FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
High-Impact Wellness Training for Fire, Police, EMS, and Dispatch
Dr. Erica Birkley delivers practical, evidence-based training designed specifically for first responders.
Each session blends clinical insight with responder reality, giving personnel tools they can apply immediately on the job and at home.
Agency Trainings
OPATA approved and meet EMS Provider CE Requirements and Continuing Dispatch Education Requirements.
Our team partners with agencies to file CE applications in advance and provide certificates.
Trainings are 2 Hours with the Option to Select Multiple on the Same Day
Training conducted on-site at your agency and across all shifts by First Responder Clinicians
Stress Inoculation & Resilience + Emotional Decontamination
Build capacity. Reduce emotional carryover. Strengthen long-term wellness.
First responders routinely absorb high-intensity stress. Without proper tools, that load builds up quietly and becomes physical, emotional, and relational strain.
This training gives personnel the practical skills to manage stress in real time and release what the body holds after difficult calls.
What This Training Covers:
Identifying PTSD Symptoms
Healthy ways to grieve
Identifying emotions to regulate vs suppress
Effective behaviors for shift work
Binge drinking and other numbing
Who This Serves: frontline personnel, peer support teams, supervisors.
Healthy Relationships for First Responders
Protect the people who support your service.
Shift work, unpredictable schedules, emotional fallout from calls; all of it affects relationships at home. This training helps responders understand the patterns that erode connection and gives couples tools that improve communication, reduce conflict, and strengthen trust.
What This Training Covers:
How to immediately increase relationship satisfaction
Conflict resolution tools for exhausted partners
The reality: there is no such thing as a low maintenance relationship
Who This Serves: married responders, partnered responders, leadership concerned about retention and morale.
Cop & Doc Talk: PTSD Treatment & Recovery
Realistic education. Accurate expectations. Hope grounded in science.
PTSD is often misunderstood within responder culture. This training demystifies symptoms, clarifies what recovery actually looks like, and reduces stigma by presenting real cases from the field.
What This Training Features:
20+ year police veteran
"I even hated the sun"
Just 6 PTSD sessions to recover
How to maintain wellness
Appreciating the awe in life
Who This Serves: all personnel, peer support, chaplains, leadership, new recruits.
Critical Incident Training: Preparing for What’s “Normal” and What’s Not
Give your team clarity before and after difficult calls.
Critical incidents create physiological and psychological reactions that responders often misunderstand. This training prepares personnel in advance, reducing fear, confusion, shame, and long-term impact.
What This Training Features:
Range of emotion and behavior
Disturbances in perception and memory
Signs a responder is stuck
Proactive strategies
Who This Serves: all personnel, peer support, chaplains, leadership, new recruits.
Sleep Training: Science & Strategy for First Resonders
Improved Sleep Means Better Outcomes on Every Shift
Training to identify sleep risk early and apply practical, immediate, research-supported interventions to protect performance, safety, and readiness for your responders and your community.
This Training Demonstrates How Chrinic Fatigue Results in:
Increased Vehicle Crashes
Higher rates of Injury
Accelerated burnout and early retirement
Slowed reaction time and decision-making
Who This Serves: all personnel, peer support, chaplains, leadership, new recruits.
2 Hour Training
Instructor: Emily Fumarola, MSW, LISW-S
Cheat Code for Managing Anger
Identify body cues associated with angry escalation
Recognize personal anger triggers and automatic thoughts
Learn a specific behavioral technique for more effective anger management
2 Hour Training
Instructor: Dr. Roger Schmidt, PhD, ABPP
My Owner’s Manual:
A system for better stress and self-management
Identify factors that relate to both optimal as well as compromised functioning
Specify internal and external resources for support
Operationalize a plan for getting things back on track after periods of struggle
2 Hour Training
Instructor: Dr. Roger Schmidt, PhD, ABPP
How to Stay Afloat in Peer Support
Identify how automatic “righting” behaviors sabotage connection & recovery
Increase threat differentiation in the brain to calm the nervous system in real time
Practice strategies to down-regulate from a state of tension and stress
2 Hour Training
Instructor: Dr. Erica Birkley, PhD
Additional Course Topics:
Leadership across Generations: Accountability, Engagement, and Loyalty
Performance-Based Interviewing for the Fire/Police Service
Potentially Traumatic Event Response: Tristate Regional Guide & Lessons Learned
Wellness Visits: 86% of Tristate First Responders Recommend Annually
Fortifying the Homefront: Science-Backed Skills for your Relationship
Ready to get started?
What participants are saying
"Receive it more often, maybe every 5 years. This is the 1st time in my 26-year career that these subjects have been addressed in any real depth."
"Dr Birkley helped me tremendously and I highly recommend her to anyone every time I get the chance. She is a caring and genuinely wonderful woman and sincerely wants to help people.
"It was a great training for a group reluctant to change."
