle with trauma from work and the difficulty of separating work from home life as a paramedic, highlighting the importance of family programs for first responders.
The episode dives deep into organizational stress faced by first responders, with insights from military personnel. It also addresses the lack of support for family members within the mental health system and emphasizes the need for culturally competent psychologists trained to work with these families.
The episode concludes by highlighting programs such as, the Rebuilding Families, offering support and psychoeducation for first responders' families, emphasizing the importance of self-identity and early prevention strategies.