Conference Presentations
Wellness on the Front Line™ 2025
October 28-31, 2025
2025 Presentations are listed in alphabetical order by Presenter’s last name.
Daniel Amen, M.D., Author, CEO, Amen Clinics
PRESENTATION TITLE
Creating a National Brain Health Revolution for First Responders
SHORT DESCRIPTION
First responders are our nation’s everyday heroes, yet they face unprecedented levels of stress, trauma, and burnout that threaten their health, decision-making, and relationships. In this groundbreaking talk, Dr. Daniel Amen unveils a science-based Brain Health Revolution designed specifically for first responders. Through powerful brain imaging research, practical strategies, and the BRIGHT MINDS framework, he shows how first responders can enhance resilience, improve performance, protect mental health, and build lasting strength—for themselves, their families, and the communities they serve.
Rich Creamer, Sergeant (Retired) Norfolk Police Department
PRESENTATION TITLE
“ Seeking Opportunity “
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Growing up in a small suburb of Boston, MA, the experiences Rich has been exposed to would have led anyone down a path of self-destruction and despair. Adverse childhood experiences, military trauma, and the mental and emotional impact of a career in law enforcement would be a recipe for a disaster for some.
For Rich, it was an opportunity.
Rich is a US Navy veteran and a 24-year retired police Sergeant who took both his personal and professional adversity and created his own path for self-development. He immersed himself in studying wellness practices while building upon an already resilient foundation. Rich learned that his mind, energy and connections were the obstacles he had to overcome to improve his resiliency. These small but impactful resilience skills are distributed among his own personal story of struggle. Rich not only shares his experiences but more of how he developed his mindset in navigating a life that challenged him to become his own advocate for personal growth and first responder wellness.
Jason Davis, Lieutenant, Placer County Sheriff
PRESENTATION TITLE
“The Weight of the Badge: A Story of Loss, Survival, and Redemption”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
After losing his father and brother in the line of duty-26 years apart-and later his younger brother to suicide, the presenter faced unimaginable trauma. While training to protect others, he nearly lost himself. In this raw and honest session, hear how professional and peer support helped him confront pain, heal from personal and professional fallout, and find a path forward. A powerful testimony to the resilience possible when we choose connection over silence.
George S. Everly, Jr., Ph.D., MA, ABPP, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
PRESENTATION TITLE
“Maximizing the Effectiveness of Peer Support by Harnessing Practical Neuroscience and Psychological Body Armor”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This presentation will highlight how peer crisis interventionists can harness the latest brain research to enhance crisis intervention, resilience, and psychological growth. Topics will include using mirror neurons to assist in de-escalation, the role of attitude in affecting activity of the amygdala (fight/flight center), the role of deep breathing in developing stress immunity, the role of physical exercise in improving learning and fostering psychological resilience, and even the latest research on improving perception and reaction time through simple perceptual exercises.
Chad Farley, Founder, First Responder Daily Journal
PRESENTATION TITLE
“The Importance of Journaling”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This 30-minute session explores the power of structured journaling as a tool for emotional regulation, reflection, and personal growth among first responders. Designed for peer support team members and wellness professionals, the presentation highlights how encouraging your people to commit to daily entries focused on gratitude, weather, wins, lessons learned, and forward-looking goals can help reduce stress, promote resilience, and build mental fitness. Participants will leave with practical tools to introduce journaling in their own lives and within their agencies, even in high-tempo environments.
Thomas Floersch, Special Agent in Charge, HHS Office of Inspector General
PRESENTATION TITLE
“Leading While Grieving”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
As peer supporters, we respond to critical incidents that could be shocking and emotionally disturbing. But what happens when we are involved as peer supporters in an incident that strikes too close to home? An incident that involves our coworkers, partners, and friends. How do we handle it? How do we lead others during an incident response when we are part of the affected group?
During this presentation, we will discuss how the OI peer support team handled multiple employee deaths and coordinated the peer support response during the Fall and Winter of 2021. We will delve into the response from the leader’s point of view and tell the personal story of how we still need to lead while we grieve.
Oftentimes, we see the leaders of operations as calm and controlled when in reality, they may be swirling with emotions inside. How do we control these emotions and even use them to our benefit while providing the necessary support to our people? We will examine the vulnerability of leaders and team dynamics during a peer support response.
