The Night Safe Call Now Saved My Officer's Life!!!

Chief Mike Cantaloupe

I know I’m a firm believer of Safe Call Now® but I wanted to share with you what others think that have relied upon us for help.  Treatment works, lives are changed and families are put back together.  We are honored at Safe Call Now® to serve others.

I am a firm believer in the Safe Call Now® program. When I was first appointed as Chief of Police, I encountered what I believe to be a Chief’s or administrator’s worst nightmare. I received a call from another local Chief who stated that one of my officers was threatening to kill himself. There were several text messages from the officer. We were able to isolate my officer but then the real nightmare began. He was able to basically convince my entire command staff that he was fine and that we really needed to let him go home.  I had to literally order one of my Majors to “Baker Act” the officer who by the way is a very close friend of mine. Yes, that made the situation even worse. He became very aggressive towards me and basically told me he hated my guts and I was ruining his career, not in those exact words.  My friend and my officer was going to die!!! 

There were also several other factors that were playing into the entire situation. Needless to say we “Baker Acted” him. I was able to keep him in the hospital for the full 48 hour psychological evaluation and then get him into a program thanks to Safe Call Now®.  I spoke with Chief Muldoon and he gave me your information. Without your help and the program knowledge Safe Call Now® has, we would have been attending a funeral for this officer. He actually told me how and what he was going to do if we had let him go home that night.

#1stresponder Only Treatment... Just Another Gimmick???

By Safe Call Now® Advisory Board Member - Mark Lamplugh Jr.

Recently in the addiction recovery field, we have seen a few all-responder 24/7 treatment programs pop up across the country. These facilities offer first responders complete isolation from “normal” people. The only people the patient is around in the treatment program are other first responders.

On the face of it, it sounds reasonable. The work firefighters, police, and EMS workers are asked to do generates more than an average amount of trauma. And if you ask responders what clinical setting would make them feel comfortable, a common answer might give you the impression that they are a breed apart—a fraternity that is used to depending on cohesion as a matter of life or death.

But it is important for clinicians to ask, “Do these programs that single out first responders work better for their overall recovery?”

Deciding to seek help for alcoholism, drug addiction, or mental health problems represents a major commitment. It may be particularly difficult for many first responders because they work in a culture where admitting that they have a substance use problem equals admitting to weakness. It may mean destroying the sense, arguably useful on the job, that they are heroically invincible. “I’m a firefighter.” “We are tough as nails.” “We don’t get problems, we fight them.”

From a treatment perspective, this very thought process, which makes it hard to ask for or receive help, explains why all-responder programs may not be a good idea. Getting first responders to realize they are just like everyone else will be the first job of any program.

Informed opinion
I spoke with Joel Brier, second executive vice president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 2928, who also heads up behavioral health for the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Fla. His 18 years working with firefighters on behavioral health treatment, through a wellness program and employee assistance program (EAP) providers, give him an informed perspective on the issue of responder-only treatment.

“After countless pre-screening interviews, interventions, and working with various treatment centers throughout the country, I have found that our firefighters are really no different than anyone else needing assistance in breaking free from the grip of substance or alcohol abuse,” says Brier. “And in fact they prefer not to be placed where they may encounter other firefighters.”

He says that the placement process for those entering treatment includes protocols to reduce the chance that firefighters will be in treatment together.

Telling firefighters or police officers they can’t get better unless they are in a “responder-only program” is not helping the responder community. And it’s not helping sick responders to get any better. Look at it this way: If someone experienced a particular trauma, a licensed therapist would treat the trauma. That role wouldn't be left to a peer from the profession the individual worked in when the trauma occurred.
“While there may be trauma-related issues to being a first responder, these issues are typically handled by clinicians specifically trained in trauma therapy,” Brier says.

Breaking free from habits
Another problem with an all-responder program is the simple fact that not much is going to be accomplished by responders inhabiting the buddy support system they should be leaving behind—a setting where the talk centers on big fires and amorous conquests. How does this same environment make anyone better? The fact of the matter is it doesn’t. Inpatient recovery works best when individuals make a break from familiar surroundings, underscoring their commitment to abandon old habits.

In fact, the sense of being so unique that you need a special cohort before you can begin your recovery is actually a well-known symptom of the disease of addiction. There’s a saying among those in recovery that “addicts suffer from terminal uniqueness.”


To read entire article on Addiction Professional:  Click here 


 

Partnering Up to Save a Life!!!

By Safe Call Now®

This is an email (with permission to use) that our partners at Code 3 Spices received after they put up a post on Facebook about Safe Call Now.  I like these kind of emails!!!

"My name is -------------. I am a 19 year police veteran from the state of _______. I wanted to thank you guys for doing what you do. You see, I have been through a lot of ups and downs and have seen a lot of horrible shit over the years of being a cop. Within the last year I got divorced, lost my house, Lost my mother and father, became depressed and I felt like everything was spinning out of control from there. 

Work was non-stop stress. I was involved in a situation that involved a horrible incident where 2 children were brutally murdered. I was the first one on scene. I went home that night, started drinking and thinking about all the horrible incidents I have been involved in and sat down at the kitchen table with my lap top, a pen and paper and my service weapon. 

