A river running from calm water into rapids

Going Upstream in Mental Health

First Responder Edition
Recognition class

Hear the story of a 30-year first responder and his experiences, and leave with practical tools you can use to help the people you work beside.

Built for the first responder community and adaptable anywhere early recognition matters, for anyone who wants to notice when someone they care about is struggling.

"You don't have to fix everything. You just have to notice. And when someone starts drifting — paddle towards them."

What this class is about

This isn't clinical training. It's recognition: learning to see when a coworker is struggling, how to start the conversation, and how to connect them to help before a hard stretch becomes something that can't be undone. It's built from lived experience and grounded in nationally recognized frameworks.

👁️

Recognize the signs

The behavioral, physical, and verbal changes that signal someone is struggling, in your peers and in yourself.

🗣️

Start the conversation

How to approach someone with care, what to say, what not to say, and how to really listen instead of trying to fix.

🤝

Connect to help

Knowing when to act, and the real resources — peer support, EAP, crisis lines — to put within reach.

🧰

Practical tools to take with you

Coping and resilience tools, and a resource list you can keep and share with your team.

For
EMS · Fire · Law Enforcement · Dispatch · Support staff — and anyone who works alongside them
Format
In-person class · approx. 60–75 minutes

Bring this class to your agency

Interested in Going Upstream for your team? Reach out and let's talk about whether it's a fit and how to make it happen.

Contact for more information
upstreaminitiative@outlook.com  ·  (252) 717-3689