Tool Box Tuesdays
January 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Resources Meet and Greet with Donna McCartney, LISW
Bereavement Counselor/Community Outreach Coordinator at the Goldstein Family Grief Center
This January, we are partnering with local Peer Support Teams to increase understanding and awareness about grief. Grief is rarely discussed and even less understood, yet its impact on the lives of first responders is profound. This discussion will briefly discuss grief, how it may appear in individuals, and a timeline for recovery. Please note: This discussion sets the stage for our Regional Peer Support Team meeting on January 28 at 5:30 p.m. where we will have an in-depth training with Donna focusing on individual and coworker loss.
Register for the Tool Box Tuesday Meet and Greet on January 13 at 10:00 a.m.
February 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Clinical Consultation for Trained Peer Supporters with Erica Birkley, Ph. D.
Best Practices for Peer Support Teams include consultation with a trained and licensed mental health clinician to provide education, policy, and procedure review. Clinicians are knowledgeable about the peer support model and are familiar with first responder culture. Clinical Consultation provides ongoing skills training to improve and enhance knowledge that can be applied as a trained peer supporter.
March 10, 2026 , 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Tactile Tuesday – Josh True, Athletic Trainer at Beacon Orthopaedics
New Year's Resolutions for improved physical performance can fall away by March. Join us to discuss routines and strategies to incorporate quick ideas for physical training that you can incorporate into your daily lives-at work and at home.
Grief Training for Peer Supporters
Grief adds a particularly complex layer to first responder stress, creating what can become a compounding and often overlooked burden. Yet, this topic is rarely talked about.
Cumulative Grief and Loss
First responders don't just experience occasional losses—they encounter death and tragedy repeatedly throughout their careers. This creates a pattern of cumulative grief where they may be processing multiple losses simultaneously, experiencing what's sometimes called "grief overload." Unlike civilian experiences of grief where there's typically time and space to mourn, first responders often move from one traumatic call to the next with little opportunity for emotional processing.
Unexpected Grief
First Responder grief isn't limited to the victims they encounter. First responders also grieve the loss of colleagues killed in the line of duty which are particularly devastating and impactful. They may also experince the loss of a someone who is very close to them whether it is a child, a spouse, a parent, or a close friend.
This presentation will discuss:
How Grief Amplifies Stress - keeping the body in a heightened state of alert. It can manifest as intrusive memories of particular calls, anniversary reactions where certain dates or situations trigger intense emotions, moral injury when they feel they failed someone or made the wrong call, and a growing emotional numbness as a protective mechanism.
The "Callout That Stays With You"
Many first responders describe certain calls—often involving children, colleagues, or situations resembling their own families—that haunt them for years. These aren't just stressful memories; they're unresolved grief experiences that continue to affect mental health, sleep, and emotional wellbeing.
Cultural Barriers to Processing Grief
The "tough it out" culture in many first responder organizations makes acknowledging grief especially difficult. There may be dark humor as a coping mechanism (which has its place but can also mask real pain), pressure to return to work quickly after difficult calls, lack of formal debriefing focused on emotional impact, and stigma around showing vulnerability.
Paths to Healing Grief
Training and rituals that acknowledges loss, rituals and memorials that honor those who died, normalizing grief as a natural response to repeated exposure to death, and mental health resources specifically trained in first responder culture.
The key is recognizing that experiencing grief doesn't make first responders weak—it makes them human. Their ability to continue serving despite carrying this weight speaks to their resilience, but that resilience is best supported when grief is acknowledged and processed rather than buried.
Hosted by the Hamilton County Peer Support Team
Date: January 28, 2026
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm Meet and Greet
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Presentation
Presented by: Donna McCartney, LISW
Donna is a Bereavement Counselor and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Goldstein Family Center at the Hospice Of Cincinnati.
Certificates:
Attendees will receive a 2 hour certificate of attendance after the training
First Responder Peer Support/Chaplain Training - Level 3
This class is not only open to Peer Support/Chaplains but ANYONE who has a heart to serve and support First Responders.
Hosted by the Hillsboro Fire Department
Hillsboro, OH – April 9, 2026
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Cost: $99 per person + Eventbrite service & processing fees
*Group Discount: Buy 4 or more tickets for $74.25 per person + Eventbrite service & processing fees
You can register for this course even if you have not completed our Level 1 or 2 course.
This class is open to everyone who has a heart to serve First Responders! You do NOT have to currently be a Peer Support/Chaplain to attend.
Learn how to effectively serve our Fire/EMS/Military/Police first responders. Peer Support, Chaplains, church leaders, non-profit volunteers, counselors, Hospice personnel, and anyone who has a heart for first responders can be used to serve these warriors. Chaplains provide a vital service to our heroes. Not only do they provide care, compassion and concern for first responders, but they also bring comfort to those who have been displaced by disaster or victimized by crime.
However, WHO TRAINS THE PEER SUPPORT/CHAPLAINS? Often well-intentioned people who want to serve as chaplains must learn through the school of hard knocks. The realities that are faced daily by police officers, firefighters, military personnel and paramedics differ significantly from the routines that many other people face. This Level 3 Training will equip each student with practical tips, tools, and techniques to provide care and support to first responders!
Topics:
• Secondary Trauma Treatment
• Psychological Fundamentals of Health for the First Responder
• Healthy Boundaries
• Tactical Intervention
• Breaking Addictions
• Defeating the Demons
• Emotional Iceberg
• Secondary Trauma Treatment – Part 2
• How to Heal from Life's Hurts
• And Much More!
Who Should Attend?
• Peer Support Team Members
• Chaplains
• Police, EMS, Military, Fire, & Corrections Officers
• Pastors, Church Leaders, & Ministry Volunteers
• Hospice/Social Workers
• Hospital Chaplains
• Anyone desiring to minister to & support First Responders
Certificates:
Attendees will receive a certificate of completion after the training | Note: This training does NOT certify anyone as a Chaplain.
Location: Southern State Community College | 100 Hobart Drive (Room 107), Hillsboro, OH 45133
For questions contact: Dr. Barry Young
Email: barrymichaelyoung@yahoo.com or 30seconddevo@gmail.com
Phone: 816-808-0789