The focus of this week’s installment of Next Steps Forward is first responders and mental health and program host Chris Meek is excited to welcome Dr. Jena Casas, an expert on the subject matter. Dr. Casas is a licensed clinical psychologist who owns and operates a private practice and a consulting firm in northern Nevada. She holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. She’s also a certified emergency responder and public safety clinician. Dr. Casas has published 29 peer-reviewed publications and five book chapters on topics related to the intersection of culture, psychology, and law; her most recent publications are related to the mental health of first responders. Dr. Casas specializes in providing mental health services to first responders and their families, organizational consultation with law enforcement agencies to develop wellness programming for their staff, and educational presentations for conferences across the United States. Dr. Casas will take the hour to touch on important topics relevant to her work, including how public opinion affects first responders’ well being and the job they do, what private citizens and organizations can do to minimize stigmas against first responders, the self-imposed barriers to mental health treatment in the forms of stigma and concerns about career advancement that first responders face and the work she carries out with first responders to help them overcome the stigma of seeking mental health treatment.
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About the Author: Chris Meek
Dr. Chris Meek is an American philanthropist and finance officer. Meek is the co-founder and chairman of SoldierStrong, a charitable organization which provides support for U.S. service members and veterans. He is also the co-founder and chairman of START Now!, a non-profit which provides foreclosure counseling to homeowners, as well as senior director of global relationship management at S&P Global and a member of the Maxwell Advisory Board at Syracuse University.