Treating Fire Service Professionals

Estimated watch time: 1 hr 27 minutes

Presentation Materials:

Hannah Elmore, MSW

Community Outreach Coordinator for the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery through Advanced Recovery Systems

Hannah Elmore, MSW works as Community Outreach Coordinator for the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery through Advanced Recovery Systems. She is an experienced leader in the social services and healthcare industry with a blended experience of direct client services and community outreach.

Objectives and Summary:

The purpose of this training is to help clinicians, treatment providers and other community partners develop cultural competency in the fire service and first responder professions as to be best equipped to provide effective behavioral health services to fire fighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers and emergency dispatchers.

This event will include information about day-to-day life at the fire house and the potential impact of aspects of the job on well-being, such as exposure to trauma, shift schedules and mental health stigmas. This presentation will provide insight into the most common behavioral health issues experienced by fire service members, substance abuse trends among this unique population, and treatment techniques that have proved successful at the Center of Excellence.

Objectives:
1. Identify intricacies of the profession, including day-to-day structure, exposure to trauma, and effects on interpersonal relationships
2. Review common behavioral health issues experienced by first responders
3. Learn about the IAFF Center of Excellence and Fortitude program structures.

Presentation Materials:

Molly Jones, LSW is a Clinical Education Coordinator for Advanced Recovery Systems. In this role, Molly is responsible for providing clinical education and training to various client populations, treatment providers, and other behavioral health stakeholders across the country. Molly provides in-person, virtual, and on-demand behavioral health education and is able to cover a wide variety of topics under the behavioral healthcare umbrella.

Molly is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Colorado and based out of Denver, Colorado. Prior to joining the ARS Community Outreach Team in August 2019, Molly worked in a variety of social work settings. She has worked in direct practice, counseling older adults, adolescents, high acuity clients, and other populations struggling with various mental health and substance abuse related issues, as well as a Permanency Planning Worker for the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Molly has worked in the field of Social Work since 2013, and holds the philosophy that all individuals, with proper support and awareness, possess the ability to learn, change, and grow to achieve the highest quality of life and sense of self possible.

Molly earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Family Life Education with a focus on Gerontology from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Oklahoma. In her time with Advanced Recovery Systems, Molly has primarily worked with first responders and their families, as well as the International Association of Fire Fighters and various municipalities across North America. Molly is the Peer Team Clinician for the IAFF’s 9th District Peer Support Team, has been featured in news publications and mental health podcasts, and provided clinical oversight to local non-profits in Colorado.