Some key elements that will be discussed are the challenges and successes of leading the response when you are very close to the incident itself, how cumulative stress from dealing with multiple incidents impacts us and how do inexperienced teams succeed when dealing with an incident response with nationwide exposure. Overall, this presentation will share lessons learned told through the personal story and viewpoint of the incident leader.
Steve Froehlich, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Health Services, Los Angeles County Fire Department
PRESENTATION TITLE
“Lahaina Wildland Fires “
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Dawn Hernandez, Senior Police Dispatcher, Anaheim Police Departments
PRESENTATION TITLE
“The Call: 41 Minutes That Changed My Life Forever”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
In 1994, Dawn answered a 911 call that would alter the course of her career — and her life. What began as a routine shift quickly became every dispatcher’s nightmare: a 41-minute call involving a homicide in progress. The critical incident left deep emotional and psychological impacts that would unfold in the minutes following the call as well as the days, weeks, and years to come.
In this powerful presentation, Dawn shares her journey through the immediate aftermath of the call, the challenges she faced coping with the trauma, and the vital role that others played in helping her find a path forward. Through raw honesty and reflection, she discusses how peer support and intentional self-care not only helped her survive but ultimately allowed her to continue in the career she loved.
Dawn’s experience underscores the profound importance of peer networks in the dispatch community — and serves as a compelling reminder that no one should navigate the effects of trauma alone.
Elisa Hughes, MA, LMFT, Owner/Clinical Director, Public Safety Family Counseling Group, Inc
PRESENTATION TITLE
“ Skills – Optimizing Peer Support Through Wellness”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
With increasing rates of burnout resiliency just simply isn’t enough anymore. We have to offer real solutions to both peer supporters and those they peer. The answer is to focus on wellness to create resistance and recovery strategies. Unfortunately, we are being shortchanged so as not to “overwhelm” you with wellness. This presentation focuses on SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness as a resource to increase overall health and wellbeing and diversify peer support resources.
Mitch Javidi, Ph.D.
PRESENTATION TITLE
“ From Retention to Reinforcement: How the Brain Learns Under Stress—And How Peer Supporters Can Teach, Support, and Train Better”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
In high-stakes professions like law enforcement, identity is often forged in environments of chronic stress, risk, and responsibility—leading to what Dr. Mitch Javidi defines as a Rustic Identity: tough, purpose-driven, yet often rigid and reactive. In this engaging one-hour session, He introduces his groundbreaking Elasticity of Identity Theory, built on MAGNUS OVEA Theory, exploring how this Rustic Identity emerges and how it can either support or hinder well-being and leadership capacity. Participants will be guided through the next evolution of identity—MAGNUS ONE—a deliberate and dynamic framework designed to transform rigidity into resilience, stress into strength, and burnout into balance. Through science, story, and strategy, this session offers a path toward sustainable leadership and peak human performance in demanding environments.
Jason Johnson, Undersecretary of Operations – CA Dept. of Corrections of Rehabilitation
PRESENTATION TITLE
Leadership Role During and Post Critical Incidents
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This presentation explores the unique and demanding role of leadership during and after a critical incident. From the initial shock and rapid decision-making phase to the long-term recovery and healing process, leaders are the cornerstone of the organizational response. Attendees will learn how to navigate the immediate chaos by demonstrating calm and decisiveness, protecting employees and stakeholders, and managing stress under pressure. It will cover communication strategies that build trust, acknowledging the impact on personnel, adopting proactive and empathetic strategies and potentially transitioning from a devastating event into an opportunity for growth, increased loyalty, and a stronger, more resilient organizational culture.
Kristel Johnson, Assistant Director, National Technology & Development Program, Forest Service
PRESENTATION TITLE
“You Will Not Stand Alone”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This course was developed by a dedicated group of Forest Service employees who saw the need to compile a comprehensive guide to respond to critical incidents and is seen as a grass roots initiative. Each instructor has been directly involved in a critical incident – either as a survivor, or as a responder. These tragedies generally occur suddenly and without warning. For that reason, pre-incident planning and training are invaluable, so that when faced with a critical incident we are likely to be more resilient in our response. “Preparing ‘our best’ for ‘the worst’ can help to stabilize an otherwise intense situation.”
