First responders can improve their resilience, wellness at event

The “First Responders Resilience Event” will be 1-4 p.m. at the War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive. The event is hosted by the Milwaukee VA Medical Center in conjunction with the War Memorial, Southeast Wisconsin Veteran Suicide Prevention Task Force and the BRAVE program of Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. It is free and open to all first responders, their families and supporters.

Experts on post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury, self-care, wellness and crisis management will speak at the event, and dozens of organizations that specialize in mental health, therapy, suicide prevention and Veterans issues will be on hand to share their resources.

Keynote speaker Dave Funkhouser, a retired Wisconsin police chief, will speak on how first responders can release their pain and internal trauma and restore their emotional mental state.

Breakout sessions will address self-care and how first responders can cope with their “new normal.”

First responders deal with traumatic situations almost every day, and learning to cope with those experiences is key to their mental health and overall wellness, according to Dr. Gregory Burek, a Veteran and psychiatrist who heads BRAVE, a program that specializes in helping first responders and those with traumatic brain injuries.

“For Veterans and first responders, those whose job it is to be put in harm’s way, chaotic and traumatic experiences are frequently part of the mission,” Burek said. “Many go into the mission with resilience and coping, but those skills are tested time and again by the rigors of what they are asked to do. When individual coping is overwhelmed, support from others is what is essential to get through and heal.”

Many Veterans, upon leaving active military service, often move into careers as first responders, according to Milwaukee VA psychiatrist Dr. Michael McBride, who is also a Veteran. So bringing the Milwaukee VA’s robust mental health division to the service of all first responders is a natural fit, he said.

“It is a natural progression for many military service members to seek careers as first responders as they transition into the civilian world.  However, first responders are exposed to a high level of trauma which can layer on top of the trauma they experienced in the military,” McBride said. “As a community, we need to offer more support and resources to enhance the wellness and resilience of both first responders and their families.”

Event itinerary:

• 1 p.m. — Welcome: Dan Buttery, CEO, Milwaukee County War Memorial Center
• 1:05 — Keynote: “Release and Restore,” presented by former Wisconsin police chief Dave Funkhouser
• 1:30 — Resource tables, networking
• 2-2:45 — Breakout sessions:
  • “Self-Care: Retreat, Reflect, Replenish, Restore” with Chaplain Robert Allen
  • “Finding Your Purpose: Coping with the New Normal” with Chaplain Greg Young
• 3-3:45 — Breakout sessions:
  • “Finding Your Purpose: Coping with the New Normal" with Chaplain Greg Young
  • "Self-Care: Retreat, Reflect, Replenish, Restore” with Chaplain Robert Allen
• 3:45 — Reflection and wrap-up with Wauwatosa Police Chief James MacGillis
• 4 — Reception

Those interested in attending can register here.

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NOTE TO NEWS MEDIA: You are encouraged to cover this event. Time for one-on-one interviews will be available starting at about 1:30 p.m., after the keynote address. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Milwaukee VA Public Affairs Specialist David Walter at 414-384-2000, ext. 45176, or David.walter@va.gov.

David Walter, Public Affairs Specialist

414-384-2000, ext. 45176

david.walter@va.gov