Open Training Courses

Our five-day course is designed for first responders who serve as the Wellness Coordinators for their departments, and for organizations creating a wellness program. This course will cover the importance of a Wellness Coordinator as they advocate change and develop a comprehensive program.

We will cover emotional wellness, suicide intervention, and review how to evaluate your departments overall wellness. Through interactive sessions, a group project, and a variety of activities, participants will learn about the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, which include occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional.

Objectives

• Learn about all aspects of a public safety wellness program through this 25-module course
• Establish the roles and responsibilities of a Wellness Coordinator
• Gain an understanding of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness
• Discover tools and benchmarks to track progress
• Support a cultural shift with proactive wellness that will help reduce suicide and absenteeism

This course builds upon the foundational skills learned in the Basic Peer Support course and is intended for first responders who have served in a peer support role for 6 to 12 months. Participants will review essential peer support concepts while advancing their knowledge and skills in crisis intervention, suicide assessment, and intervention techniques. Attendees will engage in case discussions and experiential exercises designed to strengthen their ability to navigate complex peer support situations. The course also emphasizes strategies for self-care and promoting wellness within peer support teams.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate advanced communication skills during high-stress or crisis situations.
• Apply crisis intervention and suicide assessment techniques to respond to risk.
• Evaluate complex peer support scenarios using case discussion and practical exercises.
• Use self-care to prevent burnout while serving in a peer support role.
• Work collaboratively within a peer support team to promote wellness

What builds over time, not just what breaks at once

You don't typically break from a single incident — you wear down across years of exposure. This session covers the neuroscience of cumulative stress and the distinction between acute and chronic trauma, both as it applies to you and as a framework for recognizing and naming what's happening in the people you support.

What builds over time, not just what breaks at once

You don’t typically break from a single incident — you wear down across years of exposure. This session covers the neuroscience of cumulative stress and the distinction between acute and chronic trauma, both as it applies to you and as a framework for recognizing and naming what’s happening in the people you support.

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

This 2-hour webinar, presented by Tiffany Ross, LCSW, of The Counseling Team International (TCTI), is designed to increase awareness of burnout, compassion fatigue, and post-traumatic stress among first responders and public safety professionals. Participants will explore the causes and signs of occupational stress, burnout, and secondary trauma, along with the impact of these experiences on personal well-being and workplace performance.

The session introduces practical, evidence-based strategies for prevention, early recognition, and effective coping, helping participants strengthen resilience and support long-term wellness in both their personal and professional lives.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress.

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of burnout and compassion fatigue in themselves and others.

• Identify practical, evidence-based strategies to manage stress and improve overall well-being.

• Develop a personalized starting point for a self-care and wellness plan.

While this course is specifically designed for first responders and public safety professionals, any public sector employee who experiences burnout or compassion fatigue will find this presentation beneficial.

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

This training is designed to further strengthen the skills of peer supporters by introducing them to a variety of new topics, and ways to maintain a healthy and strong peer support team. This course will cover an overview of the signs, symptoms and treatment recommendations for post traumatic stress and understanding risks for suicide.

Objectives

• Reinforce basic peer support skills
• Understanding post traumatic stress
• Develop skills for dealing with suicidal peers
• Develop skills for handling difficult debriefings
• Review Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

This is a complimentary training for contracted agencies that utilize The Counseling Team and Focus Psychological

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

Join this interactive session focused on real-world peer support in action, where participants will examine a critical incident response to better understand how peer support principles are applied. Through discussion and collaborative reflection attendees will cover, best practices, and practical tools that can be applied in participants’ own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the components of an effective peer support response in a critical incident
• Apply practical strategies to support individuals and teams during and after crises
• Build a network of peer support professionals for ongoing collaboration and shared learning

This 3-day course brings together peer support team members that have been selected by their department on a volunteer basis. Throughout this class, participants will acquire supportive skills which are designed to help them assist their co-workers who may be experiencing a variety of life crisis situations.

The goal is to prepare participants for crisis conversations and help them feel comfortable when talking to someone who understands the rewards and challenges that come with working as a public safety professional.

Objectives

• Prevalence and scope of mental health issues with public safety professionals
• How to develop and implement a peer support program
• Crisis intervention and basic CISM skills
• Self-care, public perception, and resilience building

From academy to mid-career — what changes, and what doesn't

The stressors of year two look nothing like year fifteen. This session equips peer supporters to understand how risk patterns and mental health needs shift at key career transitions — so you can meet colleagues where they actually are, while staying honest about where you are too.

From academy to mid-career — what changes, and what doesn’t

The stressors of year two look nothing like year fifteen. This session equips peer supporters to understand how risk patterns and mental health needs shift at key career transitions — so you can meet colleagues where they actually are, while staying honest about where you are too.

This 3-day course brings together peer support team members that have been selected by their department on a volunteer basis. Throughout this class, participants will acquire supportive skills which are designed to help them assist their co-workers who may be experiencing a variety of life crisis situations. The goal is to prepare participants for crisis conversations and help them feel comfortable when talking to someone who understands the rewards and challenges that come with working as a public safety professional.

Objectives

• Prevalence and scope of mental health issues with public safety professionals
• How to develop and implement a peer support program
• Crisis intervention and basic CISM skills
• Self-care, public perception, and resilience building

Certifications & Qualifying Credits Available

POST – Certification # 7180-20803

STC – Certification # 874-474272

This two-day training is designed to strengthen the existing skills of peer supporters by introducing them to new subjects. It is also designed to help peer supporters understand ways to maintain a healthy peer support team. In addition, this course will also cover an overview of the signs, symptoms, and treatment recommendations for post-traumatic stress and understanding the risks for suicide.

