Building Resilience for the Frontline

Join us Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2022, in sunny San Antonio Texas at the Drury Plaza Riverwalk as we celebrate the 30th year of the International Critical Incident Responders Network conferences (formerly CISM Team Coordinators' Conference.) Drury Plaza Riverwalk reservation link

3-days of presentations, panel discussions, networking and making new connections!! Learn from those who have been in the field both as first responders, frontline workers, and CISM/Peer Support personnel. Presenters will provide "operationalization" tips for supporting those whose occupations are 'trauma-prone".

This conference highlights the operations of CISM, crisis response and Peer Support. Experts from crisis response, disaster response, the TX CISM Network and the ICIRN will assist attendees in understanding how to implement crisis response skills to a variety of critical incidents.

Keynote Speaker, Sponsored by Acadia Healthcare:

Joe Collins BS, MA, is a 35-year law enforcement veteran who retired in 2020 from the Two Rivers (W.I.) Police Department as Chief of Police/Acting City Manager. Joe holds an associate’s degree in police science, a bachelor’s degree in administration of criminal justice, and a master’s degree in managing organizational behavior.

Joe is a graduate of the 236th session of the FBI National Academy and was the 2015-2016 president of the Wisconsin FBI National Academy Association where he served five years on the executive board. He has previously served as co-chair of the FBINAA’s Officer Safety & Wellness Committee for nearly 10 years and was a member of the training and finance committees. Joe is a master instructor with the FBINAA’s Comprehensive Officer Resilience Train-the-Trainer Program℠, and a lead facilitator for the resiliency programs for Resilient Minds on the Front Lines, the U.S Air Force, States of New Jersey, and Georgia. He also serves as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice and the IACP as a subject matter expert in Officer Resilience.

As a public safety liaison and a strategic account manager with Acadia Healthcare’s Treatment Placement Specialists® team, Joe provides specialized treatment guidance for public safety personnel, first responders, and families who may find themselves in a personal crisis.

ICIRN Advisory Members and Presenters:

Dr. Dan Casey is a Master Certified Traumatologist, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Licensed Master Social Worker, and he holds a Doctorate from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, in Children, Families & Learning, as well as a BS and MA from Bemidji State University. Dan is Board Certified in Trauma Response, Disaster Response, School Crisis Response, and the Incident Command System.

Dan’s background is Wildland firefighting and college counseling. He serves as the coordinator of three crisis response teams: 1 – Consortium of MN Crisis Response Team (48 individual teams); 2 – Minnesota-Intra College Crisis Network (28 colleges/universities) and 3 the Wildland Fire Crisis Network. Dan is the Director of a Certified Green Cross Site, Upper Midwest Traumatology Training Institute. Dan provides Compassion Fatigue Educator, Compassion Fatigue Therapist, Field Traumatologist, and courses leading to Certified Traumatologist certifications. Dan has deployed as Area Command, Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, and Strike Team Leader, on many events around the world.

Dan has co-authored two textbooks specific to the field of crisis intervention, Rural Emergency Response, a guide to services in the rural volunteer community (2000, 2nd) and Crisis and Trauma in Colleges and Universities (2004).

Mirta San Martin is a psychologist and licensed mental health counselor with over 45 years of clinical experience in direct care, trauma, disaster response, and crisis management and training. As a disaster mental health responder, she has worked multiple events including TWA Flight 800 air disaster, Egypt Air, hurricanes Irene, Lee, and Sandy, Boston Marathon bombing, and 9/11 (providing services to civilians, victim families, first responders, military, NGOs, support agencies, NY state agencies). She has served as a subject matter expert on New York State Office of Mental Health committees developing and revising the curriculum for training in psychological first aid and fundamentals of disaster mental health. Mirta helped establish the South Beach Psychiatric Center Critical Incident Response Team, the go team in New York State’s disaster mental health response corps. She is a consulting clinician with POPPA, Police Officers Providing Peer Assistance, a volunteer organization of peer support officers and mental health professionals providing outreach and support services to NYPD officers, training for peer law enforcement officers, education about PTSD and suicide prevention, and direct crisis intervention. She also volunteers as a mental health consultant on the New Jersey FMBA crisis team and is certified as a NJDRCC by New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services' Disaster and Terrorism Branch. Mirta is an ICISF Approved Instructor, considers training the next generation of peer support and CISM services providers as an integral part of her work in crisis response. Her presentations at past ICIRN conferences have included “Response, Recovery, and Reintegration After a Prolonged Disaster Response,” “Suicide Risk Among Retired Public Safety Professionals,” and “Looking to the Future: Succession Planning for Teams.”

