Recording: First Responder Wellness Strategies in 2020
Description: Cordico CEO, David Black, and Warrior’s Rest Foundation CEO, Capt. Brad Shepherd, discuss the impacts of cumulative trauma, social unrest, COVID-19, critical incidents on law enforcement and other first responders, with a focus on peer support, stress management, and strengthening resilience both individually and within your agency as a whole.
About David Black
David Black, Ph.D. is the CEO of Cordico, serving hundreds of public safety agencies nationally. Dr. Black is a Board Member of the National Sheriffs’ Association Psychological Services Group, serves as the Chair of Technology and Social Media, is an Advisory Board Member for the National Police Foundation’s Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Police Psychological Services Ethics Committee, serves on the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Officer Wellness Committee, serves on the California Police Chiefs’ Association Human Behind the Badge Committee, is an Officer Wellness subject matter expert for the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), and earlier served on IACP Police Psychological Services committees tasked with updating the standards for fitness-for-duty examinations and officer-involved shootings. Cordico is partnered with the California State Firefighters’ Association (CSFA) to strengthen firefighter mental health and well-being. Dr. Black has been serving first responders since 2002.
About Brad Shepherd
Capt. Brad Shepherd (Ret.) is the Chief Executive Officer of Warriors Rest Foundation. Warrior s Rest Foundation is a 501(c)3, tax exempt nonprofit that serves to build peer support teams for agencies that do not have peer support teams. Brad is a retired Captain from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) after 25 years. Brad served as a Commander over the Troop J Field troop, Command over the OHP s Officer Assistance Program, as well as Commander over the Emergency Services Unit for the OHP. Brad had many assignments in his 25-year career that included Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security as Infrastructure Protection Coordinator, Supervisor in the Criminal Interdiction unit and full-time bomb technician in the bomb squad unit as well as both additional duty and full time assignments with the tactical team. Brad has served in the OHP s Officer Assistance Program as a trained CISM peer for 10 years and was the Coordinator of the Officer Assistance program for 3 years. Brad was at one time an adjunct instructor through Louisiana State University to teach agencies all over the nation. Brad is a very experienced presenter and instructor in a variety of disciplines. Brad is a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) approved instructor through International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF).