Hey Chaplain: The Police Wellness Podcast

128 - Critical Incident Debriefs Explained: Jamison White

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] Today we are talking about Critical Incident Debriefs.  I had an officer walk into a debrief one time, take one look at the chairs, and say, "this is a circle meeting?!  I hate circle meetings!"  Well, typically a modern, well-run debrief will prove its value by the end of the meeting, even reaching most of the skeptics… as long as they go to the meeting in the first place. So our guest today is Major Jamison White from Maryland Heights, Missouri.  He's a commander who understands what it's like to be on both sides of a debrief and the critical incident stress that it's meant to help address.  He has some encouraging words about how debriefs have developed in recent years and you're going to want to hear this. Music is by Chris Haugen Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 128 Tags: Debriefs, Counseling, Critical Incidents, Depression, Leadership, Police, Psychology, School Shooting, Stress, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Wellness, Maryland Heights, Missouri Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

127.5 - PTSD and the Sacrifices We Make: Sonny and Mikaela Byerley, Part 2

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] Today we return to our conversation with Sheriff Sonny Byerley and his wife Mikaela.  This is part two, so you if you haven't heard part one, you definitely need to go back and catch Episode 127 and hear some of the wild stories of Sonny's career: getting shot and stabbed, going through a dramatic officer involved shooting and witnessing the hatred and violence of a big city riot.  But in this part of the conversation we see the vulnerable side of the Sheriff and what Mikaela saw in her husband as the years of trauma began to affect him, eventually leading to a medical retirement.   Music is by the Mini Vandals and by Chris Haugen Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 126 Part 2 Tags: PTSD, Family, Health, Medical, Mental Health, Relationships, Retirement, Sacrifice, Trauma, VA, Missouri Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

127 - Shot, Stabbed, and Other Stressors: Sonny and Mikaela Byerley

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] Today we're talking to Sheriff Sonny Byerley and his wife Mikaela.  I met Sonny and Mikaela because they have begun traveling to police wellness conferences to share their experiences about PTSD.  Sonny is a cop's cop: strong, independent, and self-reliant, but he's also a cop who has survived being shot and stabbed on multiple occasions and has endured all kinds of other traumas that a lot of officers can relate to.   In today's interview we're going to focus on Sonny's story and a few of the traumatic incidents he's experienced.  But then I'm going to produce a part two episode for next week that will look at the effects that thirty years of trauma began to have on Sonny and Mikaela.  So part one will be all the gruesome stories, part two will be the impact it had on the Sheriff.  You're really going to want to hear both sides. Music is by Wes Hutchinson Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 127, Part One Tags: PTSD, Career, Injuries, Police, Rural Policing, Sheriff, Shooting, Stabbing, Trauma, Branson, Ferguson, Missouri Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

126.5 - Family Liaison after a Line of Duty Death: Gregg Dorsett

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] In the summer of 2025, one of my patrol officers, Hunter Simoncic, was struck by a car and killed in the line of duty. As part of the grieving process, we are sharing our experiences with you that you might be better prepared for the impossible tasks that immediately follow a line of duty death. One of the most difficult is that of family liaison officer.  A family liaison is assigned to the family of a fallen officer, to advocate for the family's needs, to communicate to them about police traditions and the departments needs, and be the point of contact for the countless questions that arise when everyone has just had their worst possible day. Our guest for this interview is friend of the show Captain Gregg Dorsett.  Captain Dorsett was asked to be a family liaison officer for the Simoncic family and he agreed to let me debrief him and share his experience with you.  To go from police commander and decision maker to family advocate in the midst of strongest possible emotions… well, that's a journey I think everyone can gain from hearing about. Concerns of Police Survivors can help families and coworkers.  Their website is https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org [https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org/] Music is by the Westerlies Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 126 Part 2 Tags: Family Liaison, Coroner, Family, Funeral Homes, Hospital, Memorials, Morgue, Murder, Paperwork, Planning, Police, Post-Mortem, Processions, Sympathy, Kansas City, Kansas Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]

126 - Planning a Line of Duty Death Funeral: Shenee Davis

Text a Message to the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1792621/open_sms] In the summer of 2025 my hometown of Kansas City, Kansas, lost two officers murdered in the line of duty: Deputy Elijah Ming and Officer Hunter Simoncic.  Because they were killed just 30 days apart, we had two large, complex, line of duty death funerals at the local major league soccer stadium, one funeral just a few weeks after the other.  We are still grieving and trying to process these losses, and as part of that process I wanted to offer our experiences as a resource to other agencies. The guest for this interview Captain Shenee Davis-Kross from the police department.  She was involved in the logistics and planning for both funerals, starting with the motorcycle escorts for the fallen and extending to an almost endless list of other responsibilities in the Op Plan.  Though Captain Davis was just one part of a much larger team, I felt she represented the group's experience really well and I think you'll learn a lot from what she went through. Music is by the Westerlies Hey Chaplain Podcast Episode 126 Tags: Line of Duty Death, Ceremonies, Family, Funeral, Helicopters, Liaisons, Logistics, Motorcycles, Murder, Police, Sheriff, Snipers, Sporting KC, SWAT, Taps, Kansas City, Kansas Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain] Thanks for Listening! And, as always, pray for peace in our city. Subscribe/Follow here: * Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-chaplain/id1570155168] * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY [https://open.spotify.com/show/2CGK9A3BmbFEUEnx3fYZOY] Email us at: heychaplain44@gmail.com You can help keep the show ad-free by buying me a virtual coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heychaplain]