Intent

Provide tools to build resilience to face adversity, improve mental preparedness, recognize the importance of self-care, and recognize the effects from cumulative stress, critical incident stress, and other mental health related issues, including suicide. Emphasize the importance of asking for help and offering information about mental health care resources.

Facilitator Preparation

• Review the video and module tools.
• Consider additional activities and discussion questions pertinent to the location and agency. See the suggested discussions below and apply the ones you wish to your discussion.
  • Develop a list of suicide prevention resources within your area and include national helplines. Make a copy for each participant.
• Review resources on the following websites:
  • Mental Health Subcommittee
  • Mental Health America
  • Everyone Goes Home
  • National Critical Incident Stress Management
  • Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance

Facilitating the Discussion

• Show the video.
• Facilitate a small or large group discussion using the activity and discussion questions:
  • In small groups, discuss how longer, more complex fire seasons have impacted you both physically and mentally. How have they impacted friends and loved ones? Have each group list them on a chart. Share each list with the full group.
  • In the same small groups, identify signs that you are stressed. List those on a chart as a group. Then list what activities you engage in to reduce stress, to feel better. Perhaps it is to go fishing, catch up with friends, go to a football game, walk your dog, or read a book. Have each group share the signs that they are stressed and the mechanisms they use to decompress. 
  • Finally, conduct a conversation on what factors contribute to deaths by suicide in the wildland fire community. Do a search for current articles for factors that are impacting the wildland fire community currently (for example: Time to Understand and Act on Wildland Firefighter Suicides). Visit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, the NIFC CISM page, and other valid sources to review information currently available regarding numbers of deaths by suicide to date. Is there a rise? Why or why not?

Conduct Activity #1 (Optional)

• In the same small groups, discuss the following questions, then share responses with the whole group:
  • Discuss positive and unhealthy coping mechanisms. How do these look different? How can you move away from the unhealthy coping mechanisms and practice the positive ones?
  • Discuss what positive coping mechanisms enhance resilience and help you to cope with the impacts of cumulative and chronic stress, both during the season and the off-season. Share with the group.
  • Have each group capture a list of things they do to maintain their resilience throughout the fire season. What keeps them going? For example, activities on their off days such as cooking their favorite meals at home, catching up with friends, going fishing etc. Capture these lists on large sheets of paper to display for the room to see and discuss.

Conduct Activity #2 (Optional)

• Move participants into new small groups.
• Watch the video COVID-19: Psychological Transition and Balance.
• Have individuals complete the burnout worksheet.
• Discuss with the groups and ask if anyone is surprised by where they fall on the scale. Have a large group discussion on the factors contributing to burnout and keep a running list on a flip chart of the responses. Encourage people to submit one to three work answers for what contributes to their burnout. Lead a discussion on these factors, how can they be mitigated, and what the roadblocks to mitigating them are, etc.

Resources

• Website: National Critical Incident Stress Management
• Video: Navy Seal Breathing Technique
• Video: Assessing Wildland Firefighter Sleep and Fatigue while on Fire Assignment
• Document: NWCG Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Desk Reference
• There are other resources available if you are seeking someone who specifically works with first responders and in trauma. The list above is just a small sample of options. Please visit the NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee for a list of recommendations. You can also contact your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if your agency has one or work through your personal insurance company to find someone who specializes in first responders and trauma if you have insurance.

When working with the EAP, the following tips can create a better experience for individuals:

• Ask for a clinician that has experience working with first responders and in trauma.
• If a co-worker or friend is experiencing a crisis, you can reach out to the EAP and start the conversations to help find them a clinician that is the right fit. You don’t have to let someone in crisis navigate the EAP alone.
• If the counselor you get isn’t a good fit, you can ask for a new counselor.
• Investigate what other resources are available from your agency EAP. Support in financial planning, adult and childcare services, and other resources may be an option, and it is good to share these out during your refresher.

Additional Video Information

• This video is also available as a download (zip file, size 2.8 GB) with .srt file for closed captioning (you may need to right click and Save As). For information on how to add closed captioning to a video, see this how to page.
• Note: For Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, right click the word download and select Save Link As; For IE, right click and select Save Target As.