Learning Objectives:

• Reinforce basic peer support skills
• Understand post traumatic stress
• Develop skills for dealing with suicidal peers
• Develop skills for handling difficult debriefings
• Review Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

This course builds upon the foundational skills learned in the Basic Peer Support course and is intended for first responders who have served in a peer support role for 6 to 12 months. Participants will review essential peer support concepts while advancing their knowledge and skills in crisis intervention, suicide assessment, and intervention techniques. Attendees will engage in case discussions and experiential exercises designed to strengthen their ability to navigate complex peer support situations. The course also emphasizes strategies for self-care and promoting wellness within peer support teams.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate advanced communication skills during high-stress or crisis situations.
• Apply crisis intervention and suicide assessment techniques to respond to risk.
• Evaluate complex peer support scenarios using case discussion and practical exercises.
• Use self-care to prevent burnout while serving in a peer support role.
• Work collaboratively within a peer support team to promote wellness

Practical attention skills for high-stress environments

Mindfulness has a credibility problem in first responder culture — and for good reason, given how it's usually presented. This session cuts through the noise and focuses on what the research actually supports: practical, low-barrier attention and regulation skills that work in real operational and personal contexts. You'll leave with tools you can use yourself and introduce to the people you support without losing the room.

Whether you're already retired or preparing for retirement, join us for a workshop designed exclusively for first responders and their spouses. This event will focus on navigating the unique challenges and opportunities of retirement, covering essential financial planning, health and wellness tips, and strategies to ensure a smooth transition into a fulfilling and secure retirement.

Objectives

• How to remove the “super-suit” and rediscover yourself without your occupation
• Examine aspects of security in your transition and adaptation to civilian life
• Explore ways to accept change, cope with abandonment and replacement, and find belonging elsewhere to reduce risk of suicide
• Find new purpose by staying busy, doing engaging activities and occupations to improve life satisfaction
• Identify signs of relational and mental health issues, and learn ways to access appropriate support
• Navigating the transition together with guidance on building a meaningful retirement lifestyle that supports both personal goals and your partnership

Recognizing the slide before it becomes a spiral

Alcohol and substance use are normalized in your culture, and peer supporters are not immune. This session sharpens your ability to recognize early patterns in yourself and others, and builds the confidence and language to have direct, non-judgmental conversations before a situation reaches crisis.

This 3-day course brings together peer support team members that have been selected by their department on a volunteer basis. Throughout this class, participants will acquire supportive skills which are designed to help them assist their co-workers who may be experiencing a variety of life crisis situations.

The goal is to prepare participants for crisis conversations and help them feel comfortable when talking to someone who understands the rewards and challenges that come with working as a public safety professional.

Objectives

• Prevalence and scope of mental health issues with public safety professionals
• How to develop and implement a peer support program
• Crisis intervention and basic CISM skills
• Self-care, public perception, and resilience building

Certifications & Qualifying Credits Available

POST – Certification # 7180-20803
STC – Certification # 874-47427

Recognition, language, and a clear action framework

First responder suicide exceeds line-of-duty deaths in many departments — and peer supporters carry both elevated personal risk and front-line responsibility. This session builds skills for recognizing warning signs, initiating difficult conversations, and following a concrete response pathway with yourself and with the people you support.

This five-day course is designed for first responders serving as Wellness Coordinators and for agencies seeking to develop or enhance a comprehensive wellness program. Participants will explore the critical role of the Wellness Coordinator in promoting cultural change, supporting employee well-being, and implementing sustainable wellness initiatives across all levels of the organization. Key topics include emotional wellness, suicide prevention and intervention, and assessing an agency’s overall culture of wellness. Through interactive instruction, group projects, and hands-on learning, participants will gain a practical understanding of the eight dimensions of wellness— occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, social, physical, spiritual, and emotional—and learn evidence-based strategies to build a healthier, more resilient workforce.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the role and responsibilities of a Wellness Coordinator.

• Evaluate an agency’s wellness culture using the eight dimensions of well-being.

• Use evidence-based strategies to support emotional wellness, suicide prevention, and resilience.

• Collaborate with leadership and peer teams to strengthen a culture of health and engagement.

This course is designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multi-component crisis intervention curriculum, the Group Crisis Intervention course will prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services. Fundamentals of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be outlined, and participants will leave with the knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions, specifically demobilizations, defusing and the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). The need for appropriate follow-up services and referrals, when necessary, will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the goals of CISM and the role of group crisis interventions

• Distinguish between key intervention types such as RITS, CMB, Defusing, and CISD.

• Demonstrate facilitation skills that support safe, effective group discussions after critical incidents.

• Recognize common stress reactions and know when additional support or referral is needed.

• Apply strategies that promote recovery, resilience, and team cohesion after critical events.

This course provides first responder personnel with foundational knowledge and practical skills to establish, participate in, and sustain effective peer support programs. This training focuses on the essential elements of peer support, behavioral health awareness, intervention skills, crisis response, and wellness. The legal and ethical aspects of peer support are reviewed. Participants will engage in interactive lectures, case studies, and scenario-based role-play exercises. The course is designed to prepare attendees to confidently support peers in both day-to-day stress management and during critical incidents, while maintaining ethical and legal standards and personal well-being.

Objectives

• Explain the role and value of peer support in first responder settings.
• Identify common behavioral health challenges in public safety work.
• Demonstrate core peer support skills of active listening and effective communication.
• Recognize distress and suicide risk and use appropriate referral steps.
• Apply strategies to support peers with stress management and during critical incidents.

Boundaries, burnout, and the long game

The most committed peer supporters carry the highest risk of compassion fatigue. This session addresses your own boundary-setting and secondary traumatic stress — and gives you a framework for helping other peer supporters recognize and respond to the same.