Dr. Mary Schoenfeldt is an Emergency Management Professional with a passion for helping people understand the challenges of crisis of all kinds… including day to day stress. She is known for her work with private business, health care, government, schools, and community groups. She has worked with groups all over the world and has responded personally to all types of incidents… from natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods to airline accidents, school and community violence, and mass fatality incidents. She stepped in to take the job nobody ever wants to have to fill…. The Director of Recovery for a school district who had a mass M**der suicide in the high school cafeteria. And she was tasked with coordinating the mental health and support services in an Emergency Operations Center in a community that suffered the most catastrophic mass fatalities incident in the State of Washington. During the pandemic, she has been supporting those responders who stepped in… and stepped up…for a prolonged event that has impacted every … single … person.. in the world. She is a Hall of Fame Member at the International Network for Women in Emergency Management (InWEM), a Faculty member at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, is a subject matter expert for US Department of Education, was honored with a Real Hero Award from American Red Cross, has been recognized by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She is Board President of Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, an international disaster mental health non-profit organization.

Carol Staben Burroughs is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice in Bozeman, MT. She provides individual, couple and family counseling on a wide variety of issues. She has specialized in working with law enforcement and other emergency services professionals and their families for over 30 years. She is a trainer for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in the Basic and Advanced Group Crisis Intervention courses and the Individual Crisis Intervention (Peer Support) course. Carol retired as a faculty member at Montana State University where she taught for 30 years. She is the Clinical Director of the Gallatin County CISM team and is on the Montana CISM Network board. Carol is an appointee to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health. She has a busy private practice and training schedule and in her off hours enjoys travelling, reading and gardening.

Presenters:

Richard Barton is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). He directs this educational foundation that serves the mission of improving the lives of people who face the stress of critical incidents.

Mr. Barton served as Director of the Maryland Park Service for 17 years and retired from that position in 2007. He directed a workforce that included several hundred first responders, among them 218 law enforcement officers. The Maryland State Police provided his initial police training beginning his 30-year public safety career as a law enforcement officer and medical responder.

After completing his State service, Mr. Barton served three years as the County Administrator for Caroline County, Maryland and has since assisted several non-profit organizations that sought progressive management change. That expertise brought him to the ICISF in August of 2013.

Mr. Barton grew up in Manchester, Connecticut and has resided in Maryland since 1977. He is the father of two adult sons, stepfather of two daughters, and resides with his wife Patti in Denton, Maryland. Mr. Barton holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Natural Resources Management. He has authored many non-fiction articles and short stories.

Brian Bennet, a Registered Massage Therapist from Collingwood/Markham, Canada, has been a volunteer and paid ski patroller with the Canadian Ski Patrol (for 32 years), and a member of their CISM team (16 years) being presented with several awards for his dedication to CISM with the Patrol. In 2016 he became the first National CISM Coordinator for the Canadian Ski Patrol with approximately 4500 members. Brian volunteered for the Canadian Red Cross during the Ft McMurray fire disaster working as a Safety & Wellbeing Responder/Supervisor providing psycho-social support to residents displaced by fires and residing in Edmonton. He has trained in firefighting becoming NFPA 1001 FF1 and FF2 certified. Brian, as a medical venue manager for the Toronto2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, coordinated the development of a mental health program for the first time in Pan/Parapan Am Games history, and managed 8 sport venues, 3 satellite accommodation clinics, assisted the Emergency Manager in the coordination of medical services for spectators across the Games, and managed all medical for the opening/closing ceremonies for the Parapan Am Games.