A leader’s response, or lack of response to tragedies can have long-term impacts on surviving agency personnel and family members. It is for this reason we need to continue to focus on improving our work environment through pre-incident education and response following a traumatic event. This presentation will provide information about our learning journey where our first responders were the driving change in making our organization better, driving a cultural transformation of the importance of people taking care of people.
Jeff Kingsfield, Author & CEO, Readiness Network and Magnus/One
PRESENTATION TITLE
“ From Retention to Reinforcement”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
How the Brain Learns Under Stress—And How Peer Supporters Can Teach, Support, and Train Better
Ryan Kinney, Behavioral Health & Wellness Coordinator
PRESENTATION TITLE
One Mission, Many Partners: OCFA’s Integrated Support for Firefighters During Critical Incident”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Michael Martinez, Police Officer II, San Diego Police Department
PRESENTATION TITLE
“SHOTS FIRED! Officer Wellness and Resilience
SHORT DESCRIPTION
My presentation is called “Shots Fired” and the topic is on Officer Wellness and Resiliency. This is a 2–4-hour presentation where I provide first-hand knowledge and my point of view, of the cumulative trauma and the aftermath of multiple Officer Involved Shootings and off-duty critical incidents I was directly involved in. I discuss how my involvement in multiple Officer Involved Shootings and off-duty incidents began impacting my life, marriage, and career. I discuss my struggle with PTSD, substance abuse, and how I used negative coping mechanisms to handle my struggles. I will also discuss how the San Diego Police Department’s Wellness Unit intervened at the right moment and saved my life by allowing me to get the help I needed. My presentation includes videos and body worn camera footage of my critical incidents. The goal of my presentation is simple: Break the stigma of getting and seeking help within the law enforcement profession. I believe my story and the information I provide will help save lives, marriages, family relationships, careers, and save someone’s faith.
Chuck Price, Chaplain, San Diego and El Cajon Police Departments
PRESENTATION TITLE
“Unlocking the Full Potential of First Responder Chaplains”
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Chaplains are more than religious figures. They provide a wide range of services including life coaching, counseling, offering advice and guidance in developing leadership skills, crisis intervention, spiritual advice, officiating religious rituals, death notifications, critical incident support and so much more. During this session you will gain an understanding about the differences in the traditional clergy role versus a First Responder chaplain. Then, we will explore how to best engage and utilize your chaplains. Lastly, we will discuss how to recruit, screen, interview, select and provide training for your chaplains to help them become culturally competent and successful in the First Responder culture.
Scott Ross, Fire Captain (Retired), Los Angeles County Fire Department, IAFF Master Instructor for Peer Support Training, Ross Peer Consulting
PRESENTATION TITLE
“Lahaina Wildland Fires “
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Captain Shanley – San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
PRESENTATION TITLE
Before You Can Help Others, You Have to Heal Yourself
SHORT DESCRIPTION
For years, Captain Shanley believed he could carry anything that came his way. He brushed things off as “no big deal” until the weight finally became too heavy. That breaking point led him to a Socratic therapist who, through thoughtful questions rather than easy answers, helped him uncover the healing he needed.
In this presentation, Captain Shanley shares his journey of self-discovery and recovery, and how it reshaped his understanding of peer support. He emphasizes that being effective in this role begins with doing the work on yourself first. By prioritizing wellness and gaining the right tools, peer supporters can show up grounded, steady, and ready to walk alongside others through their most difficult moments.
Debbie Silveria, Ph.D., The Counseling Team International
PRESENTATION TITLE
Public Safety Wellness, Resilience, and Recovery – The Journey Back
SHORT DESCRIPTION
This hour and 30 minute course is designed for first responder peer supporters seeking knowledge about evidence based, complimentary and alternative prevention and treatment options for Post Traumatic S/D/I (Stress,/Disorder/injury).
Participants will explore the impact of critical incidents on their brain and learn about alternative evidence based treatments geared towards first responders. Through role plays, videos, lecture, and discussion participants will learn options to present to colleagues for prevention and treatment after traumatic events, while adhering to POST standards of confidentiality and professional ethics. Participants will learn the differences between wellness, resiliency and recovery, assess their resilience by taking the BRS, Brief Resilience Scale and develop a Wellness Plan.
If you would like to review information covering previous conferences, visit our Training Calendar archive section.