BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER IS HOSTING A FORUM ON FIRST
RESPONSE FOR VETERANS AND CRISIS.
THE COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR EMS, FIRST RESPONDERS,
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AMONG OTHERS.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH DAVID SUTTON FROM THE ONE CALL
AWAY FOUNDATION AND IDA KONDERWITZ, A REGISTERED NURSE
AND INJURY PREVENTION COORDINATOR AT BAYSTATE MEDICAL
CENTER TO FIND OUT MORE.
SHOW CLOSE TH THAT DOES IT FOR >> I WAS APPROACHED BY CINDY
FOSTER WHO'S A PARAMEDIC FOR AMR AMBULANCE AND SHE HAD SOME
CONCERNS SHE WAS SEEING AN UPTICK OF VETERANS IN CRISIS,
AND WHAT SHE WANTED ME TO HELP HER WITH WAS PUT TOGETHER A
PROGRAM SO THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS CAN BECOME EDUCATED
ON HOW TO HANDLE VETERANS IN CRISIS.
>> OKAY.
AND NOW YOU'RE ALSO A NURSE AND YOU WORKED IN THE ER FOR MANY
YEARS.
AND, OBVIOUSLY, YOU'VE CARED FOR VETERANS WHEN THEY'VE COME IN
FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
>> YES, I CARED FOR VETERANS IN CRISIS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR
MANY YEARS AND OUR MAIN THEME THERE IS TO KEEP THEM SAFE AND
TO KEEP THEM SAFE.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COVERED
TOMORROW TO HELP FIRST RESPONDERS OR HELP ER DOCTORS,
YOU KNOW, BE BETTER INFORMED?
>> WE BROUGHT FOLKS TOGETHER AND THEY DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO
HAVE FOLKS THAT WERE FIRST RESPONDERS SPEAK ABOUT WHAT --
THAT WERE VETERANS AND HOW THEY APPROACH A VETERAN IN CRISIS.
WE HAVE PSYCHOLOGISTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT HOW
TO APPROACH A VETERAN IN CRISIS.
WE HAVE SOMEONE TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THE BATTLE MIND AND
HOW THEIR MIND WAS WHEN THEY WERE IN SERVICE AND WHEN THEY'RE
HOME HOW TO REINTEGRATE TINTO THEM INTO OUR NORMAL WORLD AND
WE JUST ASK CAMPAIGN AND A FEW OTHER SPEAKERS THAT WE'VE AND
IT'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING EDUCATION TO OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE ATTENDING, SOME FIREFIGHTERS
THAT ARE ATTENDING.
WE HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND EMERGENCY
ROOM PERSONNEL THAT ARE GOING TO BE ATTENDING OUR CONFERENCE.
>> SO DAVID, ONE CALL AWAY IS ONE OF THE PARTNERS THAT BROUGHT
THIS TOGETHER.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT FIRST OF ALL ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND
WHAT YOU DO.
>> ONE CALL AWAY IS PTSD SUPPORT AND WE HAVE A PTSD SUPPORT
NETWORK AND WE ALSO ARE AT THE AID AND PREVENTION OF SUICIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO -- WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH AND RECOMMEND AND TRAIN WITH AND
SO WHEN WE INTO A VETERAN LOOKING FOR A HIGH-LEVEL OF CARE
THAT THEY COULDN'T GET IT AND IF SOMEONE IS HAVING AN ISSUE WE'LL
BE CALLED IN AS PEER SUPPORT.
SOMEBODY TO TALK TO.
IF THEY HAVE -- IF THEY WANT JUST TO GET THINGS OFF THAT I
SHALL CHEST.
>> AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOUR DISTORTION.
>> YEP.
>> WHEN YOU'RE HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW THE BEST WAY TO
APPROACH AND PERHAPS EVEN THE BEST LANGUAGE AND BODY LANGUAGE
TO USE WITH A VETERAN WHO MIGHT BE IN CRISIS, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN
THAT, YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE TO THE LAYPERSON WHO'S NOT FAMILIAR
WITH WHAT THEY'VE SEEN?
I MEAN, WE CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
>> I CAN GIVE YOU A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT HAPPENED THAT REALLY GIVES
YOU AN UNDERSTANDING.
A WHILE BACK A FAMILY MEMBER ASKED ME TO GO BE WITH THEIR SON
AND HE WAS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE HE
WAS IN THE ROOM AND WAS BACKED INTO A CORNER.
