Details

This training will provide behavioral health providers with a better understanding of the first responder population and practical tools to implement in their own practices.

Who should attend?
– Therapists
– Counselors
– Social Workers
– EAP Providers
– Peer Support Staff

Dates & Locations

Friday, June 21, 2019
New Lenox, IL

Friday, July 12, 2019
Chicago, IL

Friday, August 2, 2019
Crystal Lake, IL

Friday, September 13, 2019
Des Plaines, IL

Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Champaign, IL

The Schedule

8:00 – 9:00 AM: Registration/Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 AM: Dan DeGryse – Taking Care of our Own
10:00 – 11:00 AM: Erica Gilmore – First on the Scene: Enriching the Clinical Experience of First Responders
11:00 – Noon: Mark Honzel – Barriers to Treatment in the First Responder Community

Registration details

Cost: $15 includes breakfast and CEUs
Seating is limited. Registration closes one week prior to event.

The Presentations

Taking Care of our Own
Presenter: Chief Dan DeGryse

Dan will describe the motivation behind creating the Rosecrance Florian Program based on his experience with the Chicago Fire Department as a Battalion Chief/EMT, Employee Assistance Provider and Peer Supporter. He will also discuss how the program is connecting with first responders.

This presentation will address the following:
– What a clinician should know when working with first responders
– The importance of being culturally aware
– What makes the Florian program effective

First on the Scene: Enriching the Clinical Experience of First Responder
Presenter: Erica Gilmore

Erica will describe her experience as coordinator of the Florian Program. She will also identify the key cultural characteristics of first responders that impact treatment and the therapeutic relationship.

This presentation will address the following:
– Have an understanding of how symptoms of mental health and substance abuse appear
– Knowledge of evidenced-based programs and clinical theory effective in treatment
– Recognize the ways first responders are different from other clients

Barriers to Treatment in the First Responder Community
Presenter: Mark Honzel

Mark will relay his personal journey from police officer, to mental health client, to mental health clinician. Mark will describe his own barriers and how he’s helping other clients overcome them.

This presentation will address the following:
– Identifying barriers to treatment
– Establishing therapeutic relationships with first responders
– Normalizing the first responder experience

The Speakers

Chief Dan DeGryse, BA, BS, CEAP, CADC, LAP-C, CAI
Director of the Rosecrance Florian Program

Dan is a 29-year firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department, which he has served as an officer for 23 years. He presently holds the rank of Battalion Chief/EMT and previously served as coordinator of the Chicago Firefighters’ Union Local 2 Employee Assistance Program. Dan holds advanced training in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and operated in the capacity of peer supporter in New York after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Dan has been a member of the International Association of Firefighters Labor/EAP committee since 2002 and is recognized as a Master Instructor for the IAFF Peer Support Program. He also has extensive clinical experience providing individual, group, and family therapy with both adults and adolescents in the areas of addiction and mental health.

Erica Gilmore, LCPC, CADC
Unit Coordinator

Erica joined Rosecrance in August of 2015 as a primary counselor and was promoted to Unit Coordinator in February of 2017. She has worked in the field of substance abuse and mental health for nine years with experience working with various populations struggling with co-occurring issues. Erica received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from Augustana College and a Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Illinois University.

Mark Honzel, MA
Primary Counselor

Mark studied Law Enforcement Administration and received a Bachelor of Science from Western Illinois University in 1992. Mark spent the next 21 years as an officer with the Rockford Police Department where he was a K9 handler, field training officer, housing authority officer, and patrol officer. He received a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2018 from Argosy University and completed his Master’s internship with the Florian Program before being hired full-time.