How to Start a Peer Support Team

Private EMS, Public Impact: No Responder Left Behind

In this episode of Minds on the Frontline, we talk with Vince Waryas, Operations Director for Universal Macomb and board member with the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services, about the realities faced by private EMS providers. With nearly 30 years of EMS experience, Vince brings a practical perspective on the unique stressors of private EMS, why these providers are often left out of responder wellness conversations, and why support must fit the real-world environment where people work. This conversation highlights the importance of leadership, listening, peer support, and trusted mental health resources in making sure no responder is left behind.  Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families.  NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information. Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.   * Link to YouTube episode:  https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w [https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w] * Link to Buzzsprout:  https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ [https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/] * YouTube:  frontlinestrongtogether2346 * Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline * Instagram:  mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast * LinkedIn:  Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

Balancing Service and Self: A Conversation on Mental Health, with Steve Grunwald

In this episode, Detroit radio host and part-time law enforcement officer Steve Grunwald joins Geoff Lassers and Mike Mattern for a candid conversation about balancing service and self. Steve discusses work-life balance, the pressure to always show up, the stigma around asking for help, suicide prevention, peer conversations, and the importance of finding healthy ways to decompress. Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families.  NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information. Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.   * Link to YouTube episode:  https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w [https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w] * Link to Buzzsprout:  https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ [https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/] * YouTube:  frontlinestrongtogether2346 * Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline * Instagram:  mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast * LinkedIn:  Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

WHAT HAPPENS After You Ask for Help? With Dr. Rebecca Klisz-Hulbert

This episode will provide a practical, high-level overview of the treatment options available through the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program, with Dr. Klisz-Hulbert explaining how first responders and their families can connect with the right providers and what to expect when seeking help. The conversation will walk through the process from initial contact to ongoing care, highlighting how individuals are matched with culturally competent providers and how treatment may progress over time, with the goal of making access to support clear, straightforward, and approachable. Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families.  NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information. Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.   * Link to YouTube episode:  https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w [https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w] * Link to Buzzsprout:  https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ [https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/] * YouTube:  frontlinestrongtogether2346 * Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline * Instagram:  mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast * LinkedIn:  Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

How to Start a Peer Support Team

This episode focuses on how to start and build a peer support team within a first responder organization. We discuss what peer support is, how it differs from Critical Incident Stress Management, and how the two systems work together. We also cover team structure, training, clinician involvement, confidentiality, legal protections, and the key components needed to develop a trusted and sustainable program.  This episode provides a clear starting point for Michigan first responder agencies looking to build, strengthen, or expand a peer support team.   We are joined by Mike Mattern, a career firefighter paramedic with the City of Dearborn and founding member of the Dearborn Firefighters Local 412 Peer Support and CISM Team, and Mike Wierenga, a retired Grand Rapids police officer, former firefighter, and co founder of 2 The Rescue. Both also serve as peer support specialists with the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program, supporting agencies across Michigan. Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families.  NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information. Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.   * Link to YouTube episode:  https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w [https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w] * Link to Buzzsprout:  https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ [https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/] * YouTube:  frontlinestrongtogether2346 * Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline * Instagram:  mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast * LinkedIn:  Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

Building FST5 - The MPFFU Perspective, with Matt Sahr

In this episode, we are joined by Matt Sahr, President of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union (MPFFU), as we continue our Building FST5 series. Matt represents thousands of professional firefighters across Michigan and brings decades of experience in the fire service and statewide labor leadership. Through the lens of the MPFFU, this conversation explores how the fire service recognized the growing mental and behavioral health challenges associated with the profession and why union leadership supported a coordinated statewide approach to addressing them. Matt discusses how early collaboration with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Officers Association of Michigan helped shape the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program and why cross-discipline partnerships were critical to building a system that supports firefighters and their families. This is the third episode in our Building FST5 series. Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families.  NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information. Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.   * Link to YouTube episode:  https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w [https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w] * Link to Buzzsprout:  https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ [https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/] * YouTube:  frontlinestrongtogether2346 * Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline * Instagram:  mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast * LinkedIn:  Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast