Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi and welcome to
Finding your Way Through Therapy
.
A proud member of thePsychCraft Network, the goal of
this podcast is to demystifytherapy, what can happen in
therapy and the wide array ofconversations you can have in
and about therapy Throughpersonal experiences.
Guests will talk about therapy,their experiences with it and
(00:24):
how psychology and therapy arepresent in many places in their
lives, with lots of authenticityand a touch of humor.
Here is your host, steve Bisson.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Alors, toujours dans
le vieux studio still in the old
studio.
Welcome to Finding your Way.
I'm your host, steve Bisson.
If you haven't listened toepisode 186, please go listen to
it.
Dave Roberts was a great guest.
Really enjoyed our conversation, so go listen to him.
We talked about grief, wetalked about resources, we
talked about a whole lot ofdifferent things, including his
book, so go check it out.
But episode 187, as we do thistransformation to more of the
(01:03):
things that I kind of work with,the people I would like to work
with and the stuff that I wantto do, including grief, trauma
and coaching.
But this one's going to be aboutmy first responder stuff, and
what I mean by that is this isthat I actually don't do peer
support myself because I'm not apeer.
I've never served as a policeofficer, firefighter, emt,
(01:24):
paramedic dispatch.
I've certainly been in thefield with everyone, but I am
not someone who served in thattype of environment, so I can't
be a peer.
A lot of people have asked meabout peer support systems and
what's in place, so I can't talkfor the country.
I can't even talk all that wellabout Massachusetts.
I do know some resources, butlet's start talking about what
(01:46):
it is and what it isn't.
So the first thing I'm going todo is talk about the definition
of peer support.
These are trained individualswho are in the same profession
as the individuals that theyserve, who provide support to
their colleagues who areexperiencing both professional
and personal difficulties.
So, in other words, it's peoplethat you know that have been
(02:06):
there, done that and have a fewt-shirts, so to speak, and are
peers.
They're not mental healthprofessionals, they are not
doctors, they are not anythingelse but your peers and they've
had a specialized training.
I looked it up, you know,depending on where you're at in
the country, trainings areanywhere from 24 to 40 hours.
You can get specializedtraining, including becoming a
(02:28):
crisis intervention stressmanagement for a little more
hours.
I think that's an intensive 24for a weekend for many of them.
But I'm going to really try tostick to peer support, because
peer support has so manyadvantages and I wish that there
was more literally support anduse of them, because I think
that would be beneficial.
Sometimes you know firstresponders.
(02:48):
Again, if I'm breaking a wall,you can kick my butt, but first
responders, you know, they liketo talk to me.
They don't mind the ones that Iget to know.
But a lot of them think that,you know, therapy doesn't work.
Therapy is a joke.
I've known people in therapyfor so many years and it doesn't
work and so on and so forth,which is, you know, really crap
(03:13):
if you really think about it.
But I get it.
So you want to go to a peer.
Maybe they'll understand youbetter.
So what does a peer do?
Well, you know, one of thethings that I feel that happens
is that there's a connection,instant connection.
I'm a professional.
Most people come in and theytell me I'm afraid to say
certain things to you and theydon't know where I'm coming from
.
Obviously, hopefully, they'velistened to the podcast, they've
talked to people who I know andthey know that this is, you
know, something I like to do,and not only that.
(03:34):
I know the difference betweenexpressions versus reality and
I've worked long enough in thisfield that you know I have some
collateral experience with allthis.
But anyway, just throwing thatout as the work I do, including
the group I run.
But anyway, just throwing thatout as the work I do, including
the group I run.
And if you ever are interested,let me know, just contact me
here or email me.
Everything's available onlinethrough my website.
(03:56):
So let's talk a little bit aboutpeer support.
What are the pros and cons ofit?
The first thing that I wouldsay is the pros is
confidentiality.
So peer support peopletypically have to maintain
confidentiality of the storythat's being told to them.
That's hard, you know.
Like I can't remember myfirefighter friends will be
angry listening to this podcastthat I didn't remember.
(04:17):
But you know how to start arumors telephone and tell a
firefighter.
So that confidentiality goes along way in those particular
cases and obviously I don't knowif I believe that, but I
certainly know that a lot ofpeople have said that to me
about telling people at thestations.
So keeping that confidentialityis important.
Why do they get to doconfidentiality?
(04:37):
Well, they go to that training,like I said, 24 to 40 hours,
give and take, give or take.
I should say Very helpful forindividuals to get that training
and they have links toresources, not only from the
training, but they get to knowthe resources in the community.
I have a few peer supportsystems that call me and say hey
, do you know someone who canwork with someone in I don't
(04:59):
know, let's say, a town?
I've never had a referral toFlorida, massachusetts or, hey,
do you know someone who doesADHD evaluations?
Knowing these resources comefrom peer support is very
helpful.
The other example is that theycan be proactive.
