Latest news with #FireWatch
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fire Watch program; helping veterans, first responders cope with trauma
The Brief A new virtual program is helping veterans and first responders cope with trauma. The Fire Watch program is available at Rogers Behavioral Health. FOX6 News spoke with a peer specialist who is, himself, recovering from trauma after military service. WAUKESHA, Wis. - Veterans and emergency responders are often first to run into the line of fire. Now, a new virtual program is giving them support to work through the trauma. What we know When veteran Chris Swift came back from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said he had to learn some lessons the hard way. "Some people are like, 'Oh, tell me some cool stories.' Well, they're not always cool stories. They don't understand all the stuff that goes along with it," Swift said. "I drank a lot when I came back. I ended up getting three DUIs. I went to rehab at the VA for about four months, then I went to jail for about seven months." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Swift said he is now six years sober. He is also a peer specialist for the Fire Watch program at Rogers Behavioral Health. The goal of the program is to provide help and mental health support for veterans and first responders. The program first launched in September 2024. What they're saying "We can do a wide variety of things within this program. We focus on moral injury, but moral injury can come in a lot of different forms. And we can see it come across as anxiety or depression," said Jennifer Parra-Nelson, Clinical Director of Trauma Services & Fire Watch program. Moral injury is the guilt and shame that can come from trauma. The VA defines it as "the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of exposure to such events. A moral injury can occur in response to acting or witnessing behaviors that go against an individual's values and moral beliefs." Organizers said addressing that is an important part of the eight-week, 100% virtual program. Participants go through therapy, learn practical coping mechanisms, and connect with others going through the same thing. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "We've seen a lot seen a lot of patients come in just with a lot of stigma. And with a lot of possibly thinking that maybe this won't work for them. And I think we've seen a lot of people be surprised that we are very accessible to this population," Parra-Nelson said. Swift said his goal is to help others who were in his shoes – for their sake and the sake of their loved ones. What you can do Learn much more about the Fire Watch program and how it might be able to help someone you love. Program organizers said insurance covers the Fire Watch program. Medicaid is also accepted. The Source The information in this post was provided, in part, by Rogers Behavioral Health.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida nonprofit helps cut veteran suicide rates by 25% with community-based approach
A Florida-based nonprofit is tackling veteran suicide by connecting community members and holding fast that the crisis American vets are facing is preventable. The Fire Watch operates on three premises: that suicide is preventable, that timely connection to resources can save lives, and that communities must play an active role in prevention. "It takes the community to get involved in suicide prevention," Executive Director Nick Howland told Fox News Digital. After seeing impressive results, The Fire Watch is hoping to take its regional organization nationwide with an approach that tackles veteran suicide differently with treatment-focused efforts and local engagement. 'Down To Zero': Veteran Suicide Crisis Targeted In Va Bill By Bipartisan House Coalition At the heart of The Fire Watch's strategy is the "Watch Stander" program, modeled after CPR training. Read On The Fox News App In a concise 30-to-45-minute session, volunteers learn to recognize warning signs, ask direct questions, validate the veterans' experience, and expedite referral to services—summarized by the acronym SAVE. "Like CPR doesn't train you to be a paramedic, our training doesn't turn you into a clinician," Howland said. "It trains you to notice the change and sound the alarm for help." Each Watch Stander leaves with a wallet card, wristband, and sticker as reminders of critical red flags—expressions of self-harm, substance abuse, reckless behavior, or giving away possessions—and the simple steps to get someone to help. The nonprofit works in tandem with the state's veteran affairs offices and connects veterans with counseling services. Since its inception in Northeast Florida, The Fire Watch has tracked dramatic reductions in veteran suicides. After recording 81 veteran deaths by suicide in 2019, Howland set an audacious goal: cut that number by at least 25% for three consecutive years. Trump To Build National Center For Homeless Veterans With Funds Previously Send On Housing Illegal Aliens As of the latest data released May 1, veteran suicides in the region fell to 61 in 2023—25% below the 2019 baseline for the fourth straight year. Statewide, veteran suicides are down 5%, and in areas where The Fire Watch has a foothold (Northeast Florida, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Escambia County), the decline has been 12%, compared to just 2% elsewhere in the Sunshine State. "Where we're building our network of community members who care, who get veterans to the help they need, veteran suicidality is decreasing," he said. "It's remarkable." For volunteers like Ryan Haczynski, the program's impact is deeply personal. After losing a Vietnam veteran friend to suicide in late 2022, Haczynski searched for a way to honor his memory and prevent further loss. "I didn't recognize the signs," he reflected, telling Fox News Digital that his friend had even asked him to be the executor of his will just weeks before his death. Following the vet's suicide, Haczynski's online search led him into Watch Stander and Ambassador trainings, where he has since certified others and even helped arrange a proper military funeral for his friend. Haczynski now uses every community interaction to check in on veterans, validate their experiences, and point them to Fire Watch's free 24/7 crisis resources. "We want to give back, we want to help, especially people who have done so much [for our country] to go and serve us," he said. Learn more about The Fire Watch at article source: Florida nonprofit helps cut veteran suicide rates by 25% with community-based approach
