Part 5: Changing the Culture — From Silence to Support. Behind the Badge: The Hidden Epidemic Among First Responders — And the Bay Area Therapist Fighting It.
- Janelle Brady, MS, LMFT
- Dec 8, 2025
- 8 min read
Part 5: Changing the Culture — From Silence to Support
The most important call first responders can make isn’t always to 9-1-1.
Sometimes, it’s calling out the silent epidemic of mental health struggles within the profession — and shifting the culture toward support, openness, and actual healing (not just the “I’m fine” variety spoken through clenched teeth).
Throughout this series, we've explored the realities of first responder mental health — from the invisible toll of trauma to coping tools and ways to get help. But real change requires something bigger: rewriting the cultural script.
This final post is about building a culture where seeking mental health support is not only normalized, but celebrated. A culture that encourages resilience without stigma and values understanding over silence.
The Culture of Silence — And Why It Needs to Change
For decades, mental health has been a taboo topic in first responder circles. But this silence is deadly. It isolates those struggling and perpetuates the misconception that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
Mental health has lived in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” corner of first responder life. But that silence? It’s dangerous. It isolates those who are struggling and reinforces the deeply outdated idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness rather than a sign of wisdom.
We’ve all heard the familiar stories:
The veteran officer who quietly carries his PTSD like extra body armor.
The firefighter who copes with chronic stress by overworking or overdrinking — or both.
The paramedic who “pushes through” rather than processing their grief
When these patterns become cultural norms, it’s harder for new recruits to break the cycle.
Newer generations are more educated, accepting, and aware of the importance, while also appreciative of not only physical health, but also mental and behavioral health.
We are overdue — to start the conversation.
Shifting the Culture — Small Changes Lead to Big Impact
Here are practical, research-supported ways agencies can create a healthier, more resilient culture for first responders:
1. Normalize Mental Health Conversations
Leadership examples matter: When supervisors and veteran responders openly discuss their own mental health journeys, it signals safety and strength.
Vulnerability from the top empowers everyone.
Routine check-ins: Make mental health a standard part of team briefings and check-ins. Just like PPE checks, these should be expected.
“Emotional After-Action Reviews”: Following major incidents, hold optional debriefs focused not on logistics, but feelings, coping strategies, and what came up for people emotionally. Visual aids like The Wheel of Emotions or Behind Anger handouts to not only help normalize but simplify the conversation(s).
2. Peer Support Programs
Train peer support officers: Every shift should have someone trained to listen and provide mental health support. These are people in the field who understand the challenges of the job, listens without judgment, can offer a safe space., and knows how to connect peers to resources.
Confidentiality: Peer support should always be confidential, with trained officers providing the initial conversation and guidance to other professionals when necessary.
3. Incorporate Mental Health into Training
Start at the academy: Culture change starts at orientation. From the very first day of recruit training, mental health should be taught alongside physical health. By doing this, we can change the culture from the ground up.
Introduce mental health literacy, coping skills, and stress physiology alongside defensive tactics and first aid.
Ongoing training: Make mental health training and coping skills a part of every yearly refresher course.
Regular refreshers help normalize wellness as a lifelong part of the job, not something you revisit only when things fall apart.
4. Support the Families Behind the Badge
First responders don’t experience trauma in isolation — their families feel the ripple effects, too.
Family support programs: Offer counseling, psychoeducation, or support groups for spouses and children.
Spouses often act as emotional first responders at home; support helps them carry that weight.
Children experience the effects of a parent that is experiencing the detrimental effects of not taking care of their mental health; e.g. reduced ability to be fully present, excessive drinking, shorter temper.
Kids notice more than we think — irritability, emotional distance, and substance use all impact them deeply.
Family debriefing options: When appropriate, provide space for families to understand and process how difficult calls can impact their loved one — and how to cope together.
5. Reduce Stigma, One Conversation at a Time
Normalize vulnerability: When responders see peers being open (vulnerable), it gives permission for others to do the same.
Lead with empathy: Departments must create conditions where compassion is standard protocol. Support from colleagues, managers, and the department must be grounded in empathy, not judgment.
Redefine “strength”: True strength is acknowledging when support is needed, not white-knuckling through suffering. Heroes are still human — and humans heal best with help.
“Heroes” are allowed to heal: Being strong means recognizing when you need help, not ignoring it.
Reframe “strength” as having the courage to face and talk about mental health struggles.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Real Talk From the Field
“I used to think that if I showed any weakness, I wouldn’t be able to do my job. It wasn’t until I saw a teammate take that first step toward therapy that I realized I wasn’t alone. Now we talk about it openly, and it feels like a weight has been lifted.”— Anonymous Police Officer
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Take Action to Change the Culture Today
If you’re a first responder:
Start the conversation — even in small ways.
