Mitigating the Psychological Risks of a Career in Public Safety: Opportunities for Fire & EMS Leaders
Dr. Sara Jahnke
Dr. Marc Kruse
Over the last several decades, Fire Service & EMS leaders have faced increased pressure to simultaneously (1) be aware of and meaningfully address the behavioral health needs of the men and women they serve, (2) provide a safe and confidential environment in which first responders can privately address their behavioral health needs without fear of career repercussions, and (3) maintain employment standards to ensure that the public safety needs of their communities are met. This session was built with the goal of providing Fire & EMS Service leaders with guidance on the implementation of a variety of programs designed to help minimize the potential psychological consequences of a career in public safety. The session will include discussion of pre-hire psychological evaluations, confidential annual behavioral health screenings, maximizing the effectiveness of a healthy station life, supporting the needs of first responders in psychological distress, addressing return to work and fitness for duty concerns, and how to help members prepare for a psychologically healthy retirement.
About Dr. Sara Jahnke
Dr. Sara Jahnke is the Director and a Senior Scientist with the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research within NDRI-USA, Inc. With over a decade of research experience on firefighters, she has been the Principal Investigator on several national studies as well as dozens of studies as a co-investigator. Her work has focused on a range of health concerns including the health of women firefighters, behavioral health, risk of injury, cancer, cardiovascular risk factors, and substance use with funding from FEMA, the National Institutes of Health and other foundations.
About Dr. Marc Kruse
Marc Kruse is the Vice President for Research and Development at First Responder Behavioral Health, LLC. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and completed his clinical internship at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown Medical School and the Providence, Rhode Island Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Kruse has served as the Psychologist for the Austin Fire and Austin-Travis County EMS Departments since 2011, and prior to that Marc was an investigator on multiple federally-funded research projects and directed the data management division for the Central Texas VA and VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans. The majority of Dr. Kruse’s clinical and research efforts are focused on working with firefighters, EMS providers, and military veterans with particular emphasis on the assessment and treatment of the behavioral health conditions most commonly experienced by these trauma-exposed populations including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, substance use disorders, sleep disorders, and relationship difficulties. He has been involved with clinical research with firefighters from across North America and regularly consults with fire departments on the importance of incorporating behavioral health screening, assessment, and treatment for first responders. In addition to his research initiatives with First Responder Behavioral Health, Marc has ongoing collaborations with researchers across the country and regularly participates as a grant reviewer for FEMA.
