E.233 Building Real Mental Health Support For First Responders (Part 1)

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What does it take to build mental health care that first responders actually trust? We sit down with former Revere police officer Joe Rizzuti, whose journey from stacked line-of-duty trauma and alcohol use to peer support leadership strips away the clichés and gets to what works. Joe’s story starts with a tough childhood, a military turnaround, and a policing career shaped by high-stakes cases and a deep love for community. It also includes administrative betrayals, devastating calls, and the moment he walked into On-Site Academy expecting a firearms range and found a lifeline instead.

From there, Joe breaks down how cultural competence changes outcomes. If a clinician doesn’t understand roll call, shift work, gallows humor, and the weight of cumulative stress, trust collapses. He explains how he vets treatment programs—On-Site for acute resets, First Responder Wellness in California for intensive trauma work, and union-aligned options like IAFF Centers of Excellence—while calling out profit-first models that fail responders. We talk insurance constraints, travel realities, and why credibility is earned one referral at a time.

We also tackle the retiree cliff and why too many officers and firefighters struggle within five years of leaving the job. Joe’s answer: a coaching model adapted from recovery support that restores purpose, routine, and community long before the badge comes off. The takeaway is clear—care must be team-driven, ego-free, and relentlessly practical. If you lead, remove barriers. If you treat, learn the culture. If you’re a peer, keep checking in long after the headlines fade.

If you are interested, please visit the Onsite academy at https://onsiteacademy.org/

Visit the NEPBA at https://www.nepba.org/

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