12/04/2023
I have thought about posting this for a while but was not sure of exactly how I wanted to encompass what I wanted to say in a single Facebook post… However, I would rather get this message out to our people then wait any longer.
Incase this post reaches outside of my circle I would like to let you know who I am and my background. I am currently a Patrol Corporal with Ridley Township Police Department and I have served Delaware County as a Police Officer for over 14 years. I am also a Behavioral Mental Health Therapist at Mirmont Treatment Center where I have been treating first responders and military personal for almost 4 years. I am a Co – founder of a nonprofit – H.E.R.O. (Helping Emergency Responders Overcome) and I also work for MVP Recovery as a Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative advocate.
It is not secret that as first responders, we are often placed in adverse situations. As responders we are gifted with the ability to compartmentalize (ex. someone did something bad, therefore there is a consequence because of their actions) Compartmentalization is a tool that has helped us become successful in our careers but has also failed us when we (think) we need it most…
When you’re a First responder the culture is that you cannot show weakness. After a traumatic tour of duty, the responder often goes home without any healthy processing of the events that transpired over the day. Sometimes responders will go home to a loving and supportive partner/family, sometimes to a dysfunctional home or sometimes alone. Our mental health may take a toll over time and we may turn to self – medication to cope.
I am here to tell you that there are safe places we can go or safe people we can talk to.
At Mirmont Treatment Center there is a program called VIPER (Valor with Integrity for Emergency Responders.) VIPER is a safe place for our responders and military personal to receive mental health and addiction counseling. Compassion is often a topic for the VIPER group I lead. Members have experienced what it is like to be numb, withdrawn, the feeling of survivor’s guilt. I will sit and listen, as they ask themselves if they should have or should not have been impacted by the event they were asked to respond to. Together, we learn how to process these experiences in a healthy way.
As I began my journey with Mirmont, I remember being asked to speak to someone’s EAP which was the first time I learned that services like this are available for major police departments so responders can seek help while having their job and privacy respected.
I can say this with full confidence, with my background as a first responder and treating responders at Mirmont Treatment Center as a therapist and working with the HERO team, there are resources available to help.
If you are a responder or the loved one of a responder and think that I could help, I am a phone call away (cell 610-755-5108.) Maybe I can connect you with a Treatment Center like Mirmont with the VIPER Program, or a therapist that understands military/first responders, or maybe I can just be a phone call and someone to vent to during a tough moment. Prior to me becoming a therapist at Mirmont Treatment Center I did not know about any mental health services offered to responders which is why I am passionate about spreading information and knowledge about the resources that are available to help those in need.
Leo Doyle
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