This episode focuses on how to start and build a peer support team within a first responder organization. We discuss what peer support is, how it differs from Critical Incident Stress Management, and how the two systems work together. We also cover team structure, training, clinician involvement, confidentiality, legal protections, and the key components needed to develop a trusted and sustainable program. This episode provides a clear starting point for Michigan first responder agencies looking to build, strengthen, or expand a peer support team.

We are joined by Mike Mattern, a career firefighter paramedic with the City of Dearborn and founding member of the Dearborn Firefighters Local 412 Peer Support and CISM Team, and Mike Wierenga, a retired Grand Rapids police officer, former firefighter, and co founder of 2 The Rescue. Both also serve as peer support specialists with the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program, supporting agencies across Michigan.

Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families. NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information.

Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

• Link to YouTube episode: https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w
• Link to Buzzsprout: https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/
• YouTube: frontlinestrongtogether2346
• Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline
• Instagram: mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast
• LinkedIn: Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Matt Sahr, President of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union (MPFFU), as we continue our Building FST5 series. Matt represents thousands of professional firefighters across Michigan and brings decades of experience in the fire service and statewide labor leadership. Through the lens of the MPFFU, this conversation explores how the fire service recognized the growing mental and behavioral health challenges associated with the profession and why union leadership supported a coordinated statewide approach to addressing them. Matt discusses how early collaboration with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Officers Association of Michigan helped shape the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program and why cross-discipline partnerships were critical to building a system that supports firefighters and their families. This is the third episode in our Building FST5 series.

Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families. NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information.

Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

• Link to YouTube episode: https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w
• Link to Buzzsprout: https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/
• YouTube: frontlinestrongtogether2346
• Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline
• Instagram: mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast
• LinkedIn: Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Jim Peyton, Manager of the FST5 Crisis and Resource Line and a retired Detroit firefighter-paramedic, and by Ryan Kilyanek, a line supervisor with experience in corrections and behavioral health response. Together, they provide a clear look at what happens when someone calls the line and who is on the other end of the phone. Through their perspectives, the conversation explains the line’s purpose, who should consider calling, and what callers can expect when they make contact. We discuss how confidentiality is handled, how call priority is determined, and how callers are connected to peer support, clinicians, education, and other appropriate resources. Jim and Ryan also address common misconceptions that prevent people from reaching out, including stigma, fear of career impact, and the belief that the line is only for emergencies. They explain that many calls involve stress, sleep disruption, difficult incidents, or family concerns rather than an immediate crisis. The discussion also highlights that immediate family members can contact the line directly for guidance, education, and help navigating available services. This episode focuses on how the line serves as a trusted entry point into a broader system designed specifically for Michigan’s frontline community.

Minds on the Frontline Podcast is brought to you by the Frontline Strong Together 5 Program. FST5 provides streamlined access to behavioral and mental health services, as well as crisis resources for Michigan’s frontline workers and their families. NEED HELP NOW? If you are a frontline worker in Michigan or an immediate family member experiencing any crisis, whether work-related, substance abuse, depression, relationships, finances, or other challenges, reach out by calling 1-833-34-STRONG or visit FST5.org for more information.

Minds on the Frontline is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

• Link to YouTube episode: https://tinyurl.com/vxhktj6w
• Link to Buzzsprout: https://mindsonthefrontlinepodcast.buzzsprout.com/
• YouTube: frontlinestrongtogether2346
• Facebook: FrontlineStrongTogether and Minds on the Frontline
• Instagram: mifst5 and FrontlinePodcast
• LinkedIn: Frontline-Strong-Together-5 and Minds on the Frontline Podcast