Wellness program for Seminole County first responders tackles secondhand trauma

As part of an effort to reduce secondhand trauma among first responders in Central Florida, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will hold a three-day mindfulness program.

The RISE for First Responders program, which will run from Sept. 25-27 at the Sheriff’s Office in Sanford, was created in part by the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston to support mindfulness and reduce PTSD symptoms.

“This is a relatively new concept that we were interested in exploring, as we are always looking for ways to improve the health and wellness of our personnel,” said Kim Cannaday, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.

The immersive training — the first RISE program held in Florida — promises to provide first responders with the tools to “respond, survive and recover” from traumatic situations they encounter in their work.

The sessions will help participants to spot common and unproductive ways of coping with stress; learn how breathing can help improve performance at work; and implement practices that can lead to mindful recovery from trauma.

According to the Kripalu Center, the program is driven by research in mindfulness and brain science to encourage first responders to help change the way they handle high-stress incidents.

“Front-line providers often experience extended periods of fight or flight, which leads to severe stress conditions that can manifest as impatience, emotional outbursts or depression,” Kripalu CEO Barbara Vacarr said in a statement.

The Kripalu Center reached out to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to host the program and offered a number of complimentary seats.

First responders who are interested in attending can register for the program by calling 413-448-3674.

bpadro@orlandosentinel.com or 407-232-0202 or follow me on Twitter @BiancaJoanie

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