After years as a dispatcher, numbness became a warning sign. Once strong and composed, she found herself overwhelmed by PTSD, struggling with sleep, anxiety, and loss of joy. Therapy brought clarity but also frustration, as trauma never stopped coming. Still, she holds hope of rediscovering the person she used to be.

911 dispatchers face unseen trauma and high stress, often without full recognition as first responders. Traditional support like EAPs can feel unsafe or untrustworthy, leaving many to internalize pain. Peer support programs bridge that gap—offering empathy, trust, and cultural understanding from those who’ve “been there.” These groups foster a healthier culture, humanizing dispatchers and reminding them they’re not alone behind the headset.

By: Brendhan T. Sears, RPL, CMCP So, I'd like to finally address the elephant in the room: my depression. For the past several months, I've been wanting to talk about it, but I wasn't quite sure how to approach it - and then I saw this meme and it just sort of came together, and at the right time: Mental Health Awareness Month. Credit to @officialaaronlovins via Instagram That's the meme I saw, and I'm not gonna lie - it pissed me off. Depression is a BITCH. Especially when i

You can either make time for wellness or make time for illness.

By: Kiersten Anders & Janelle Williams If there were ever a time we needed to focus on wellness and self-care, it's now. When we talk about the idea of these two terms, which are largely interchangeable, many people are turned off because they fear a time commitment. You feel you need to dedicate more time than you have in order for it to be successful or worthwhile. WRONG!! Nothing could be further from the truth! Think of your overall wellness as being a book - and this i

Editor's note: In our previous blogs, we have talked about the importance of self-care as well as the symptoms associated with compassion fatigue, or burn-out.  A few symptoms of burn-out include a lack of empathy, exhaustion, and an increase in drug and/or alcohol abuse. This blog focuses on the extreme end of the latter - addiction - and it comes to us from a fellow first responder.   Initially, we had some concern about potential backlash from those who don't understand t

By Gabriel Cabrillas, MSW, LSW In respect to Mental Health Awareness Month it is important to recognize the mental health needs of our suffering brothers and sisters, as well as those who dedicate their lives to helping them. Now, full disclosure, I am not a 9-1-1 Telecommunicator (TC). I serve as a mental health therapist in Southern Indiana and work with families involved with the Department of Child Services. I specialize in working with traumatized children. I considered

By: Jill Blankley Hello everyone. Thank you for being part of the outstanding community that Humanizing the Headset is becoming! I have worn the headset for nearly 26 years with the same agency in northeastern Illinois. For the past five years, I have done so while living with Parkinson's disease and am currently at Stage two (there are five total stages). April is Parkinson's Awareness month and in honor of that, I was asked to share my story with you. Let's begin with a min

Humanizing the Headset has developed a theme for the month of October: Dispatcher Health Awareness. We are going to be discussing physical and mental health issues that affect us and the communities we serve. Our goal is to enhance the awareness of these issues so that we are better equipped to handle them in both our personal and professional lives. This very special story comes to us from fellow dispatcher, Leslie White, a breast cancer survivor. We'll also be hearing fro

Humanizing the Headset has developed a theme for the month of October: Dispatcher Health Awareness. We are going to be discussing physical and mental health issues that affect us and the communities we serve. Our goal is to enhance the awareness of these issues so that we are better equipped to handle them in both our personal and professional lives. Our first story comes from one of our Admins, Cori Johnson. She's going to be telling us about the power of positivity and

By Dr. Carrie Steiner Studies show that dispatchers have one of the most stressful jobs in the United States. Due to the constant exposure to trauma, dispatchers are at risk of developing anxiety, depression and post- traumatic stress disorder. It is important for dispatchers to understand what signs of acute stress reactions are but also aware of post traumatic stress reactions to help themselves recognize when they may need help. Warning signs and symptoms of stress inclu