Mark Dibona - LEO (Ret) FR Mental Health Advocate

Mike Peterson - LEO / Mindfulness Expert / FR Wellness

Mike Peterson returns to the podcast - He is a Veteran, a federal LEO, and a mindfulness expert who also works in the First Responder Mental Health Field. Mike shares his story with raw, unflinching, honesty – he speaks about his own pathway into service, his military deployments, the hardship and loss he and his fellow soldiers endured – how he reacted to those difficult stressors in real time, and the impact those events had on him in the long term. Mike also shares about his career in law enforcement, how eventually he began leaning into the bottle and relying on booze to avoid the mounting pressures, developed discomfort, irritability, and behavior changes often associated with years of service.   Mike explains that he came to recognize a struggle within himself, shares what led him to begin addressing those issues, and how he now helps others to do their own work. He also talks about mindfulness, and suggests that we all could benefit from learning how to better engage with our thinking brain, from breathing with intention, from applying logic to stressors that want to activate us in ways that cause emotional reactions, rather than critical thought, problem solving, resolution of internal discomfort, and forward movement. To learn more about Mike check out New England Mindfulness and Performance.

Erin Lynch- Suicide Loss Survivor / First Responder Advocate

Erin Lynch is a Suicide Loss Survivor. She lost her father Eddie Lynch, a 35 year Boston Firefighter to Suicide in 2014. Erin shares what it was like being raised by a firefighter, she discusses the dynamics of her family, speaks openly about the day that her father passed, the days, weeks, months, and years that followed. She talks about the initial shock and turmoil, she describes the weight of her grief and how she was impacted by it, and explains how she was able to heal, move forward from that loss, and how she now uses the experience to help others.

Brianna McCarty LEO / First Responder Wellness Advocate

Brianna McCarty joins us on the podcast and shares how she was inspired by a family legacy in law enforcement, which led her to pursuing a career in policing where she gained firsthand experience in the realities and challenges of the profession.Brianna not only talks about her career in law enforcement, she talks about the calls she responded to that stayed with her, the ones that impacted her, and caused disruption in her life; personally and professionally. Today Brianna is a certified peer support advocate with a passion for improving mental health awareness within the first responder community. Although her time in law enforcement was cut short, it was deeply impactful and continues to shape her work today. Brianna now focuses on supporting first responders through peer support initiatives, open dialogue, and advocacy efforts aimed at reducing stigma and strengthening resilience. She is also the host of a podcast dedicated to sharing real stories from first responders, as well as a virtual peer support group that provides a space for connection, understanding, and conversation around the unique challenges of the job.

Chief Michael Assad - Rochester Ma Police Chief

Chief Michael Assad joins the podcast and shares with us about his career in law enforcement and some of the mental health challenges he has faced himself throughout that career. He talks about the importance of prioritizing family, not just for himself but for his officers as well. Chief Assad also explains the specific steps he has taken to implement a culture of wellness within his department, how he incentivizes exercise and fitness, and the importance of being open and responsive to the comments, feedback and suggestions of his department members.

Scott & Lorena Bergan - FR Advocates & Suicide Loss Survivors

Scott & Lorena Bergan return to the podcast and join us for a follow up. They share a story about Compassion, Love, the Desire to Help others - Family and Loss. They describe their daughter Kaitlin and how she lived, the passion she had for life, her motivated and enthusiastic approach to entering the fire service, her love of the job, along with the grief they experienced when she died by suicide. The Bergan's also update us about the work they are doing at the first responder non-profit they started in their daughters name - Kaitlin's Heart for Hero's.