What I think that means isbasically, if they see something
at the station, they can kindof pull them aside and talk to
(05:21):
them and knowing that they'rethe peer support person, that
really helps.
We don't wait till it getsworse.
Once you, once you get to myoffice, so to speak, as a
professional, sometimes therehave been signs that people
either didn't act upon or didn'twant to really address.
So that gives us you know,gives, gives the peer support
person a lot more advantagesthan what I do, and I'm a big,
(05:43):
big fan of that.
Obviously there's cons and youknow, one of the cons is that
they don't have a professionaltraining like me, and not that
I'm saying that I'm better thananyone, that's not it, that's
not the point.
But we do have techniques, wehave stuff that we learn over
time with experience, also notonly from our books, because
books can teach you so muchthat's the nicest way I can put
(06:03):
it.
But that plays a factor.
And obviously, being a peer,sometimes you come in with a
bias.
You know my bias is to.
You know I don't.
I do know a little bit aboutthe profession, obviously,
working with first respondersfor over 20 years.
However, the point is is that Idon't know everything and I
bring you know kind of blankslate.
(06:24):
Sometimes we bring a bias whenit's coming from our peer,
particular peer that comes fromour station or where we're at.
So that plays a factor, I know.
The other part that has beentold to me is that people are
concerned to go to a peerbecause of confidentiality.
They don't think that it reallyis a confidentiality to hold.
You know, telegram, telecop,firefighter or whatever plays a
(06:47):
definite factor in all this.
I think that sometimes peersupport people are very trained,
but it can also become anemotional burden.
I'm not going to.
I have a few people who call methat are peer support type of
people and eventually they'relike there's so much need, what
can I do?
And you can hear the.
They're exhausted.
And you know, unfortunatelythere's not a lot of resources
(07:09):
available for first responders.
We're getting significantlybetter.
I'm part of a group thathopefully, in Massachusetts in
particular, we're going to beable to expand.
But at the end of the day it'shard right to have all those
resources.
We have limited partials.
In Massachusetts we strugglewith having just mental health.
It's usually the treatmentcenters for first responders.
(07:29):
In particular has substanceabuse components, not mental
health, so that plays a factor.
There's also a stigma.
I talk about stigma all thetime.
There's always a stigma inregards to getting help and
who's going to see me, go seethe peer support person, what
are they going to say?
I think that can happen, butthere are certainly times where
I feel like it can bewell-received and unfortunately,
(07:52):
some people also see the persongo to a peer support person in
their fire station, at theirpolice station, and they kind of
go oh well, it looks like theyneed some help.
So there's a stigma that comesfrom that.
There's also a limited scope ofwhat they can do.
Right, they can't force anytreatment, they can't do
(08:13):
anything.
There's a scope that is verydifficult to, that is very
limiting.
And it's also a funding issue,right, some places, I think, pay
for peer support people to paythem a little more, but
ultimately the pay is also inthe funding issues.
Really a different, differentball game and something that
I've talked over and over again.
This comes from my good friend,jay Ball.
Sergeant, Jay Ball, we need acultural shift.
Do I feel that there has been,over time, chiefs, lieutenants,
(08:39):
captains, deputies, who havemade that shift and have
believed in peer support,helping others, being proactive?
Sure, sure do?
I think that there's still ahuge stigma and the cultural
shift hasn't changed.
You know one of the things thatI've heard before, and not too
long ago as well I survived thislong without having peer
support or going to therapy.
Why would you need something?
(08:59):
So I don't know.
That's the cultural shift isdefinitely something that's
needed.
I'd like to get into a few moredetails and kind of like going
you know big difference betweenSISM and peer support and
talking about those.
But let's hear a word fromfreeai GetFreeai.
(09:21):
Yes, you've heard me talk aboutit previously in other episodes
, but I'm going to talk about itagain because GetFreeai is just
a great service.
Imagine being able to payattention to your clients all
the time, instead of writingnotes and making sure that the
note's going to sound good andhow are you going to write that
note, and things like that.
Get free that AI liberates youfrom making sure that you're
(09:45):
writing what the client issaying, because it is keeping
track of what you're saying andwill create, after the end of
every session, a progress note.
But it goes above and beyondthat.
Not only does it create aprogress note, it also gives you
suggestions for goals, givesyou even a mental status if
you've asked questions aroundthat, as well as being able to
(10:06):
write a letter for your clientto know what you talked about.
So that's the great, greatthing.
It saves me time, it saves me alot of aggravation and it just
speeds up the progress noteprocess so well.
And for $99 a month.
I know that that's nothing.
That's worth my time, that'sworth my money.
(10:26):
You know, the best part of ittoo is that if you want to go
and put in the code Steve50,when you get the service at the
checkout code is Steve50, youget $50 off your first month and
if you get a whole year, yousave a whole 10% for the whole
year.
