Public Safety Professionals Retreat

The goal of PSPR is to enable professionals in public safety roles to improve their individual welfare while enriching personal and professional relationships. Doing so enables the Guest to restore and resume work or retirement in a positive, productive manner and avoid negative outcomes such as family dissolution, chemical dependence, or suicide.

By addressing the mental health aspects of public safety professions, Public Safety Professionals Retreat is beginning to shed light on the stress- and trauma-related symptoms so many of our First Responders struggle with on a daily basis. Unfortunately, negative stigmas surrounding mental health care still exist and many First Responders do not receive appropriate help because they either bypass their workers’ compensation benefits or health care altogether.

The Public Safety Professionals Retreat is a confidential, intensive, peer-driven, clinician-guided program designed especially for First Responders and the distinctive stressors they encounter while on the job. The six-day program provides Guests the opportunity to learn and practice new coping skills while effectively addressing issues such as substance abuse, anxiety, depression, stress- and trauma-related symptoms, and sleep disturbances. The PSPR staff of clinicians, peers, and chaplains provide peer support during and after the retreat, chaplain and faith services, and an introduction to the benefits of mental health care to encourage each Guest to expand their personal trust and support systems.

When Guests first come to Public Safety Professionals Retreat, they are usually wondering about what the program will be like and if it will “work” for them. The concept of taking care of their emotional and psychological selves may be foreign and they usually feel feel anxious and uncomfortable in the beginning. The program is demanding work, but the peers, chaplains, and professional clinicians at the retreat strive to assist each Guest in understanding their reactions to critical incident(s)/event(s) they have experienced are normal.

The PSPR program focuses on aiding Guests in developing sets of coping tools and promoting self-directed approaches to prevent further suffering and alleviate post-trauma symptoms. We strongly advise that the time at the retreat be committed to privacy and personal healing—without intrusions from everyday life. Guests may choose to view their stay as stress detoxification, and hopefully, insulation against further negative exposure to work-related stress and its impact on career, family, and health.

The Guest responses after having completed a retreat have been 100% positive. Comments include:

“Outstanding program.”
“This was one of the most important, meaningful weeks of my life.”
“Words cannot express my gratitude!!!”
“I have so much hope, and so many plans, and so many new friends, and I am not alone.”
“I am now excited to go home and focus on my new attitude towards life by utilizing my new skills!!!”