#168 The Fight to Save Our First Responders: Systemic Failures & Moral Injury w/ Anna Heil

Anna Heil is dedicated to bettering and preserving the quality of life for first responders and members of the American military veteran community. She the Executive Director with the American Warrior Foundation who provide resources to help individuals and agencies face the internal and external challenges both the people and institutions face.

This conversation we had at the annual Texas Tactical Police Officers Conference doesn’t follow the typical discussions around the topic of “trauma”. Anna and the AWA Team lean in heavy to the morale injuries faced by those that serve our communities yet find themselves battling systemic institutional failures in leadership, broken agency models, and the massive short-comings in cultural competency when it comes to providing services.

Anna and The AWA have found a way to begin chipping away at the foundational components, bringing awareness to, and scaling their non-profit to make meaningful and lasting change. It’s a different approach and you’ll get that through this conversation.

Sit back and enjoy this Iron Sights After Dark episode with Anna Heil.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:04 Anna Hile’s Background

03:14 First Responder Challenges

08:33 Moral Injury Explained

17:57 R3 Program Overview

20:33 Building Support Systems

34:04 Expanding Across Texas

38:05 Public-Private Partnerships

41:05 Peer Support Networks

48:29 Education & Awareness

01:01:21 Confidential Support Access

01:04:47 A Firefighter’s Story

01:06:58 The New Normal

01:12:35 Spousal Support Matters

01:19:50 Launching Support Programs

01:29:44 Advocacy & Future Plans