A Community of One ― Building Social Resilience

What motivates you?
What passions move you into action?
What external motivators push you?

Resiliency skills are defined as goal setting, mental and physical fitness, relaxation, perspective, building beliefs, thriving, showing empathy, and building social support. Skills presented in this book represent evidence-based research that supports both resilience and practices of effective learning.

“Workplace suicide is higher among police, firefighters and medical providers. To be a survivor demands an internal commitment to learn the life lessons hidden within the heartbreaks we will encounter in our lives.”

Humans are herd animals, and only together have we been able to survive as a species. The lone wolf is a Hollywood myth. A healthy support system is one in which we both give and receive support. This book is about learning how to develop these crucial networks.

Who is a hero?

• A hero is the parent who rises in the middle of the night to care for a sick child
• A hero is the teacher who inspires students to achieve their dreams
• A hero is the nurse who holds the hand of a dying patient
• A hero is the child who intervenes when another kid is being bullied

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Most times heroes don't like being called heroes. We are all heroes in our own stories, even more so for those of us called to be first responders. As heroes, each of us must undertake our own personal hero's journey. This course will be such an adventure. Let us begin, together.

Social support is foundational to resilience. First responders – cops, firefighters, nurses, EMTs – collectively hold our society together. They deal with the emergencies and stresses of society. They help us cope physically and mentally. They are our social support system and provide the connection individuals need to feel part of the community.

MichaelWm. Marks, PhD, ABPP, is currently a professor of practice in psychology anddirector of the Supportive Education for Returning Veterans program at theUniversity of Arizona. He is also executive director of One Tree Learning Institute.Previously he served as lead psychologist and evidence-based practicescoordinator at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. Dr. Marks has functionedas the PTSD outpatient clinic team leader and as a PTSD mentor for VA Hospitalsacross Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. Dr. Marks was cofounder of Vietnam Veteransof Montana and has received the Disabled Americans Veterans Humanitarian Award.He was selected as the 2012 “Outstanding Clinician of the Year” by the AmericanPsychological Association’s Division 18, VA Section. He is also codeveloper ofthe nationally recognized Supportive Education for Returning Veterans (SERV) program,which is a cohort-based curriculum designed to help veterans transition from militaryto academic life. The SERV curriculum has been cited by the Department ofVeterans Affairs (VA OIG) as a best practice and is part of the VA’s StrongPractices Project. Dr. Marks has coauthored numerous books and articles andpresented nationally on resilience and post-traumatic growth. He and hiscolleagues at One Tree Learning Institute provide resilience training tomembers across the healthcare and public service communities. Dr. Marks hasdedicated his career to working with trauma survivors, both military and civilian,adults and children, for the last 44 years. http://www.onetreelearning.org.

PhilipE. Callahan, PhD, EMTP, has served as assistant director of the Division ofAcademic Resources, Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC), University of Arizona;associate professor and program coordinator, educational psychology, Universityof Arizona South; associate professor of veterans education, College of Agricultureand Life Sciences, University of Arizona; and is currently emeritus professor, Universityof Arizona. He has developed server-based test diagnostic application software (CatTrax)to help educators identify and intervene with at-risk students and has spent hisprofessional career assisting faculty in improving the retention and graduationof their students. Dr. Callahan has written and presented nationally on issues relatedto academic success among student veterans. Along with his academic career he alsoserved southern Arizona as a paramedic and firefighter. In 2013, Dr. Callahan wasnamed one of the Top 10 Innovators in Emergency Medical Services. He currentlyserves as director of research and development for One Tree Learning Institute(http://www.onetreelearning.org) and Resilient Hacks (http://resilienthacks.org).

MikeGrill, MS, NR EMTP, is the EMS regional program director for Centura Health’s SouthDenver EMS team in Denver, Colorado. He has been active in fire/EMS since 1985 andhas authored numerous articles for EMS and fire trade journals. Mike has coauthoredtwo textbooks—Fire Service First Responder and First Response Resiliency—andhas presented at more than 200 fire/ EMS conferences in both the United Statesand Canada.