After the Watch Podcast: Real Conversations on Mental Health for Veterans and First Responders
We are excited to introduce our new podcast, After the Watch, for Veterans and first responders. Here, we can be open and honest about the realities of the job as we discuss leadership culture, trauma, PTSD, substance use, and mental health. We have created the podcast to provide a safe space to break down the stigma that keeps too many first responders and Veterans silent. We also want to encourage listeners to seek help and treatment earlier, before things become overwhelming. After the Watch is hosted by Matthew VanLiere, Executive Director of JOHN Veterans and First Responders treatment center. Matt has a BA in Criminal Justice and 29 years of experience in law enforcement. He also has a personal journey with addiction recovery.
After the Watch Podcast
Our goal for After the Watch is simple: to encourage first responders and Veterans to speak up during their careers and afterward, before the weight becomes too much to carry. The culture of first responders and Veterans reinforces silence. It’s that silence that often causes individuals to wait until things feel unmanageable before reaching out for help. In our first episode, Matt sits down with Sanford Behavioral Health CEO, Tracy Rogers, LPC, LMHC, NCC, and Clinical Director, Tessa Sterling, LMSW, to address subjects such as:
- The culture of silence
- Leadership and the ramifications of speaking out
- The body keeps score, and the damage that occurs over time
- How to ask for help and what is available for Veterans and first responders
- Early intervention and open communication
- Family dynamics.
After the Watch Episode 1 “The Culture of Silence”
Click the link below to listen (35 minutes) or find us wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
Quotes from After the Watch
Tracy Rogers
“As a family member and friend of many first responders, there is stigma regarding vulnerability. The prioritization of duty over emotion took me a long time to understand. Duty over family, duty over birthdays, duty over milestones, and social commitments. What happens when you prioritize duty? At some point, you stop trying to do the other stuff. You become desensitized. The silence is part of the trauma experience. It’s just part of the job.” Sanford Behavioral Health CEO, Tracy Rogers, LPC, LMHC, NCC
Tessa Sterling
“Ultimately, when there’s repeated exposure to trauma, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol, and it doesn’t just sit there stagnant. It builds up in our bodies and our brains over time. If we don’t process these significant events, we start to see release in other ways that aren’t always safe, healthy, or adaptive. An example might be an increase in substance use. We see high rates of maladaptive, unsafe substance use in first responders and Veterans. We see ongoing isolation, agitation, frustration, and hopelessness.
There are also high rates of suicidal thinking in this population. Many of us have heard the phrase the body keeps the score,’ and so many of these first responders and Veterans just endure until there’s significant suffering. Then the shame cycle kicks in to reinforce thoughts like, I guess maybe I’m not able to handle this, or if I can’t push through this, should I be in this field?” Sanford Behavioral Health Clinical Director, Tessa Sterling, LMSW.
Matthew VanLiere
“I had a question posed to me today (because I am a former first responder and person in recovery). They asked, ‘If you were still on the job and wanted to get help, who would you turn to: your employer, resources, or a partner?’ For me, it would not have been my leadership. I’d be afraid they were going to take my gun and badge away, and I wouldn’t be able to go to work. These days, with the development of peer support teams, it would probably not have happened, and it didn’t happen to me, but there is still so much fear.” Sanford Behavioral Health Executive Director, Matthew VanLiere,
JOHN (Just One Hero Needed) Veterans and First Responders Exclusive Treatment
J.O.H.N. (Just One Hero Needed) offers programming exclusively for Veterans and first responders. Our staff on all levels have lived experience or strong personal ties to the military or first responder communities. JOHN is located at 221 John Street NE in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a restored historic home designed to provide trauma-informed, mission-aligned care in a secure and respectful environment. Our facility accommodates 18 adults (18+). JOHN is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including 24/7 nursing. We treat addiction, PTSD, mental health, and eating disorders.
For more information, call our Admissions Specialists today!
