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First Responder
July 22, 2025 - July 24, 2025
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Emergency Telecommunicators, Homeland Security, Peace Officers
Capital Area Council of Governments - Cedar Training Room
Venue Phone: 512-916-6000
Venue Website: https://www.capcog.org/
Venue Address:
Description:
Enter the classroom through the CAPCOG training entrance. This entrance is located under the metal awning near the main parking lot.
Walk down the long hallway to the room. Signs will be posted to help with direction.
Event Phone: 512-916-6097
Wellness and Resiliency for First Responders Program:
The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) has established a Wellness and Resiliency Program for first responders. The program’s primary goal is to train first responders in culturally competent, trauma-informed, peer-supportive care, so they are prepared to support mental health needs in their communities via face-to-face peer support networks. The program’s secondary goal is to offer ongoing support to the broader first responder community via policy and peer-support program development initiatives. TEEX customizes the assistance to each department’s current and forecasted mental health program needs, and solutions may include a comprehensive program or refining an existing program.
Needs Survey:
Education is the first step in building an effective peer support program. TEEX has developed Support That Saves, a three-day training opportunity that covers all elements of building and maintaining an effective peer support program. Department employees are invited to complete a Needs Survey consisting of 16 yes or no questions and five short answer questions. The responses are compiled into a report that provides stakeholders with information about the unique challenges faced.
Ongoing Support:
TEEX program leaders receive ongoing support in areas such as, policy creation, assistance and program development, including building the peer team, constructing peer applications and identifying team members.
Research Related to the Effectiveness of Peer Support
Suicide and self-harm are vital to address when working with first responders, as police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and telecommunicators are at a greater risk of suicide than members of the general public. This increase is often associated with repeated exposure to traumatic events, unresolved stress and depression, and the stigma surrounding treatment for mental health concerns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1, law enforcement officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Additionally, between 17% and 24% of public safety telecommunicators have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and 24% have symptoms of depression.
Peer support programs provide many benefits to first responders, including acknowledging the difficulties of response work, strengthening teams and equipping them to cope effectively. Peer support programs:
•Provide training to identify risk factors for behavioral and mental health problems.
•Reduce stigma by encouraging conversations surrounding mental health and normalizing difficult experiences.
•Create an environment where people feel comfortable approaching one another.
•Link peers to outside professional resources for additional care when necessary.
Instructor: TEEX
Special Instructions:
Dress Code: To promote a professional training environment, CAPCOG requires proper attire. Attendee must provide their PID # to receive TCOLE credit for courses taken through CAPCOG. CAPCOG provides training for the Emergency Communication Centers (ECC) in our region at no cost to 9-1-1 telecommunicators and their departments. When space is reserved for a 9-1-1 training class offered by CAPCOG, students or the supervisor who made the reservation must cancel such reservation at least two business days prior to start of the class.
For Questions
Contact Pamela Frisk, CAPCOG. 9-1-1 Senior Training & Public Education Coordinator.
REGISTRATION IS THROUGH TEEX