Hope Out of Darkness: Suicide Prevention & Mental Wellness for First Responders | Chief Dena Ali

Описание: Firefighters and first responders enter the job healthy, capable, and committed. So why are suicide rates rising—despite better mental health programs, more awareness, and reduced stigma?

December 18th, 2024 - Mindful Public Safety Hour

In this powerful presentation, Chief Dena Ali, Battalion Chief with the Raleigh (NC) Fire Department and Behavioral Health Program Manager at the First Responder Center for Excellence, shares groundbreaking insights from her research, her clinical collaborations, and her deeply personal journey into first responder mental wellness.

Drawing from her acclaimed new book, Hope Out of Darkness: A Guide to First Responder Mental Wellness, Chief Ali challenges long-held assumptions about suicide risk, explores the science of decision-making under stress, and introduces practical tools that save real lives.

What You’ll Learn in This Session

1. Why traditional suicide prevention isn’t enough
Most suicides don’t follow the patterns we’ve been taught. Chief Ali explores what the data actually shows—and why we need new approaches.

2. The “stress bucket,” resilience, and post-traumatic growth
Understanding how stress accumulates—and how to release it—reshapes personal wellness and organizational culture.

3. The role of impulsivity and the “10-minute window”
Why many suicides happen during short spikes of distress, and how creating barriers can prevent tragedy.

4. Prevention by Design
What traffic safety can teach us about suicide prevention—and how small environmental changes reduce risk.

5. Lethal means safety & firearms
Why firearm storage practices dramatically influence suicide outcomes among firefighters, veterans, and law enforcement.

6. The “Crisis Card”
A simple, evidence-informed tool that helps first responders pre-plan their emergency before distress hits.

7. Mindfulness, breathing, and movement for first responder brains
How grounding and regulation techniques buy time, reduce intensity, and restore choice.

8. Why leadership and culture are protective factors
The kitchen table, trust, and gratitude aren’t nice-to-haves—they are life-saving infrastructure.

About Chief Dena Al
• Battalion Chief, Raleigh Fire Department
• Program Manager, First Responder Center for Excellence
• Executive Fire Officer Program Graduate, National Fire Academy
• Suicide researcher (UNC Pembroke)
• Nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and author
• Advocate for firefighter resilience, peer support, and mental health system reform

Her passion for mental wellness is grounded in lived experience—and her work is reshaping how fire and EMS organizations support their members.

About the Book: Hope Out of Darkness
Chief Ali’s book provides a comprehensive guide to:
• Suicide prevention science
• Trauma, stigma, and substance use
• Resilience & recovery skills
• Peer support, chaplaincy, and departmental wellness systems
Available via Fire Engineering Books.

Who This Video Is For
• Firefighters & fire officers
• EMS providers & paramedics
• Law enforcement & corrections
• Dispatchers & emergency communications
• Peer support & chaplain teams
• Clinical partners serving first responders
• Families, leaders, & wellness coordinators

If this session helps you, please like, share, and subscribe to support more conversations on mental health, leadership, and resilience in public safety.

View more information at the CMPS website:
https://www.mindfulpublicsafety.org/