Ocean City conference helps first responders heal, connect and break the stigma

OCEAN CITY, Md. — First responders met in Ocean City for a two-day mental health and wellness conference.

First Responder Conferences founder Shawn Thomas said, “We have around 100 to 250 first responders at this event from all over. Just to be in one place together, to learn, to grow and to heal is amazing.”

Thomas started the organization in 2016, with the first event in Ocean City in 2021. She said a personal experience with her husband helped motivate her to organize mental health and wellness conferences.

“It was clear to me that we had a lot of first responders suffering in silence,” Thomas said.

She continued working on the events, building resources and bringing in first responders of all types along with their families. Several conferences later, she said she is seeing the impact.

“I started getting phone calls with people telling me that it saved their life,” Thomas said. “So I became really passionate about it.”

Worcester County Police Department Sgt. Michael Valerio said confidentiality is one of the hardest parts of the job.

“We do see things that the general population doesn’t see,” Valerio said. “The amount of what would be considered traumatic events that we see, compare it to an employee who works in a regular sector job.”

Because of the life-changing events they encounter, he said it is important to see first responders beyond their uniforms.

“We’re not just people who wear badges and uniforms,” Valerio said. “We’re coaches. We’re dads. We’re parishioners. We’re in the community, too, and we want to stay here.”

He added that community support is critical.

“I’ve said it plenty of times, but it’s the supportive community,” Valerio said. “We wouldn’t be equipped or given the permission to do what we do if it weren’t for that support. We are doing our best to be the best. We want to stay in this fight because we are in it for the right reasons, and without that support we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Ocean City Police Department Cpl. Neshawn Jubilee said the average career length is 20 to 25 years, and with the trauma first responders see, burnout is prevalent.

“Burnout is real, and it’s OK to not be OK,” Jubilee said. “It’s important to realize this is real and you have to deal with it, because it’s going to be very difficult to make it throughout your career. I’ve learned throughout my own career to take a deep breath, deal with it and process through it.”

Often, first responders feel their identity is connected to the uniform they wear. Eric Olsen with the Ocean City Fire Department said having an identity outside of work is important.

“You have to have an identity outside of work, and you really have to take care of yourself,” Olsen said. “What I love about these conferences is that they talk about all the components of health and wellness. It’s not just mental health — it’s physical health. It’s sleep.”

One key recommendation was talking with peers, Olsen said peer support is often enough to help.

“Peer support data shows that 95% of our peer support is all that’s needed,” Olsen said. “Peer support is highly effective because it’s preventative. I would encourage people to reach out to a peer because it’s been shown to work.”

The conference was co-hosted by Behind the Line and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and endorsed by several local fire and police departments.