As I was writing my last letter to my loved ones a co-worker sent me a message of one of the posts you had put up on Facebook about Safe Call Now® and their call service. I am a spiritual type of man. I took it immediately as a sign to call this number. I broke down crying, emptied my service weapon and put it in my lock box and called my ex-wife to come over. She obviously knew something was wrong. 

I made a call to Safe Call Now® and they were able to place me into treatment within 36 hours. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a company that supports organizations like Safe Call Now®. The timing of your Facebook post saved my life, my career and my future. I am 100% healthy now and I owe it to the people of Safe Call Now®. 

Thank you again for everything your company does in supporting first responders and military. I will be a supporter of Code 3 Spices for life. 

Sincerely, 

_________________ "

Plain Talk about PTSD and Suicide

Plain Talk about PTSD & Suicide from our partners at Serve & Protect

Take a moment to view this video and educate yourselves about the taboo topics of PTSD and suicide which plague the first responder population.  There will be at lease one item in this video that may save you, a co-worker or a loved one life!!! 

Training that Changes & Saves the Lives of #1stresponders

Safe Call Now®'s Training Series

Today Safe Call Now® is in Henderson, Nevada providing life changing training to the first responders of the greater Las Vegas area.  Emotional Body Armor and the Bulletproof Administrator are courses designed for all first responders and their family members if they choose and to provide them with the tools to help individuals being held back both personally and professionally by the bonds of addictive behaviors, co-dependency, family systems or trauma in any form. 

Participants will examine those barriers and experiences that influence the capacity for a happy, healthy life and career. The intensive training experience will reveal how painful life and job experiences are and that they can hamper the growth of individuals and block the ability to be authentic in relationships with self and others.

We are very blessed to be able to provide these workshops nationwide so that first responders may reach their potential life, family and career goals.

For more information contact: Captain Brian Nanavaty at bn@safecallnow.org 

#1stresponders... What is Addiction vs. Dependence

By Great Oaks Recovery Center

When I was faced with being labeled an “addict” I felt defeated. To me, being an addict meant that I’d lost control and needed drugs to function. It also meant that I would be limited to two possible outcomes: quitting for good or going to an early grave. As I tried desperately to find another way to explain my chronic condition, I remembered hearing the term “dependence” and somehow it had a nicer ring to it.

Being physically dependent made my problem sound more manageable than being dubbed a drug addict. But when I was asked to differentiate between the two I was stumped. What is addiction versus dependence?

Addiction versus Dependence: Let’s Define Dependence First

The word dependence is typically used when referring to a reliance on something. That something can be any number of things, such as a person, a system, an object or a substance. Dependence can be psychological and/ or physical. In this discussion on addiction versus dependence, it is physical dependence that is being referenced.

Station House Retreat Appoints Mark Lamplugh

Mark Lamplugh

Station House has been helping first-responders heal and recover through their innovative treatment, assisting public safety workers in returning to their lives and continuing to help others. The Station House rehabilitation center is excited to announce the recent addition of Mark Lamplugh, as Senior Vice President of Business Development, to help expand the program.

Mark brings with him an impressive background as a fourth generation firefighter, and former Captain of the Lower Chichester Fire Company in Pennsylvania. His first-hand experience as a first-responder has attributed to his national recognition in Crisis Stress Intervention through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

“I’m excited that Mark is joining our team to create awareness for this serious problem,” said Admissions Director Jeffrey Bowers. “Studies have shown over 20% of first responders suffer from alcoholism and PTSD.”

Understanding Treatment for #1stresponders

Sierra Tucson

Safe Call Now® only offers the highest quality of care America has to offer for all first responders and their family members.  Those that we refer to are vetted through a rigorous process to insure you only get the best.  Our experience has been that many providers offer you the “world” and have really incredible websites and specifically market to the first responder.  After the vetting process we have found that they can’t do what they say they can do and it only hurts you in the end.  Today we would like to highlight one of our providers that has saved the lives of many first responders and give you a better understanding of what quality treatment is all about. Safe Call Now® feels it is important to provide you with information to save yours or a loved ones life!!!

Sierra Tucson: Offering Premium Individualized Treatment & Recovery Programs for More Than 30 Years

Sierra Tucson is an internationally renowned treatment facility that has helped thousands of people rebuild their lives over the past 30 years.

Dually licensed by the state of Arizona and dually accredited by The Joint Commission, Sierra Tucson is known and respected as a leader in the treatment of addictions, complex mental health issues, and co-occurring disorders. The professional, experienced, and caring staff develop individualized treatment plans for each patient.

Progressive, effective therapies help every individual discover, confront, and learn to manage the issues at the very heart of human behavior and disease.

Treatment Therapies

Sierra Tucson is not your typical treatment center. We recognize that specific therapies may work for some patients and not for others, and we have designed a treatment program that incorporates both traditional and integrative therapies to assist you in your recovery.

As part of your individualized treatment plan, you will be provided the therapies that will work best to treat your drug or alcohol addiction, eating disorder, depression, anxiety, emotional trauma, or chronic pain. Sierra Tucson applies numerous traditional therapies in combination with innovative and complementary therapies.