I COULD TELL BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE THAT THE NURSE THAT WAS
THERE AND ONE OF THE ORDERLIES WAS THERE THE CLOSER THEY GOT TO
HIM THE FURTHER HE BACKED UP AND FINALLY HE GOT TO THE DEEPEST
CORNER AND THAT ARE TRYING TO I SAID, EXCUSE ME, WHEN THEY
WALKED IN THE DOOR I SAID STOP, YOU GUYS NEED TO LEAVE.
JUST STEP OUT OF THE ROOM FOR A LITTLE BIT AND LET ME HAVE A
CHEST BECAUSE THEY WERE PUTTING HIM ON DEFENSE AND HE WAS GOING
IN FIGHT OR FLIGHT.
AND HE JUST NEEDED SOMEBODY TO LET HIM KNOW HE WAS OKAY RIGHT
THERE AND THEN AND I WALKED IN THE ROOM AND I BASICALLY ASKED
HIM TO STAND DOWN.
>> AND THAT WAS A QUICK DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUE.
>> YEP.
>> THAT YOU WOULD KNOW HOW TO USE BUT PERHAPS SOMEBODY ELSE
WHO'S PULLING SOMEBODY OVER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TRAFFIC VIOLATION,
DIDN'T PUT A BLINK ON WOULD NOT KNOW -- BLINKER ON WOULDN'T KNOW
THAT.
>> I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS ONE CALL AWAY EXISTED BEFORE I
STARTED SO I GOT MYSELF QUITE AN INDICATION IN THIS FIELD OF
VETERANS IN CRISIS, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT THAT'S THERE AND WE
WANT TO SPREAD OUR ROOM TO ALL THE EMERGENCY ROOMS BECAUSE
BAYSTATE HEALTH IS ACROSS WESTERN MASS AND, YOU KNOW, TO
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT THERE IS SOMEBODY YOU CAN CALL TO HELP
YOU FIGURE IT OUT. >> AND ALSO DAVID, YOUR SON
SERVED TWO TOURS IN IRAQ.
>> YES, MY OLDEST SON SERVED TWO TOURS IN IRAQ AND HE WAS SHOT
TWICE AND THAT LED TO -- ONE OF THE THINGS HE GOT ADDICTED TOT
PAINKILLERS HE WAS ON.
HE HAD VIOLENT OUTBURSTS AND ANGER ISSUES AND HIM AND I HAD A
LOT OF TIMES TALKING.
HE WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I STARTED ONE CALL AWAY.
HE WAS SUICIDAL AND HE WAS HURTING AND HE JUST NEEDED
SOMEBODY TO TALK WITH.
I DID TOO MANY VETERAN SUICIDE FUNERALS AND I THOUGHT ABOUT MY
SON.
I THOUGHT ABOUT MY LIFE WHERE I HAVES AT A CERTAIN TIME AND SAID
THERE'S SOMETHING WE GOT TO DO, AND AND NOW WE'VE BEEN AROUND
FOR 3 YEARS, I'VE HAD CIRCUMSTANCES AND EVENTS THAT
BROUGHT ME TOGETHER WITH SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT I WAS ABLE TO
USE MY PAST EXPERIENCES JUST WITH THE THINGS I'VE BEEN
THROUGH.
>> AND THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS LIKE
FIRST RESPONDERS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ONE CALL AWAY,
YOU'RE BRINGING MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND ADDRESSING
THE FACT YOU HAD MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN IN COMBAT WHO IS
SUPPOSED TO BE, LIKE, EVERYTHING IS NORMAL JUST COMING HOME.
>> IT'S NOT JUST COMBAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE COMBAT ROLES.
FORTUNATERY AND OTHER THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES BUT YOU HAVE A
LOT OF SUPPORT STRUCTURE IN THE MILITARY THAT WERE PUT IN HARM'S
WAY AND HAD TO DEALT WITH, THEY WEREN'T REALLY ABLE TO HANDLE.
YOU HAVE FOLKS WORKING IN LOGISTICAL UNITS AND GOODS THAT
HAVE TO GET TO THE FRONT LINE, DEALING WITH IEDS AND DEALING
WITH FRIENDS BEING KILLED AND BEING AWAY FROM HOME.
THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST A COMBAT SITUATION.
EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE BIGGIE BUT ALSO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS
THAT THEY BRING BACK WITH THEM.
THEY BRING BACK THE GUILT WITH THEM THAT CAN NEVER BE TAKEN
AWAY. ♪