Today we’re getting into the important topic of mental health and the progress made in the field of EMS and first responders around this issue. We can all use a few words of encouragement to make it through some of the tough seasons that are bound to come around from time to time! Joining the show today is Clint, a seasoned professional from different sectors in the world of first response, having worked in the fire department as well as an EMS. The idea here is to open up the dialogue about common issues that many of us face. Clint took his passion for writing and his experiences in the field and dedicated himself to a new project; what started out as a script for a feature film has transformed into a series of interviews and stories compiled into a dedicated web series. Clint talks about how this evolution happened, his hopes to still make a film once he raises enough money, and we also get to discuss the environments that many of us came up in and how these are progressing. So, to hear it all from Clint and the important and exciting strides he’s making for our community, be sure to listen in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The benefits of a quick check-in with yourself and how you are feeling.
- Clint’s favorite meal to cook and why he loves breakfast foods!
- A look back at Clint’s winding path, time at the fire department, and desire for new challenges.
- The rise in conversations around mental health in the last few years.
- How Clint approached writing about mental health and the evolution of this into a YouTube channel!
- What to expect from the documentary series and the types of stories Clint wants to tell.
- Looking back on John’s experience of losing a best friend to suicide.
- Why conversation and communication are so important for supporting and learning.
- The importance of including the dispatch departments in these conversations.
- Why small words of thanks or affirmation can impact us so deeply.
- A look at the funding process for Clint’s project.
- How to find and connect with this amazing project online!
Tweetables:
“So often I think it’s easy for us to neglect our own mental health, and to forget that we need to stop and check-in on ourselves and take care of ourselves sometimes.” — John Kelley [0:01:31]
“I wanted to open up a dialogue between us, get us talking to each other. I guess being more accepting of each other’s problems.” — Clint [0:10:02]
“My way of dealing with things has always been writing, so I wrote a script and it had a lot to do with mental health and EMS, and so I really wanted to make this movie.” — Clint [0:10:44]
“What I would like to do is hit a new department every week, talk to somebody new about their struggles with their mental health. I want to go everywhere, see everybody.” — Clint [0:16:46]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Clint
Beyond the Lights Website
Beyond the Lights on YouTube