"Dealing with stress and sleep information was very useful and informative."
"Showing people that it’s ok to be honest with your feelings and to not keep it bottled up inside. That only makes things worse. The way she was able to get my “walls” I built up torn down was much needed."
Talk with Dr Birkley to Discuss Training for Your Agency
Endorsements
From Police Officers at the Stress Inoculation & Recovery Training:
"Very informative and useful. Opened my eyes to things that have been going on in my life for some time now. Things that I was aware of, but no real knowledge of it.”
“Information provided is relative and actionable. This should be included as a part of a comprehensive wellness program for all public safety agencies.”
“If you’re a first responder you NEED the tools Dr. Birkley introduces you to at this training.”
“These types of trainings should be encouraged more due to the hesitation of first responders to talk about the topic.”
“Listen to a talk from Dr. Birkley and put her advice to action BEFORE you have an incident occur.”
From Firefighters at the Emotional Decon for the Fire Service Training:
“The session was very professional with the clinicians being more personable than one would perceive. Dr Birkley was able to open up about human elements in her personal life which definitely shows how committed she is in her career choice.”
Firefighter/Paramedic Following a Wellness Visit:
“Wellness visit went well. Thank you Emily for listening.”
From Business Owners Following Wellness at Work: Why and How to Invest in Mental Health
“Extremely beneficial!”
“Gave concrete, relevant ideas.”
“Discussion about how being able to better relate and care about your associates leads to improved morale and long term results.”
From Couples Training: Protect and Heal from Stress Exposure with your Homefront Partner:
“Very informative and something everyone needs to hear.”
“Worth the time spent.”
“I wish we went more in detail about some things and I would like to make an appointment.”
“Informative and very insightful about how trauma affects our relationships.”
From Trained Peer Supporters following: Stress, Mental Health Symptoms, and Hope in Treatment for Peer Supporters
“I think this session was extremely valuable to both my personal life and to be able to assist my peers. A lot of the techniques are simple, and just need a minimal amount of time and effort to have them succeed.”
“Very insightful. Very knowledgeable about situations and issues affecting law enforcement. Obvious desire to help."
“She gets it- knows how to speak the lingo and what’s important.”
“Incredible. Actionable content that can be used immediately.”
From Promoting Stress Recovery and Resilience for Public Safety Servants
“Erica was spot on with what First Responders go through with PTSD, stress, anxiety, and depression. She offered valuable information on how to cope and deal with these issues.”
“Uncomfortable but needed, especially for First Responders.”
From Officer Wellness Training: Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Healthy Relationships
“Thank you. For sharing Christian based ideas in the world of counseling. Especially in Law Enforcement. You are a city on a hill.”
“We can take small steps every day to improve our relationships and communication… nothing is beyond hope!”
“Thank you. For sharing Christian based ideas in the world of counseling. Especially in Law Enforcement. You are a city on a hill.”
“We can take small steps every day to improve our relationships and communication… nothing is beyond hope!”
“Relevant and timely. Great investment of time to spend with such a knowledgeable and awesome resource!”
“Very valuable for anyone in law enforcement careers or anyone that feels like the struggle with communicating at home or at work.”
Wellness Visit Testimonials
Fire Fighters
“It was very helpful but we only had so much time to cover stuff. Meeting again would cover more things in depth.”
“Topics important to me were covered.”
Dispatchers
“The visits are a great way to talk about anything in a safe non judgmental environment. The recommendations and support provided are very helpful.”
“The provider was very pleasant and easy to talk to. She was able to recommend services that I might find beneficial if the need ever arises.”
Police Officers
“Well visit went well, I think getting pass the stigma of mental health and law enforcement was a hard first step but going forward it should be easier.”
“Would prefer if these were scheduled like regular check ups, maybe a monthly thing.”
“I would not change the initial visit. It was a great initial conversation and brought a comfortableness to the program. A "get to know you" session which established trust.”
“I thought to be an informative meeting and have no suggestions for any improvements. I feel like many topics were covered and can’t think of any that were not talked about.”
“I thought the visit was well structured and left the floor open to anything comfortable worth talking about.”
“I did not go in seeking much, and probably got more than I was looking for. Very kind and easy to speak with.”
“First time doing anything like this, I think it went well.”
Trusted by Agencies, Municipalities, and Organizations
and many more
Let’s Build a Stronger Foundation for Wellness
Whether you’re an agency leader or an individual responder, lasting wellness starts with a conversation.
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We are committed to providing compassionate, confidential, and effective mental health care for individuals, families, and agencies.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
- Psalm 46:1
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This publication is designed to provide general information prepared by a professional in regard to the subject matter covered. It is not intended to provide psychological or clinical advice. Although prepared by a professional, this publication should not be utilized as a substitute for professional service in specific situations. If mental health advice or other expert assistance is required, the service of a professional should be sought.
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