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Stepstone AWARE Program

FIRST RESPONDER NUMBERS

of police officers have reported experiencing a traumatic event

*Viol anti et al. 2007

of First Responders show clinical signs

of PTSD

*University of Arkansas

During the pandemic, 43% of medical professionals polled had probable alcohol use disorder

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

of Firefighters & EMS professionals have contemplated suicide

Abbot et al. 2015

of EMS don't have time to recover between events

Bentley et al. 2013

WHO WE HELP

Blond Fireman

FIRE

Image by Jacky Lam

POLICE

Stepstone AWARE EMS Program

EMS

Surgery

MEDICAL

Image by Jessica Radanavong

MILITARY

THE PROBLEM
REAL WORLD ISSUES

BARRIERS TO GETTING HELP

  • First Responders and Healthcare Workers are trained to see themselves as self-reliant and put others' needs above their own

  • Many can't afford help, don't know where to find it, or don't have time to receive it

  • Often, First Responders and healthcare workers don't seek mental health treatment due to potential professional repercussions

RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS

  • Common signs and symptoms of stress:

    • Anxiety, depression, irritability to minor nuisances

    • Feeling increasingly resentful

    • Drinking, smoking, or eating more

  • Common signs and symptoms of burnout:

    • Neglecting personal needs, either because you’re too busy or you don’t care anymore

    • Little work or personal satisfaction

    • Being exhausted despite sleeping or taking a break

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL IMPACT

  • When stress is left unchecked, it takes a toll on health, relationships, and state of mind eventually leading to burnout

ptsd in first responders
Stepstone Connect AWARE Responder Flag

OUR SOLUTION
AWARE PROGRAM

1. CONFIDENTIAL WELLNESS VISIT

  • Not an assessment or examination

  • Mandatory wellness visit (1 hour) with a licensed clinician to understand your individual needs

  • Can be annual or bi-annual mental health check-in

  • Opportunity to address current stressors

  • Opportunity for officers to experience the Telehealth process and work with a clinician

  • Crucial to normalizing client–clinician communication

2. INDIVIDUAL & GROUP THERAPY

  • Access to voluntary follow-up visits (1 hour) with a licensed clinician to maintain an ongoing dialogue 

  • Aimed at identifying and reducing the cumulative effect of workplace stress

  • Resiliency strategies to manage stress

  • Improve professional communication skills

  • Identify ways to find healthy support

  • Offer collaboration among peers and family

  • Flexible scheduling around job needs and lifestyle

3. DEPENDENTS, FAMILIES, AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

  • Voluntary 1-on-1 confidential Telehealth session

  • Licensed clinician sessions (60 minutes)

  • Connecting family members and loved ones no matter their location

  • Ongoing communication and trauma management

CRITICAL INCIDENT

ON THE GROUND

  • 24/7 Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)

  • Team includes veteran first responders and certified & licensed trauma-trained clinicians

  • We utilize the nationally accepted CISM model from the ICISF

PROFESSIONAL TEAM

  • Our team consists of retired first responders, military, legal, medical, and professional support personnel

  • We have expertise in trauma care, mental health, crisis management leadership, and response

EARLY RESPONSE

  • Our team may provide situational assessments, communication assistance and can also connect with community based programs and other services

  • Our decades of law enforcement experience coupled with media management and crisis communications provides a unique perspective

Stepstone Connect AWARE Critical Incident
Doctors

CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

UNIVERSAL ACCESS

  • Easy, private, quick, and convenient way to connect

  • Provides counseling in a secure environment

  • Eliminates the time and expense traveling to a clinician

PRIVACY SAFEGUARDS

  • Stepstone Connect provides a “Firewall” between an employee & employer

  • Allows treatment in a safe and confidential environment

  • Anonymity is central to the design and mechanics of our virtual behavioral-health services

  • Confidentiality ensures individuals who want assistance will be comfortable with the procedural safeguards

  • Our encrypted platform and procedures exceed Federal HIPPA rules & regulations

MAINTAIN PROPER LIFE BALANCE

  • Stepstone's AWARE program allows employees to continue operating in their current work environment

  • AWARE empowers first responders to speak with clinicians at times & from locations of their choosing

AWARE CLINICIANS

NATIONALLY CERTIFIED

  • Our AWARE clinicians are CFRC certified, culturally competent, and understand the job

  • We employee nationally recognized, trauma-informed therapists

  • Our AWARE team includes first responders, doctors, clinicians, critical incident specialists, and other professionals dedicated to wellness

ACCREDITATIONS

  • Stepstone Connect is accredited by The Joint Commission and follows “Best Practices” for delivering Telehealth services established by the Telebehavioral Health Institute

  • We utilize the nationally accepted CISM model from the ICISF

Stepstone Connect Online Counseling
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