Positive Connections Radio

Matthew Fiorenza has been a Firefighter/Paramedic in Southern California for 18 years. After 10 years on the job he began having issues with anxiety, stress and depression and was later diagnosed with PTSD. Matthew’s life began to unravel as he found himself spiraling out of control with pain medication, and alcohol as he suffered alone with anxiety, depression and PTSD. Matthew found himself cont...

COPLine is the only Confidential Hotline for Police Officers in the Country. COPLine is dedicated in serving law enforcement officers and their families by providing 24/7 trained peer support for crisis intervention along with referrals to specifically skilled mental health professionals if needed. COPLine peer support call-takers are Retired Police Officers who are volunteers. They are reviewed,...

Podcast 37: Positive Connections Radio Faces after Suicide Lindsay Doolittle Lindsay Doolittle was married to a police officer who died by suicide. Brett Doolittle and was a Sergeant for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. Lindsay discovered his death and describes the suffering she endured afterwards by the lack of support, respect and common decency from the ones who worked closely with B...

Sgt Greg Dean is a 30-year police veteran currently working as a manager of Victoria Police’s Welfare Services who provide 24/7/365 confidential wellbeing support to all 20,000 Victoria Police as well as their immediate family. Greg was recently awarded the Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship that allowed him to travel to the USA, Canada and the UK to research and investigate early intervention into...

PCR Podcast 35. Strength from Within Mindy Andrade Overdosing at one-and-a-half years old, growing up addicted and using with her mother, street gangs, dropping out of 8th grade. Turning her life around at 15, becoming a successful business woman and mother and using her life experience to give back. An extraordinary woman with an incredible story of survival and a message of hope. Her passion for...

PCR Podcast 34. “When a Child Dies” Dr. Anne Bisek One of the most difficult situations, if not the most difficult, is responding to a death of a child. Dr. Bisek gives her perspective and shares her experience dealing with those who handle these tragedies on a daily basis. She offers positive coping mechanisms and shares a breathing exercise to help anyone focus and get through a stressful moment...

In this episode I describe one of my darkest moments after losing it all to addiction and what I did to survive.

Stephanie Samuels (Director of COPLine) along with Emily Eng and John Sierega discuss this confidential support line for police officers. COPLine is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving law enforcement officers and their families by providing 24/7 trained peer support for crisis intervention along with referrals to specifically skilled mental health professionals for follow up and co...

Mynda Ohs is a recognized expert and speaker on firefighter wellness issues with over 14 years of experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. She is a former EMT who married a firefighter and began her road to her present writing of the book Fully Involved- A Guide for Being in A Relationship With A Firefighter. www.mhnrnetwork.com www.positiveconnectionsradio.com

Sarah Gaer talks about her life dealing with first responders as a clinician and touches close to the heart with her book titled “The Price” Sarah is a suicide loss survivor and a master’s level clinician with 20 years experience in the field of mental health care. Since 2012, Sarah has worked as a suicide prevention specialist focused on first responders. She has trained hundreds of first respond...

Duty, Honor and the COURAGE to ask for HELP. Michael Sugrue Michael is a retired police sergeant with the City of Walnut Creek with over 14 years of service including specialized assignments as a Field Training Officer, SIU Detective and Undercover Special Agent assigned to California Department of Justice Drug Task Force. Before becoming a police officer Michael served 6 ½ years in the U.S. Air F...

Next Rung Firefighter Charlie Brown is a firefighter/paramedic for the Glendale Fire Department in Glendale, Ca serving as a firefighter for 8 and a paramedic for 5. Charlie is the co-director of Next Rung alongside founder Blake Stinnett. Next Rung’s mission is to help combat mental health issues among Firefighters and First Responders. Mental health issues and an alarming amount of suicides have...

“Recovery and Survival” Kat Heldman Positive Connections Radio Podcast #27, interview with Kat Heldman. Kat is a public health policy advocate, trauma coach and speaker, real estate agent, climbing coach and community outreach member for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. Kat shares her experiences with addiction, her son’s brush with death, surviving the 2015 Nepal Earthquake...

Listen to former Chief of Police Rudy Escalante talk about finding sobriety while in patrol and rising through the ranks to become Police Chief.

Mike Miller is a retired police sergeant with 28 years of sobriety. Mike talks about his life in the police force while suffering from alcoholism and how he was able to ask for help and finish his career. Mike and I talk in detail about first responder confidential support groups and what these groups are all about. If you or someone you know want to know more about recovery and are tired of keepi...

Positive Connections Radio visits First Responders First, Episode 24. Join me on location with James "Kansas" Cafferty and members of a new residential program exclusive only to First Responders seeking help with mental health issues. Meet Austin Gillespie-Director of Admissions and Care Vaughan-Director of Outreach and Public Relations. Our mission at First Responders First is to provide unsurpas...

Chaplin Kevin Johnstone’s career path has included being a Chicago Suburban fireman, EMT, paramedic and a Navy Corpsman. Johnstone began working for the L.A. Open Golf Tournament in 1977 and orchestrated every possible aspect of this nationally recognized major public event until attaining the position of General Chairman of the 1984 L.A. Open. He took a position at United Expositions and became v...

Audrey was born in Scotland, raised and educated in N. Ireland. At age 25 she emigrated to USA. Audrey grew up riding horses, was an active Pony Clubber and seized every opportunity to further her knowledge and riding skills by traveling to work for European show jumpers during College summer vacations. Upon settling in California she pursued her love of 3-day event riding, which encompasses the 3...

Michael Henderson is a former 9-1-1 dispatch supervisor, former paramedic and former US Army Sergeant. Michael was the on-duty dispatch supervisor for the Sonoma County Tubb’s fire, which at the time was the biggest fire in the history of California. As a result of his experience during the fire, Michael was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Struggling with the symptoms of PTSD...

Melanie Mikeska is a retired Sheriff’s Deputy of 20 years. Like the vast majority of First Responders, Melanie experienced many critical incidents and learned that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. Over time, the stuffing down of emotions and feelings became overwhelming and she found herself alone in her bathroom with her service handgun. Melanie describes the crippling effects of PTSI and...

Christy Warren is a retired Fire Captain from the Berkeley (California) Fire Department. She has twenty-five years of service as a paramedic, with seventeen years as a firefighter. In 2014, she was diagnosed with PTSD and spent several years recovering. Christy plays ice hockey, and since retiring from the fire service she completed a business degree, a triathlon and the Escape from Alcatraz swim....

Nick Turkovich is retired from the Antioch Police Department where he served for 25 years. He was one of four officers who started the first Peer Support program for the department and served his fellow officers as a Peer for 21 years. He has a certificate in Advanced Critical Incident Stress Management from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and certificates from California POS...

Ben Vernon has proudly served the citizens of San Diego, Ca as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Fire Rescue Department for over a decade. He’s a member of the Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue Teams, the FEMA California Task Force Eight Urban Search and Rescue Team and holds five specialist positions. On June 24, 2015, Ben’s life changed forever. While responding to a “routine” medical assi...

David White, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II- Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor has worked for four years at all five Levels of Care (Detox, Residential, Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient, and Outpatient) in the Treatment Field for Substance Use Disorder. David has been recovered himself since October 31, 2007. In that time he has received an Associate in Art...

Jason Ritchie spent 17 years in prison and while serving his last few years found hope through a program named Project Rebound. Founded in 1967 by Professor John Irwin, Project Rebound matriculates people from the criminal justice system into state universities. Starting with San Francisco State University (SFSU), Project Rebound helped hundreds of former inmates achieve college degrees and a new...