H.O.P.E Beyond The Badge

This episode is a tribute to SGT Alex Kokoros, his family, and his friends on the fifth anniversary of his loss (10.29.2018).  Police officers Justin Simmons, Ryan Doherty, Thomas Lesage, Tom Delaney, and Tony Gentile are Alex's friends and were fellow officers at the Abington Police Department. It was a privilege to hear the stories of how Alex lived, and an honor to listen as these gentlemen sha...

Raul joins us on the podcast to discuss his time in the military, extensive career as a police officer / swat operator, the ways in which those years of service impacted his well-being, & how his father convinced him to seek help.  To learn more about Raul or the work that he does to advocate, educate, & promote awareness around the mental health issues that our first response & vetera...

Sarah Gaer has over 25 of experience in the field of mental health care. She has trained hundreds of first responders in trauma, toxic stress reduction, & suicide prevention. Sarah shares with us how she became passionate about mental health & wellness, suicide prevention, & talks openly about some of her own experiences with struggle & loss.

In this episode we interview Heather Viveiros, who shares information about the many programs at give2those.org that support, honors, remembers, and respects our nations hero's. Give2those.org represents the hope those lost will never be forgotten, that those still serving, our veterans & first responders will be supported, & to bring America united in our hearts for the greater good.

In this episode we interview Heather Viveiros, who shares information about the many programs at give2those.org that support, honors, remembers, and respects our nations hero's. Give2those.org represents the hope those lost will never be forgotten, that those still serving, our veterans, & first responders will be supported, & to bring America united in our hearts for the greater good.

In this episode we speak with first responder spouses, who are suicide loss survivors. They share with us what its like to love a first responder, how the job impacted their loved one & how that impacted their family. These woman showcase strength as they discuss loosing their husbands to suicide & the importance of support for first responders and their family members when mental health b...

In this episode we speak with first responder spouses, who are suicide loss survivors. They share with us what its like to love a first responder, how the job impacted their loved one & how that impacted their family. These woman showcase strength as they discuss loosing their husbands to suicide & the importance of support for first responders and their family members when mental health b...

Keri Wagner is the owner of Envision Counseling. She shares her "belief in the power of genuine human connection & how she combines that belief with evidence based practices to foster growth & healing." If you want to know more about Envision Counseling here is a link to the webpage - https://www.eastonenvisioncounseling.com/about

Lieutenant Jeff Wall shares with us about his long career in the fire service & EMS experience. We discuss the many roles he's held over the years, what he's learned about mental health in first response, the importance of self-care, taking care of each other, & how it all began with a call to serve.

Lieutenant Jeff Wall shares with us about his long career in the fire service & EMS experience. We discuss the many roles he's held over the years, what he's learned about mental health in first response, the importance of self-care, taking care of each other, & how it all began with a call to serve.

Christopher Lowrance shares with us about his career in law enforcement & how he found new purpose through raising funds & awareness to honor police officers who have died by suicide & supporting the family member survivors of officer suicide. Christopher talks openly about the realities of duty trauma & the challenges he faced when he embarked on his first fundraising venture; A T...

Dr Tex talks about his background in Psychology,  the effectiveness of Peer to Peer Support as a way to reduce trauma symptoms & isolation, & how common experiences lead to meaningful connections among veterans & first responders through his Veterans Fishing Team.

Brad Cole talks about K9 First Responders & how they function to address trauma on scene at critical incidents & beyond.

Rob Ramsey is a Suicide Loss Survivor & works for the Hingham Police Department as a School Resource Officer. Rob speaks openly with us about experiencing the loss of his son Aiden to suicide & the community of support that got his family through the initial shock. We also talk about substance abuse education in the school system, some of the impacts that Covid-19 had on a generation of st...

Julie shares her depth of knowledge about horses, people, trauma, healing, & how she brings them all together at her Wild Hearts program to help first responders recover from trauma & reconnect with their loved ones.

Joe discusses his time in the military, his career in law enforcement & shares what he's learned about first responder mental health through personal experience, education, and the work he does helping others.  

In part 2 of this interview - Freddie & Billy go into detail about critical incidents they've been involved with.  They humanize the men & woman that work in public safety by discussing injury & trauma from the perspective of responders &  family members. 

Freddie & Billy discuss their experiences with duty trauma, mental health, struggle, stigma, & resilience.   

Mark DiBona is a retired police officer & current technical advisor & mental health liaison for "Protecting the Guardian" - An organization that aims to create, promote, and maintain the health and wellness of law enforcement officers. Mark joins us on the podcast & speaks openly about his own experiences with duty trauma, childhood abuse, suicide, faith, and healing.

In this episode - We bring together a panel of siblings who tell us about their brother or sister who worked in first response, the lives they lived before the job, & the process of losing their loved one to suicide.

Police Officer Jonathon Hickory joins us on the podcast to discuss how trauma led him to alcohol abuse & other behaviors that he feared would result in the loss of his job & his family.  Jonathon found himself contemplating suicide before turning to faith, finding Hope, and recovering his life & sense of well-being.  Jonathon wrote the award winning book " Break Every Chain" detailing...

Abington Police Chief David DelPapa joins us on the podcast to discuss Duty Trauma, Officer Suicide, & the Cultural Changes he has seen throughout his career to how departments prioritize the Mental Health of their Police Officers.    

Reactions to trauma can impact the way a person experiences life. When a person suffers from PTSD – Their loved ones share in that experience.   A person can move through trauma to growth & develop a more meaningful appreciation for life. When a person moves through trauma to growth – Their loved ones share in that experience.   John is a Fire Captain & Military Veteran. John & his wif...

Tara Waters is a Police Officer, Wife, & Mother of two children.  Tara discusses duty trauma, the impact(s) of her son's diagnosis & battle with cancer, faith, family, & how difficult times helped her grow into a more compassionate Police Officer. 

Scott & Lorena share a story about Compassion, Love, the Desire to Help others - Family and Loss.