Author: John Becker
John Becker Director, First Responder Serivces
John C. Becker Jr. has experience as police officer, clinician, and outreach professional. John is a former Detective Sergeant at Hatboro (PA) Police Department and possesses a unique understanding of addiction among first responders, having overcome addiction in his own life. John holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Health Counseling from Drexel University and a Master of Human Services Degree from Lincoln University.
He is the Director, First Responder Services, for Sprout Health Group.
John¹s prior experience includes working directly with first responders, both as a clinician and as an outreach coordinator, at one of the top substance abuse treatment centers in Pennsylvania. He is an active member of the Montgomery County (PA) Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team and is certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) for individual and group interventions. John is also a member of the National Police Suicide Foundation. John has provided training to a number of agencies and organizations, including City of Columbus Police Department Peer Support Team, New York Police Department, Philadelphia Police Department, Berks County CISM, PA Chiefs of Police Association, Pennsylvania Narcotics Officers¹ Association, Pittsburgh Police Department, and the Western New York Police Helpline on the topics of stress, trauma, and addiction among first responders.
John can be reached at 215-833-1572 or JohnB@SproutHealthGroup.com
Chances are, if you serve in the capacity of a First Responder, you have heard a lot lately about PTSD. Terms like ‘Critical Incident Stress Management’ (CISM), ‘critical incident stress debriefing’ (CISD), and ‘crisis response’ have been circulating heavily for the past 15 years. Acting in the capacity of a First Responder exposes people to extreme circumstances and events. Whether it is a one-time event or it compounds over time, psychological trauma is a very real enemy to first responders. In order to mitigate traumatic incidents, debriefing teams have been developed by agencies to offer their crews an outlet following ...
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Frontline Responder Services very own John Becker was invited on Living Clean & Sober. Living Clean & Sober explores what it’s like to live and sober. Tune in Monday Nights 8:00 – 9:00 pm to Listen Live to Living Clean and Sober with Johnny Raggs & Ken MacDonald Call in LIVE Mondays 8:00 – 9:00 pm with Your Questions & Comments! Contact host John Raggio at jraggio@harptreatmentcenter.com Call In LIVE Monday Nights 609-241-7103 http://www.coaradio.com/coarr/6-19-17lcs.mp3 About Advanced Health & Education and Frontline Responder Services Addiction can ruin relationships and destroy your future. Advanced Health and Education’s New Jersey drug rehab and alcohol rehab ...
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Special Montgomery County CISM Training Announcement Seminar Title: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Training for First Responders Description: This 3-day course combines the content of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation’s Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support/Group Crisis Intervention Courses. Often called “Emotional First Aid,” it is designed to present the core elements of a multi-component crisis intervention curriculum and prepare participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services for both the individual and for groups. The fundamentals of CISM will be outlined, and participants will leave with knowledge and tools to provide several group crisis interventions: demobilizations, ...
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Often the forgotten group involved during an emergency contains the very people who serve as the first point of contact for help. Mention the term ‘First Responder,’ and images of firefighters, paramedics, and police officer come to mind. However, how do all those responders know where to go or whom to help? It all starts with a call to an emergency dispatch center. Without those individuals willing to answer that first call for help, people in need of fire trucks, ambulances, and squad cars would be out of luck. Choosing the path of a First Responder is a brave one. ...
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We all dream about the day. Many of us make jokes and some can even tell you to the day how many shifts they have before retirement. Law enforcement is a grueling career. Filled with many opportunities to truly change the course of someone’s life for the better. But also, filled with many moments of despair. Retirement can be the proverbial pot of gold at the end of someone’s career. Like many dreams, the reality doesn’t always meet expectations. For many, those dreams of being retired and golfing whenever or relaxing by a beach sometimes fall short. Retiring from law ...
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Have you ever eaten at a restaurant with anyone in law enforcement? Chances are you may have noticed they will always sit in a position that offers an unhindered view and put their back to a wall. After extensive training and years of experience, this practice becomes habit. Being on constant alert to the surrounding environment becomes second nature. This awareness provides a continual sense of control as they most likely will not be surprised if a situation occurs. But does this sustained vigilance come with any negative affects? The answer is yes. Health concerns, relationship struggles, and job performance ...
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Serving as a First Responder comes with many responsibilities. Ongoing training, grueling shifts, and increasing call volumes are only a part of picture. Per the CDC, the fatality rate for EMS personnel is 2.5 times those of other occupations¹. And according to a 2015 estimate, there are 241,600 full-time EMS workers². With the changing landscape of healthcare and new developing roles of EMS staff, exposure to injuries and illnesses can be expected to increase. Working in the prehospital setting, EMS crews are exposed to inclement weather, volatile scenes, contagious diseases, hostile patients and bystanders, vehicle collisions, and a host of ...
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Number One Killer Unless you have been without access to media outlets, chances are you have heard much information regarding heart disease. Medical groups and more specifically, the American Heart Association has made it their very mission to educate as many people as possible as to the dangers of the disease. Being that it is the leading cause of death for American’s, both men and women¹, these awareness campaigns are much needed. Coronary Artery Disease is the most common condition and can lead to heart attacks. Campaigns on reducing stress, eating the most appropriate diet, and getting consistent exercise have ...
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Feelings and Emotions We all have issues at work that we have difficulty leaving in the ‘office.’ Businessmen and women in charge of large financial accounts feel the stress of a plunge in the stock market. Lawyers walk around with the weight that they were unable to convince a jury of someone’s wrongdoing, and now that person was free and back in society. A paramedic will go home wondering if they had done anything different or faster, would that patient still be alive? Law enforcement officers are no different. Faced day after day with witnessing the lowest points in people’s ...
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Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate The words ‘law enforcement officer’ and ‘addict’ seem opposed. Part of the tasks officers face is to stop the distribution and use of drugs. Many of the people they come to know daily are in the middle of one addiction or another. Just like the myth that addiction only strikes the down-and-out, it is a misconception that law enforcement officials are immune to becoming addicts. Moreover, while it is true that some choose to engage in illegal behavior, the majority come because of a work-related injury. With the physical nature of the job and risks of injury, ...
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