This episode discusses post-traumatic stress, trauma, an officer-involved shooting, and alcohol misuse. If these topics are personally difficult, please listen at your own pace. If you recognize yourself in this conversation, asking for help is a sign of courage, not weakness — and you are not alone.

Welcome back to Just Breathe, where we explore the intersection of leadership and the science of self-regulation in public safety. Most first responders know help is out there; far fewer know how to reach it, or whether the person on the other end understands the job. This episode is about closing that gap: where to turn once you decide you need help, and why the answer starts with leadership.

Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is joined by Conrad Weaver, President and CEO of First Responder Wellness Solutions, founder of ConjoStudios, and creator of the documentaries PTSD911 and Heroin's Grip. Together they talk through what keeps helpers from asking for help, how to find a therapist who actually knows the culture, and what separates leaders who walk the walk from those who only talk about wellness.

WHAT WE COVER

• Why first responders, the people everyone calls for help, are often the last to ask for it — and why admitting "this is beyond me" is the first step.
• How confidential lines like CopLine and Safe Call Now give responders a judgment-free place to start the conversation.
• How to vet a therapist: shop around, ask directly whether they work with cops or firefighters, and ask whether they've ever been on a ride-along.
• Why a leader's words matter — one detective agreed to get help because his chief offered "a program," not "a shrink."
• Why self-leadership comes first, through the story of a police chief who got help for her officers after a mass shooting before realizing she needed it too.
• Why a chief who skips the department's own wellness day sends a louder message than any LinkedIn post.
• How agreeing with a spouse or partner on what you will and won't share about work protects both the responder and the relationship.
• Why, after screenings in 32 states and roughly 90 cities, Conrad says the biggest gap in first responder wellness is leadership that understands and cares.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or considering suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

• CopLine — 1-800-COPLINE (1-800-267-5463) — Confidential 24/7 hotline for active and retired law enforcement and their families, answered by retired officers.
• Safe Call Now — 1-206-459-3020 — Confidential 24-hour crisis referral line for public safety employees, emergency services personnel, and their families.
• National Fraternal Order of Police Approved Provider Bulletin — A nationwide directory of FOP-vetted, culturally competent wellness providers for law enforcement and their families: https://fop.net/officer-wellness/approved-provider-bulletin-apb
• First Responder Wellness Solutions — Conrad's organization and resource list: https://firstresponderwellness.co
• Your agency's peer support team, Employee Assistance Program, chaplain, or a mental health professional who works with first responders.

ABOUT CONRAD WEAVER

Conrad Weaver is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, speaker, and coach dedicated to strengthening leadership and wellness within public safety. As President and CEO of First Responder Wellness Solutions and founder of ConjoStudios, he brings more than two decades of storytelling experience to helping agencies build healthier, more resilient cultures. He created the documentaries PTSD911 and Heroin's Grip and hosts the First Responder Wellness Podcast.

ABOUT THE JUST BREATHE PODCAST

Just Breathe with Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is a leadership platform for first responders and public safety professionals. Each episode explores how leadership, judgment, accountability, and wellness are shaped by the internal state of the leader making the decision — on the street, in the command staff meeting, and at home. New episodes drop every other week.

Control the breath. Control the moment.

If you are a first responder or public safety professional struggling right now: call or text 988, or call CopLine at 1-800-267-5463 — both are confidential and staffed by people who understand this work.

Welcome back to Just Breathe, where we explore the intersection of leadership and the science of self-regulation in public safety. This episode takes on something every first responder knows and few talk about honestly: being tired. There is tired, and then there is fatigue — and fatigue quietly changes how we process information, regulate our emotions, assess risk, communicate, and make decisions, on duty and at home.

Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is joined by Dr. Lois James, Professor and PhD Program Director in the Washington State University College of Nursing and Director of WSU's Sleep and Performance Research Center. Together they unpack what sleep loss does to the brain and body, why "I'm tired, but I'm fine" doesn't hold up, and what both individuals and agencies can change starting today.

WHAT WE COVER

• Why routinely getting five or six hours of sleep isn't a "new normal" — most adults need seven to nine hours to avoid building sleep debt.

• How fatigue takes the prefrontal cortex offline first, eroding the self-awareness, calm, and judgment a tense encounter demands.

• Why drowsy driving after a shift feels safe until it isn't — micro-sleeps happen even when you believe you're awake.

• What leaders should know about shift length, shift rotation, and forward-rotating schedules, and why staffing should match actual demand.

