Hope For Heroes Project

First Responders can experience trauma daily. They are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Lack of education about trauma and suicide risk factors makes it challenging for first responders to care for themselves. First responders often care for others and sometimes neglect caring for themselves.

Resilient Heroes, NFP wants to change that through the Hope For Heroes project (HFHP). Hope For Heroes is a training program for police officers nationwide. HFHP teaches law enforcement personnel about stress mitigation, trauma, suicide risk factors, mental health tools, and all the resources available to them. By offering law enforcement officers various coping mechanisms skills and the knowledge to self-advocate for themselves officers will be able to live healthy lives during and post their careers.

Hope For Heroes provides psychoeducation in a group setting with an interactive approach that combines conversation and scenario-based learning. By teaching first responders about trauma and suicide, we encourage them and their agencies to take a more proactive approach to suicide prevention. Psychoeducation is essential because it offers first responders the information about various mental health struggles that can lead to suicide and the ability to recognize when they need help.

Hope For Heroes provides instruction in topics such as:

Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
Recognizing mental health triggers
Understanding cultural differences
Recognizing trauma before, during, and after the job
The effects of substance use in social settings vs. as a coping mechanism

Training Officers

First Responders, like other first responders often internalize their trauma because they believe others won't understand. Elizabeth “Liz” Pol, CEO of Resilient Heroes NFP leads the Hope For Heroes training. She possesses both experience and knowledge about the sworn officer experience.

As a 19-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and a graduate degree holder in Forensic Psychology, Liz can connect with officers in ways that those without law enforcement experience culture cannot. Liz is also certified as a Suicide Psychological Autopsy Investigator with the American Association of Suicidology and has conducted psychological autopsy cases of officers who have taken their lives by suicide. Suicide autopsies provide a clearer understanding of all the variables present that impacted an individual and led them to take their life by suicide.

Help support our first responders in the fight against suicide. Monetary donations are welcome and greatly appreciated to support this important cause. If you are interested in having your agency participate in being trained through the Hope For Heroes project to help those who risk their physical and mental health every day while serving others please contact Liz Pol at (773)842-9784. Email liz@resilientheroes.com.

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