Jay Fitch, PhD; and Jim Marshall, MA, presented “Combatting Cumulative Stress Among Caregivers: Learning the Art of Self-Care,” a webinar sponsored by the 911 Training Institute and Fitch & Associates, on May 19, 2020. Watch an archived version here.
Long hours, back-to-back calls, the common urgency of fighting an unseen enemy, and concern for their own loved ones are placing unique strain on EMS caregivers during these turbulent times.
Cumulative stressors can compound underlying issues team members faced before the pandemic, and can lead to unhealthy and counter-productive patterns and disastrous outcomes for caregivers.
This demands leaders’ attention now.
Self-care strategies
In a webinar on Tuesday, May 19, at 1 p.m. CDT, Jay Fitch, PhD; and Jim Marshall, MA, will share how to recognize personal and performance risk factors, and introduce care strategies you can implement to protect your colleagues, family and yourself during and after the pandemic.
This timely session, “Combatting Cumulative Stress Among Caregivers: Learning the Art of Self-Care,” will be moderated by Anthony Minge, EdD, and is co-sponsored by the 911 Training Institute and Fitch & Associates.
“Stress and suicide has accelerated in recent years among EMS caregivers. COVID-19 has increased those stress levels,” according to Jay Fitch, PhD. “We recently had an ASM student die by suicide. As a profession, we have to develop better coping mechanisms to move through this crisis and beyond,” Fitch said.
About the presenters
Jay Fitch, PhD, is the founding partner of emergency services consulting firm Fitch & Associates.
Jay is internationally recognized for leadership as a consultant, educator and innovator in EMS and public safety. His body of work, spanning more than 40 years, includes the development and implementation of original operational and strategic solutions for organizations, as well as the broader systems in which they operate. His knowledge of the industry and his expertise in organizational development is built on real-world experience. He is certified in multiple disciplines: as a firefighter, police officer and paramedic. Since creating Fitch & Associates, he has led numerous complex projects reflecting the entire public safety spectrum, with results that have transformed emergency services for those communities.
Jim Marshall, MA, is co-founder and Director of the 911 Training Institute. Jim has been a licensed mental health professional for more than 30 years and is a leading voice in the 911 industry for dispatcher wellness. He is co-editor of The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional: A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving & Thriving Together in the 9-1-1 Center. He has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Emergency Dispatch and as co-chair of the NENA Working Group that produced the nation’s only Standard on Acute/Traumatic and Chronic Stress. Jim’s courses, presentations, pilot projects, and published works equip 911 telecommunicators and their PSAP leaders to achieve optimal health and performance as people and organizations in the evolving 911 center.
Dr. Anthony Minge, EdD, is a senior partner at Fitch & Associates. Anthony coordinates the firm’s educational offerings and is responsible for the firm’s reimbursement, compliance and membership consulting services. In his educational role, Anthony serves as the program co-chair for the Pinnacle Leadership Forum and as the partner responsible for the Ambulance Service Manager and Communications Center Managers certification programs offered in collaboration with multiple professional associations. Anthony has an extensive background in healthcare finance specializing in managing billing and collections functions in multiple areas including pharmacy, home health, hospital and lab, as well as ground and air-medical transport.
Learn more and register today.
Additional self-care resources
Learn more about self-care strategies to help caregivers during the pandemic with these resources:
- Lead from the front lines: Care for our caregivers
- The unintended consequences of social distancing
- Compassion fatigue: The hidden danger of concurrent national public health emergencies
- A playbook for psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic
- 5 ways first responders can focus on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
- First responders, COVID-19 and stress: Tips for finding peace
- Self-care for public safety professionals during the coronavirus crisis