In September 2017, Brian was the medical co-lead for all cycling events at the Invictus Games. Most recently Brian was employed by the GoldCoast Games organizing committee, as Venue Medical Manager for the Commonwealth Games in Australia. As part of this role he developed and presented a Medical Staff Support (CISM) Program to 50 Fulltime medical staff/managers at the Games. This program was in place to support over 1400 medical volunteers for the duration of the Games. Brian is an ICISF approved CISM instructor since 2009 and an approved instructor for the R2MR Road to Mental Readiness program from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and the Mental Health Commision Canada. Brian teaches locally in Toronto as well as across Canada. He has presented "International Multisport Games and the Provision of CISM, Past, Present, and Future" at the "ICISF World Congress on Stress, Trauma, and Coping" In Baltimore Maryland, the Pan/Parapan Am medical conference prior to the Games in Toronto, to sports medicine physicians during the CASEM endurance medicine course at Ironman Muskoka, and at the PRO Parks and Recreation Ontario Aquatics conference. Brian regularly volunteers his time to present talks for provincial and national organizations.

Melissa, Graham, Ph.D., in 2019 Dr. Graham was hired to start an in-house Behavioral Health Services program for the San Antonio Fire Department. Prior to working with SAFD, Dr. Graham was a psychologist for the San Antonio Police Department providing mental health care for officers and their families. She provided crisis response services and counseled officers who had been involved in critical incidents and was a member of the SAPD Hostage Negotiation Team and the coordinator of the SAPD Peer Support Team. Currently she represents psychological services in several community action groups and conference planning committees. Dr. Graham is the coordinator for Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and the SAFD peer support programs. Dr. Graham earned her Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Oklahoma and her PhD from Oklahoma State University. She completed her Internship and Residency at the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System.

Keith Hanks, is a retired Firefighter and EMT dedicating 21 years of his life to the service of others. He serviced his community as a training officer, certified educator, and field training officer. Keith worked both inner-city EMS as well as fire. Like many in the first responder community the job has its cost. From childhood trauma, traumatic calls, the traumatic passing of his first wife and sexual abuse Keith has faced many trials and tragedies that resulted in self-harm, substance abuse, lies and multiple suicide attempts.

After decades of damage Keith began to put the pieces of his life back together. Keith was diagnosed with Complex PTSI in 2015. The job, the service, his dedication caused this injury, and consequently his retirement. What PTSI didn’t change was the love and devotion to his community and to his fellow first responders. Keith has since dedicated his life to advocating for mental illness, substance and alcohol abuse recovery, and suicide awareness. Since starting this mission Keith built an international support group through Facebook for First Responders and Veterans for PTSI and other job-related mental health issues. Keith was asked to be a part of the Deconstructing Stigma Project and has a Billboard that hangs in the International Terminal at Logan Airport in Boston MA. In March 2022 he completed the filming of his feature length documentary focusing on PTSI in the first responder community. Keith is a public speaker and soon to be published author. Keith’s transparency in his own life has led him to share his story through social media and many other platforms to reach the most people he can. He is known for saying that his life goal is to reduce suicide in the first responder community through education, support resources and to make it OK to not be OK. Keith is currently a life coach and employed as the Director of Business Development for First Responder Coaching based in Massachusetts. He resides in New Hampshire with his wife and is the proud father to three incredible children.

