Training at SPC focuses on mental wellness, support for first responders

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — While the second group of graduates just received their Applied Mental Health Certificate from St. Petersburg College, the third class is getting ready to start their program.

Officer Jordon Poulos with the Bradenton Police Department is one of those recent graduates. He works on the homeless outreach team.

“A majority of my clients have substance abuse or mental health issues,” said Poulos, who can now connect the community and his colleagues with more resources.

The Applied Mental Health Certificate Program prepares officers to manage stress, support peers and serve as mental health liaisons. The most recent graduating class represented agencies from Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

“This can help with mental health and first responders and can also help me understand and communicate better with my homeless population,” said Poulos.

The training is widespread.

“Most first responders go through hundreds of traumatic incidents in their career,” said Poulos.

That trauma can sometimes take a personal turn. Members of the Bradenton Police Department felt that pain personally and professionally with the recent loss of Officer Zachary Butterfield, who died by suicide.

Puolos served with the 40-year-old and said the recent training helped him support fellow grieving officers.

“Let them know that peer support is here, let them know that we have the resources and that they can call us no matter what time it is and we’ll be there to assist them and also help facilitate if they need more help than what we can provide and let them know to, and a big thing with this class was confidentiality,” said Poulos.

It’s a class that continues to expand support. Program Director Dr. Letresha Moore prepares for the third cohort to take the year-long training.
The incoming class will explore access to additional peer support and more resources.

“We’re looking at more resiliency and helping our first responders use those skills that they take away from the pathway and create a more resiliency and self-care awareness plan for them,” said Moore.

The plan, Moore, says is to help preserve the wellness of our first responders.

“Giving me the ability and the resources to know how to reach out and have those uncomfortable conversations because it’s still somewhat of a stigma, and sometimes first responders are afraid to reach out when they need help and that’s the big part of this class,” said Poulos.

The program looks to eventually expand to firefighters, EMS and dispatchers.