Episode #38: Karen Solomon - FIRST H.E.L.P. Honoring the Service of First Responders Who Died By Suicide

Today you will hear a conversation I had with Karen Solomon, a pioneer on the first responder wellness front.  Karen is the founder of BLUE HELP, a non profit organization that started tracking LE suicides in 2016.  The organization also aims to reduce mental health stigma through education, advocate for benefits for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledge the service and sacrifice of LE officers we lost to suicide, support families after suicide and bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.

Karen tells us how BLUE HELP was created because of a gap in the support for police families who had lost a loved one to suicide; so she began sending care packages to families and began tracking the number of LE suicides.

Karen tells the story of how she connected with other police officers by way of an online police wives group, since she herself is married to a police officer.  This connection and Karen’s personal experience with suicide led to her writing two books, Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay, and expanding BLUE HELP to FIRST HELP which began tracking fire, paramedic, and telecommunicator suicides last year.  She is a national speaker, advocate for federal legislation that impacts suicide survivor families, and a contributing columnist to several first responder publications.

I recently had the opportunity to take training offered by FIRST HELP.  A colleague with the Fire Dept. arranged for this free training to come to my area in Wichita KS.  Responder Readiness is an 8 hour course that First Help Offers to agencies upon request free of charge.  Check the website for further information and other training they offer.  The trainer, Mike Marotta, is a United States Air Force veteran and veteran LEO.  He spent the day discussing stress, trauma, and the tools we can implement to optimize our performance.  I really enjoyed speaking from Mike and always value connecting with those committed to first responder mental health and wellness.

First Help is a top-notch organization committed serving first responders and their families.  I hope you enjoy this episode and  understand that one person truly can make a difference.  Karen will tell you she doesn’t do it alone, but she is an integral part of the organization.  The impact and ripple effect of her work will never truly be known.

LINKS:

First H.E.L.P. - Honoring the Service of First Responders Who Died by Suicide (1sthelp.org)