Tiffany Juarez, LCSW, CEO of Battling Minds, LLC, has been a licensed clinical social worker for 12 years. She was raised in Northwest Indiana, obtained her Bachelor's in Social Work from Grace College and Theological Seminary, IN, and left the Hoosier State for San Antonio in 2008. She obtained her Master’s in Social Work in 2010 from Our Lady of the Lake University. Tiffany's drive to be a change agent in the community led her to start Battling Minds in September 2020. Since 2020, Tiffany has connected with FrontLine Strong Non-profit to provide no cost therapy to frontline workers, veterans, and their family members. Additionally, she provides street behavioral health services, educational training, and has developed partnerships with other nonprofits to provide therapy to those experiencing homelessness and other community members. Tiffany is resourceful and determined; her drive and passion brings a dynamic community-orientated change resulting in wellness to individuals, families, and the community. She is a mother of two children and enjoys spending time with family and friends and loves outdoor activities.

Chaplain Curtiss Lanham has served as the Chaplain/Peer Support Officer for Fort Bend County EMS since March 2018 and leads the Peer Support Team. He also serves as the Pastor for Pastoral Care and Counseling at CrossRoad Lutheran Church (LCMS), Katy, TX. He serves on the Chaplain Team for Fulshear-Simonton Fire Department. Chaplain Curtiss serves on CISM teams and as a Mental Health Coach. He is trained in CISM-IG, First Responder Chaplaincy, ASIST, ESC in Disasters, Mindful Decontamination, Suicide Awareness, Survival for First Responders, CIDP/ATIP, Care and Counsel for Combat Trauma/Peer Support Groups, Fire Service Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health Coaching. He is a member of ICISF, AACC, and SCA. He received an Award for Heroism for his part in the MCI at the Brookside Village Pipeline Explosion in October 1978. Chaplain Curtiss began his career in EMS in 1978 with Pearland Area EMS, subsequently serving as a Lead Paramedic at Fort Bend County EMS, and Katy Fire/EMS. He served as a lead EMS Instructor at Houston Community College and Alvin Community College, and Clinical Coordinator at San Jacinto College Central. He is a native Houstonian and now lives in Weston Lakes, TX with his wife of 35 years, Melba who is also a retired Paramedic. They have one son and daughter-in-law, with two grandkids. Chaplain Curtiss and Melba owned a dog behavior business serving families with dogs suffering from deep behavior issues such as fear-based, trauma related behaviors (anxiety, noise phobia, reactivity, etc.) using evidence-based modalities.

Alan Peterson, Ph.D, is a Professor and the Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine within the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). He is a board-certified clinical health psychologist, the Krus Endowed Chair in Psychiatry, and the Associate Director of Research for the Military Health Institute at UT Health San Antonio. He is also a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Peterson is the Director of the STRONG STAR Consortium, which includes over 150 research collaborators and 40 institutions worldwide. He served previously as the Chair of the Department of Psychology and the Director of the Clinical Health Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at the U.S. Air Force’s Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio. Dr. Peterson retired from the Air Force in 2005 after 21 years of active duty service including deployments in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. He has clinical and research expertise in the areas of behavioral medicine, psychological trauma, and resiliency. He has published 7 books, over 350 scientific manuscripts, and given over 600 presentations at national and international meetings.

Antonio Santana, BA, MS, grew up in a small ranch town in South Texas. In 2003, he joined the United States Marine Corp, with a tour to Iraq, with a Honorable Discharge in 2007. Following the military, he became a Correctional Officer. Antonio obtained an Associates in Business Administration, a Bachelors in Criminal Justice, and a Masters in Information Technology. Antonio spent 10 years in Law Enforcement from Corrections to Investigations. Antonio self-published his first book called “My Journey Through Words” and shortly after self-published his second book called “Light Within Darkness.” In early 2021, Antonio started a Podcast called “Frontline Strong” focused on openly talking about mental health. In 2022, after determining more was needed to help our Frontline Workers/ Veterans and their families, Frontline Strong Nonprofit was established. Frontline Strong Nonprofit’s mission is to serve those who make selfless service their life’s work. Frontline Strong's goal is to decrease the impact of trauma on the lives of first responders, frontline healthcare workers, veterans, and their families through access to no-cost therapy services. Antonio is a husband, father of three gorgeous girls and he enjoys spending time with his family.

Host or Publisher Denise Thompson