Retirement And Transitioning Episodes

Chris Littrell is a retired police sergeant, Air Force veteran, and the author of Echoes from the Street — a book that required him to walk back through everything he'd spent years trying to outrun.

Dr. Cherylynn Lee works inside the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office. Full-time. Every day. She's not observing the culture — she's inside it, earning trust in a world built, brick by brick, to never ask for help. She responds to active crises in the field. Sits on the crisis negotiation team. Has debriefed more than forty critical incidents — line-of-duty deaths, officer-involved shootings, mass casualty events — and then comes back the next day and does it again.

In this episode, David Dachinger and guest co-host Dr. Tracy Hejmanowski sit down with retired Chief Deputy Rosanne Richeal, Trauma-informed Executive Coach, and founder of The Richeal Group, to understand the conditions impacting leadership, performance, and culture in public safety.

In this episode, Lynette Shaw Butler—retired LEO with a psychology degree, advocate, and educator—pulls back the curtain on the unseen toll of growing up in the shadow of childhood trauma and responding on some of America’s toughest streets.

In this episode, we speak with retired Lt. Randy Sutton, a man whose own life is a testament to the trials faced by those in blue. Founder of The Wounded Blue, Randy sheds light on the stark reality of physical and emotional injuries sustained on the job, illuminating the journeys of the more than 17,000 officers he has helped.

We dive deep into the heart and soul of Autumn Schmidt, a former police officer whose journey from the front lines of law enforcement to the forefront of women's empowerment is nothing short of remarkable.

We sit down with Erin Nugent, a former police officer turned First Responder Wellness Coach. Erin shares her journey from frontline service to civilian life, discussing the personal challenges she faced and the strategies that have worked for her. She aims to destigmatize mental health through open conversations on her radio show.

In this compelling episode, we sit down with Lieutenant Andrew Kane, a seasoned veteran of the FDNY with three decades of experience. Drew was on the front lines at Ground Zero during 9/11 and has committed his life to supporting firefighters and their families in navigating mental health and substance abuse challenges.

This episode explores the vital connection between mental health and law enforcement. Dr. Medina Baumgart shares insights on the critical role of embedded clinicians, the mental health challenges retired officers face, and the importance of peer support programs.

In this episode, we chat with Jeff Dill, Founder and CEO of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). Jeff shares insights on moral injury, the cultural brainwashing that affects first responders, and the alarming statistics related to firefighter suicides.

By popular demand, we’re thrilled to bring back this powerful episode as an encore! In the second part of this mini-documentary, Responder Resilience continues the deep dive into the topic of first responder retirement. We are joined by a panel of twenty-one retired or active first responders and resilience experts, representing law enforcement, the fire service, EMS, dispatch, animal control, and mental health clinicians.

By popular demand, we’re thrilled to bring back this powerful episode as an encore! In Part 1 of this two-part mini-documentary, Responder Resilience delves into the pivotal topic of first responder retirement. With insights from a distinguished panel of 21 retired or active first responders and resilience experts, we examine the unique challenges and opportunities retirement presents for those in law enforcement, fire service, EMS, dispatch, animal control, and mental health professions.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with retired Chief Lillian Bonsignore, a trailblazing 31-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) who served as the FDNY Chief of EMS Operations from 2019-2022, a period that encompassed the harrowing COVID-19 pandemic. As the highest-ranking Officer in the EMS command and the first female to achieve a 4-star rank in the history of FDNY, Chief Bonsignore's career is a testament to resilience, leadership, and breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field.

We invite you to join our insightful conversation with Bridget Truxillo, JD, the CEO and Founder of Lady Law Shield Law Firm. Bridget’s journey is not only inspiring but deeply rooted in her experiences as a former Deputy Sheriff, where she served in Patrol, Undercover Narcotics, and the SWAT Team. Her unique perspective sheds light on the challenges and decisions faced by law enforcement officers (LEOs) that can have significant legal ramifications.

On this compelling episode, we reunite three distinguished law enforcement veterans: retired Chief John Monaghan, retired Chief Douglas Wyman, and retired New Hampshire State Police Sergeant James Steinmetz. These three friends, previously featured in the impactful film "Inside the Box," come together once more to delve into profound discussions on camaraderie, support, and the journey of healing and growth following service-related trauma.

In this episode of our podcast, we had the privilege of interviewing David Berez, a retired Police Officer and Drug Recognition Expert with over 33 years of experience in Emergency Services. David shares his insights on Resiliency, Officer Mental Health, Transition into Retirement with Purpose, and Positive Psychology Tools, all from his own personal experiences.

Check out this inspiring episode of Responder Resilience where we dive deep into the power of art therapy with Daniel Sundahl, a paramedic and talented photo artist. Throughout his more than two decades of service as a firefighter and paramedic, Daniel has experienced countless traumatic calls that have taken a toll on his mental health. Using his unique style of photo art, Daniel processes these incidents and creates powerful portraits that capture the dramatic impact of the trauma.

Are you a first responder worried about your financial future? 🤔💰 Managing finances and retirement is not an easy task, especially for first responders. But don't worry, we've got you covered! Tune in to our latest podcast episode featuring Nicholas Daugherty from FinancialCop.com and learn about budgeting, debt reduction, retirement planning and more!

In the second part of this mini-documentary, Responder Resilience continues the deep dive into the topic of first responder retirement. We are joined by a panel of twenty one retired or active first responders and resilience experts, representing law enforcement, the fire service, EMS, dispatch, animal control, and mental health clinicians.

In this two part mini-documentary, Responder Resilience does a deep dive into the topic of first responder retirement. We are joined by a panel of twenty one retired or active first responders and resilience experts, representing law enforcement, the fire service, EMS, dispatch, animal control, and mental health clinicians.

We’re joined by retired police sergeant Donna Brown, one of only five female officers hired in 1979 by the Tallahassee Police Department. Donna is passionate about humanizing the badge and first responder mental health. Donna retired in 2006 after a 26-year career, and became an author.

The most vital responsibility of company officers is the safety and well-being of the firefighters in their command. Our guest, Battalion Chief Cristian Hinojosa of Dallas Fire-Rescue was recently promoted from Captain, and talks about why he’s passionate about mental health for firefighters.

In April 2016, Police Officer Adam A. Meyers was involved in a critical incident when he used deadly force against someone who armed themselves with a hatchet inside a busy department store. In the aftermath of this incident, Meyers was plagued with trauma and guilt, descending into a spiral of depression and using alcohol, while isolating and withdrawing. This led Adam to create Stop the Threat – Stop the Stigma, a mission devoted to removing the stigmas around speaking openly about mental health within law enforcement.

We'll be speaking with financial representative Adam Palamara of Northwestern Mutual, who works with over 100 First Responders and Veterans across the country. We discuss some critical questions that should be answered well before retirement arrives.