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Addressing the Trauma of Public Health Emergencies Experienced
by First Responders

Enroll in the Online Self-Study course and complete it at your own pace.
1 CE hour available for behavioral health clinicians upon completion.

In the face of public health emergencies, first responders carry the weight of our communities—often at great personal cost. This course sheds light on the psychological toll of their vital work and equips clinicians with tools to effectively support them.

Behavioral health professionals are increasingly called upon to care for first responders impacted by disaster, trauma, and crisis. This course offers practical strategies and insight to meet that urgent need with skill, empathy, and resilience.

Enroll in the 1 CE Online Self-Study for $20

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Lieutenant Commander Jamillah Bynum, MSW, LCSW, BCD brings unmatched frontline expertise as a U.S. Public Health Service officer and Licensed Clinical Social Worker who leads emergency response missions across the nation. Her work in high-stress deployments and disaster mental health care uniquely qualifies her to teach the essential behavioral health competencies needed in times of public health crisis.

LCDR Bynum presents the course with a structured, compassionate, and experience-driven approach. Using real-life deployment examples and best practices from public health emergency teams, she outlines how to navigate clinical challenges, manage trauma exposure, and offer trauma-informed support to those who serve on the front lines.

Topics covered in this course include vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout among first responders; Psychological First Aid (PFA); stress resilience strategies; cognitive reframing; and practical interventions for supporting clients in crisis. The course also explores systemic stressors faced by responders, the importance of self-care and resilience training for providers, and how clinicians can respond ethically and effectively in high-pressure environments.

Lieutenant Commander Jamillah Bynum Headshot

Instructor

Lieutenant Commander Jamillah Bynum, MSW, LCSW, BCD, is a United States Public Health Services (USPHS) Commissioned Corp Officer stationed at Commissioned Corps Headquarters. She serves as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker within the Office of the Secretary (OS), Office of the Assistant Secretary (OASH), Office of the Surgeon General, Commissioned Corps Headquarters’ Public Health Emergency Response Strike Team (PHERST), a new multi-disciplinary team and flagship initiative. LCDR Bynum and her team use their high-level clinical skills to respond within 8 hours during national emergencies and public health crises to fulfill critical public health needs. LCDR Bynum’s leadership initiative crosses all boundaries. She served as the Behavioral Health Chief as well as the Deputy Officer in Charge for one of the Afghanistan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) missions, where she co-managed a team of 9 officers for oversight of operations management and behavioral health triage and provided counseling to over 300 staff and 115 unaccompanied youth. LCDR Bynum is a member of the American Board of Certified Social Workers and was chosen to present at its inaugural conference. She is also the 2022 USPHS Social Work Professional Advisory Group’s Junior Social Worker of the Year.  

Read more about Lieutenant Commander Bynum here.

Key Takeaways:

  • Recognize the hidden toll of trauma on first responders: Understand the psychological risks, from burnout to vicarious trauma, that impact those who serve during public health crises.

  • Learn practical strategies to foster resilience and reduce burnout: Explore how to apply behavioral health tools and techniques to support recovery and sustainable functioning.

  • Equip yourself to meet a growing clinical demand: Gain insight into the critical role behavioral health clinicians play during local, national, and global emergencies.

Why this course?

  • Led by a nationally deployed expert: LCDR Bynum brings authentic, real-time experience from the front lines of national disaster response and behavioral health care.

  • Focused on urgent, real-world needs: This course directly addresses the rising demand for behavioral health support in crisis response environments.

  • Offered by a mission-driven CE leader: Telehealth Certification Institute is committed to empowering clinicians with practical, high-quality education to deliver the best care possible.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe the stress and trauma experienced by first responders.

  • Describe the increased need for behavioral health clinicians in response to regional, national, and global public health emergencies.

  • Explain how to combat stress and burnout needed for treating first responders.

This course invites you to grow in your role as a clinician by understanding how to care for those who care for others. Step into this learning opportunity and build the skills to make a meaningful impact when it matters most.

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This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1 hour of video instruction and a post-test.

Enroll in the 1 CE Online Self-Study for $20

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Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to attend: Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.

This program was recorded on March 22, 2023.

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