Use the resources your department provides; doing so sets the tone for others.
Check in on a colleague you’re worried about. Early support saves lives — literally.
If you’re in leadership:
Model what you want the culture to look like.
Share your own experiences when appropriate.
Make wellness accessible, visible, and built into the structure of your department.
Create spaces where your team can talk openly without fear of judgment or consequence.
Make wellness a part of your department’s culture and mission.
Encourage open dialogue and help normalize the importance of mental health care.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Call to Action:
Change starts with you. One conversation. One shift. One team at a time.
As we close this series, remember: mental health is not a weakness — it’s a vital component of operational readiness and long-term resilience.
And as a first responder, you deserve to be as strong mentally as you are physically.
Thank you for joining me in this series. Let’s keep the conversation going. Together, we can build a culture where every first responder feels safe to seek support and thrives beyond the badge.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
You Deserve a Full Toolbox
No one expects first responders to face fires, fatalities, and fear alone. So why face mental stress alone?
Using coping tools doesn’t make you weak. It makes you prepared.
Call to Action:
Try just one of the tools above today — a breath, a buddy check-in, a moment of silence after a call.
Then ask a teammate: “What helps you get through the tough shifts?”
Click below for additional specific resources for First Responders:
Click below for additional coping skill ideas:
For a printable version of self-care ideas:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
A free consultation with a Therapist in Pleasant Hill / Walnut Creek, CA.
Are you looking for a compassionate and effective therapist in the Pleasant Hill / Walnut Creek, CA area to overcome depression? I’m not the therapist that will ask you how you feel every day. Instead, we work together as a team to make concrete improvements in reducing your symptoms and enjoying life again.
As an experienced practitioner with 15 years of experience and a background in Applied Behavior Analysis, I often implement data tracking, ensuring clinical progression & increasing your awareness in your growth. I specialize in providing supportive therapy with a touch of humor. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, trained in EMDR, & evidenced based techniques including CBT & DBT to help facilitate your treatment goals with a solution focused approach.
Specialties include depression, anxiety, autism, trauma, ABA, and IEP consultations.
Like what we talked about today? Check out related articles:
Click below for additional specific resources for First Responders:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
STATISTICS:
FROM 2017 – 2021:
511 OFFICERS WERE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
756 OFFICERS DIED BY SUICIDE
From 2017 to 2021, the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) program reported 511 officers were killed in the line of duty (270 feloniously and 241 accidentally).
During the same 5-year span, First H.E.L.P. — a nonprofit that started collecting law enforcement suicide data in 2016 — reported 756 officer suicides.
That number is nearly three times higher than that of feloniously killed officers.
This data suggests that officers are more likely to kill themselves than to be killed in the line of duty. Suicide in the law enforcement community has become an epidemic, and these brave men and women need help.
As a result, in May 2020, Congress passed the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection (LESDC) Act to generate an understanding of suicide in law enforcement and help prevent future deaths.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
STUDIES SHOW:
30% of First Responders Develop Behavioral Health Conditions
Approximately 30% of first responders develop behavioral health conditions, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compared to 20% in the general population.
This disparity underscores the heightened mental health risks associated with emergency response professions.
In 2020, 116 police officers died by suicide while 113 died in the line of duty (Stanton, 2022).
In 2021, that number rose to 150 officers dying by suicide (Leone, 2022).
Law enforcement officers have a 54% increase in suicide risk when compared to the civilian population (McAward, 2022).
Suicide rates among EMTs and firefighters are significantly higher than average.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, including EMTs and firefighters, experience significantly higher proportionate mortality ratios for suicide than the general population.
For instance, EMS providers have been shown to have suicide rates ranging from 17.2 to 30.5 per 100,000, compared to the general population's rate of 13.0 per 100,000. Prevalence of Suicide Risk Factors among Emergency Medical Services Providers in Utah
Additionally, a study found that firefighters and EMTs had significantly higher proportionate mortality ratios for suicide compared to the general U.S. working population.
Police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
For example, in 2017, 140 police officers died by suicide, while 129 died in the line of duty.
This trend continued in subsequent years, highlighting the persistent mental health challenges within the profession.
Furthermore, police officers have a 54% increased risk of suicide compared to the civilian population. Boston University
These numbers are staggering — but they only scratch the surface. Many cases go unreported because of the deep stigma within the profession.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
RESOURCES:
Mental Disorders and Mental Health Promotion In Police Officers - PMC
5 Reasons the Mental Health Of Police Officers Needs To Be A Priority | Walden University
LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT (LEMHWA) PROGRAM | COPS OFFICE
New NAMI Cope Mental Health Program To Support California Police Officers - NAMI California
Prevalence Of Mental Illness and Mental Health Care Use Among Police Officers - PMC