Survivingvalor was created as a non-profit organization out of a need for more mental health awareness amongst our first responders. A career as a first responder is a noble and critical profession that has always taken a heavy toll on those who work in these fields. Our President and founder, Eric Doane is a medically retired police officer that started the Peers Team at Ithaca Police Department, following the tragic suicide of another officer in the department. Years and countless hours went into research, gaining insight from others, vetting providers, and writing policy and procedures. The program was implemented and functioning well at the time of Eric's retirement.
In the years that followed retirement, Eric realized that training on mental health awareness in first responder organizations was lacking and desperately needed. The smallest organizations, police and volunteer fire departments, have the highest rates of PTSD and suicide. The reason is simple, there are little to no resources available for these organizations. There are many great thinkers, researchers, and trainers in this topic, however, they are not coming to small town America. These small agencies comprise the majority of police and fire/EMS services in this country, but most lack the financial and manpower resources to either send personnel to trainings or pay to host them. That is why Survivingvalor was created.
We take proceeds and external funding such as grants and donations to provide this training free of charge to small agencies all around the country. Trauma is trauma, it does not matter where you work or how it happens, you should have the same access to information and help as the large agencies do. Pre-incident education is the best way to prevent PTSD and the reason is simple, you understand what is happening to you. Thereby taking the fear of the unknown away and preventing the common thinking that something is wrong with you. It is in this thinking that many have slid down the slippery slope into PTSD and all the terrible reactions and consequences that come along with it. Let's face it, training academies fill our heads with a lot of nonsense, for example, you are above your emotions, you can control them, and you solve other peoples' problems, you are not a person with problems. Which of course is absolutely untrue. Being a first responder is toxic, and exacts a high toll that we all must pay. But that does not mean you have to suffer the rest of your life, it is just something you must overcome and you certainly can.
The secondary purpose of Survivingvalor is to tear down the stigma that is still pervasive in the first responder field. Progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go. Only through discussion, knowledge, and facts can we tear down stigma and the more we have these conversations, the further we will reduce the stigma that surrounds asking for help with mental health issues.
Eric spent over a year researching and building this program to ensure that it is as timely and as fact based as possible. Typically run as an 8 hour in class training, it is intended to facilitate discussion and thoughtful reflection on these issues. But also to show that you are not alone, we all struggle with mental health in this field and this is ok, it is normal. What matters is what are you going to do about it?
Be safe,
Eric
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