• Simple sleep-hygiene moves: limit handheld screens, use steady background noise, and keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

• The case for on-duty napping — and how a 20-minute power nap (or a "nappuccino") tops up alertness without sleep inertia.

• The one thing to start today: a self-soothing wind-down routine that lowers hypervigilance so your body can actually rest.

• Why the culture of "push through it" is fading — and why the question isn't whether we can keep going, but whether we should.

ABOUT DR. LOIS JAMES

Dr. Lois James is a Professor and the PhD Program Director in the Washington State University College of Nursing, and Director of WSU's Sleep and Performance Research Center. Her research examines how sleep loss, fatigue, stress, and bias affect performance and safety among shift workers, including police officers, firefighters, health care personnel, and military personnel. She specializes in developing and evaluating fatigue risk management, sleep education, and anti-bias training programs, and is the founding Director of Counter Bias Training Simulation (CBTsim). Internationally recognized in her field, she also consults directly with agencies on building schedules that work for their officers and their communities.

ABOUT THE JUST BREATHE PODCAST

Just Breathe with Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is a leadership platform for first responders and public safety professionals. Each episode explores how leadership, judgment, accountability, and wellness are shaped by the internal state of the leader making the decision — on the street, in the command staff meeting, and at home. New episodes drop every other week.

Control the breath. Control the moment.

This episode discusses suicide, trauma, depression, and cumulative stress. If you've lost a colleague, friend, or loved one, or if these topics are personally difficult, please listen at your own pace. If you recognize yourself in this conversation, asking for help is a sign of courage, not weakness — and you are not alone.

Welcome back to Just Breathe for the final installment of our three-part series, The Lives We Don't Talk About. The first two episodes covered understanding suicide and loss; this one shifts forward to what healing, treatment, and recovery look like for first responders and their families, and how agencies can build a culture where asking for help meets support instead of stigma.

Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is joined by Dr. Dorothy Novitskie, a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and founder of Novitskie Forensic Psychology, with more than two decades of experience in clinical, forensic, correctional, and law enforcement settings. Together they unpack what recovery means after trauma, why asking for help remains hard in public safety culture, and what effective treatment, family involvement, and forward-looking leadership look like in practice.

WHAT WE COVER

- Dr. Novitskie reframes recovery not as "going back to who you were" but as regaining the ability to carry what you've experienced without being controlled by it — sleeping again, being present with family, and having access to joy.
- Why the fear of asking for help isn't irrational for officers: mixed messages from agencies, and legitimate concerns about how disclosure could affect assignments, promotions, or firearm status.
- How leadership sets the "emotional temperature" of an agency — officers watch what leaders tolerate and reward far more than what they say.
- What a comprehensive treatment assessment looks like, including screening out medical causes (like a thyroid issue) before assuming a psychological diagnosis.
- Why safety planning around suicidal ideation focuses on reducing access to lethal means without automatically stripping an officer's firearm privileges or identity.
- The specific role family, friends, and trusted peers play in recovery — noticing changes and staying connected, without being expected to act as the person's therapist.
- Why recovery isn't linear, and how anniversary reactions, court proceedings, or a difficult call can resurface symptoms without meaning treatment has failed.
- Dr. Novitskie's vision for where public safety agencies need to go in the next five years: proactive wellness built into daily culture, not just a reaction after tragedy.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or considering suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

- CopLine — 1-800-267-5463 (1-800-COPLINE) — a confidential, 24/7 peer support hotline staffed by retired law enforcement, for active and retired officers and their families.
- Safe Call Now — (206) 459-3020 — a confidential, peer-based resource for public safety professionals and their families, offering referrals to treatment.
- Your agency's peer support team or Employee Assistance Program can also connect you directly to these resources.

ABOUT DR. DOROTHY NOVITSKIE

Dr. Dorothy Novitskie is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and founder of Novitskie Forensic Psychology, LLC. With more than two decades across clinical, forensic, correctional, outpatient, and academic settings, she specializes in trauma-informed care, forensic mental health assessment, and treatment for law enforcement and public safety professionals. She holds an M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

ABOUT THE JUST BREATHE PODCAST

Just Breathe with Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is a leadership platform for first responders and public safety professionals. Each episode explores how leadership, judgment, accountability, and wellness are shaped by the internal state of the leader making the decision — on the street, in the command staff meeting, and at home. New episodes drop every other week.

Control the breath. Control the moment.

If you are a first responder or public safety professional struggling right now: call or text 988, or call CopLine at 1-800-267-5463 — both are confidential and staffed by people who understand this work.