E.240 When Systems Fail: First Responders, Crisis Work, And The Cost Of Care Part 2

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The calls keep coming, but the solutions don’t. We sit down with crisis clinician and EMDR therapist Morgan Yaskus to trace how a frayed safety net pushes first responders into impossible roles—and how that mismatch breeds moral injury. From long drives to the nearest DMV or ER to midnight discharges with no plan, we map the structural barriers that turn compassion into exhaustion and good intentions into public criticism.

Morgan shares what mobile crisis teams can do well—resolving most calls on scene, staying with families after deaths, and offering a humane handoff—and where policy still ties everyone’s hands. We talk about the revolving door of brief psychiatric evaluations, the bureaucratic maze of IDs and benefits, and the social media spotlight that amplifies one bad moment over a hundred quiet saves. Small towns feel this even harder: everyone knows everyone, scanners travel fast, and rumors outrun the facts.

We also get practical. Morgan explains how EMDR intensives can speed recovery from single‑incident trauma, why embedded wellness trainings reduce stigma, and how family wellness programs give spouses and kids tools to navigate shift work, hypervigilance, and communication breakdowns. The theme isn’t “do more with less.” It’s “build a system that holds what responders are asked to carry,” with warm handoffs, guaranteed short holds, transport support, and streamlined ID recovery to break the cycle.

If you care about first responder mental health, this conversation is a map and a motivator. Listen, share with your team, and send this to someone who thinks burnout is a willpower issue. Then tap follow, leave a quick review to help others find the show, and tell us: what single policy change would make the biggest difference where you live?

To contact Morgan, go to her website at www.bewildandrooted.com

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