So, again, steve50 at checkoutfor getfreeai, we'll give you
(10:49):
$50 off for the first month and,like I said, get a full year,
get 10% off, get free fromwriting notes, get free from
always scribbling while you'retalking to a client and just
paying attention to your client.
So they win out, you win out,everybody wins, and I think that
this is the greatest thing.
And if you're up to a pointwhere you got to change a
treatment plan, well, the goalsare generated for you.
(11:10):
So get freeai code, steveSteve50, to save $50 on your
first month.
So one of the things that I talkabout, too, is resources the
limited resources.
One of the things that you canuse is 1-800-COPLINE for police
(11:31):
officers in particular.
Law enforcement Copline isavailable nationwide, 24-7, and
they can probably help you.
That definitely helps to getsomething like that.
For firefighters, there's theIAFF, or the International
Association of Firefighters, whohave been very helpful to me,
by the way.
Not only have they trained meon different things, they also
(11:53):
have helped me get people placedwhen I had to do so, and
they've helped me across thecountry right.
So I'm not just inMassachusetts, they're available
in many different places.
I don't want to name thoseplaces, but, yeah, aiff is very
helpful.
Some that I'm not so familiarwith, but I'm going to throw it
out the InternationalAssociation of Chief of Police,
(12:13):
have really started to reallypush the peer support system,
and that's where the culturalshift has started to be taking
place and is really helpful.
So hopefully they're doing awhole lot there too.
And then there's the NationalAssociation of Emergency Medical
Clinicians that have made a lotof efforts in order to train
and help and support peersupport systems across the
(12:35):
country.
So these are great things.
If you want to look them up,they're probably available
online.
I'll try to put in all thelinks to them and if you don't
get the links again, directmessage me, I'll give them to
you.
Like I said, my experience isusually with IAFF and they've
been supportive of me since thebeginning.
So the differences with thecrisis intervention, stress
(12:57):
management versus peer support.
So for those of you who are notaware of SISMs or critical
incident stress management,there's also SISR response,
stress response so criticalincident stress response, or
that really helps to have allthat.
I really I think that those arebeneficial for so many people
(13:18):
and I really enjoy them.
But sometimes schisms you knowthey.
They have some pros and consthere too.
So let's talk about thosethings a little bit here, cause
I think it's important to tellthe difference.
So the first thing that you needto know is the peer support is
very informal, you know.
You go in, you talk to the peersupport person.
You don't need an appointment.
You can talk to them, they canbe proactive, you can be
(13:39):
proactive, and so on and soforth.
So that's kind of how it goes.
Cism is much more formal.
It usually has to be asked fordue to an incident that occurred
and has a formal like this iswhat we start with.
This is what we're going to donext, this is what we're going
to do next.
This is what we're going to donext.
And the peer support is veryinformal, with the conversations
and all that.
(14:00):
Cism happens after an incident,where you don't need an incident
for peer support.
You know CISM does come afteran incident, but can you know
after that?
Peer support is helpful, butthey're specific for that.
Peer support is good before theincident, during the incident,
after the incident.
So there's that big difference.
Cism usually has some sort oftrained healthcare professionals
(14:21):
that are involved, and not thatour friends at the first
responder world are not trainedindividuals.
They obviously are and they'retrained peers.
They just don't have the sametraining as healthcare
professionals, and that's allI'm pointing out when I say that
.
And CISM is very specific as towhat needs to be done and what
they're going to do, and there'sboundaries and limits to it,
where peer support can be alittle more flexible and help
(14:43):
you in different ways.
Shapes or forms.
So there's a.
That's what kind of thedifference is, and I feel like
both of them are needed.
Obviously, professionals likeme are needed too, but that's
the difference to me, the bigstuff that we need to talk about
and really address.
I hope that made sense.
For those of you who are in thefirst responder world, you're
probably going to say, okay,this is a refresher for those
(15:05):
who are in the first responderworld who don't know.
They may not.
That'll be great, but, like Isaid, I'm going to try to link
the IFF cop line, and a cop linealso has a chat, I believe, so
you can also do that via chatand then from there, I hopefully
you can get some more resourcesthat you need and let me know
what you think and send me amessage, tell me what you liked
(15:25):
about it or didn't like about it, cause I'm always open to it.
But for episode 188, you'regoing to meet Krista Gregg.
She is someone that has workedin the first responder world.
She is someone who has been onthe crime scene area and she has
changed her career for severalreasons, and I can't wait to
share that interview with you,and I hope you join me then.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Please like,
subscribe and follow this
podcast on your favoriteplatform.
A glowing review is alwayshelpful and, as a reminder, this
podcast is for informational,educational and entertainment
purposes only.
If you're struggling with amental health or substance abuse
issue, please reach out to aprofessional counselor for
consultation.
If you are in a mental healthcrisis, call 988 for assistance.
(16:08):
This number is available in theUnited States and Canada.