OCEAN CITY, Md. – More than 290 first responders from all over the region met at a conference in Ocean City. The conference is looking to help with mental health and wellness.

Sergeant Michael Valerio, who works for the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, said these conferences are important for those in the public safety workforce. “How long can you do this career? Because undoubtedly we see things that not every human gets to see, behind the badge is a human, beneath the turnout gear, there is a human, on the other side of the phone, is a human.”

The First Responder Conferences are back to promote awareness surrounding the difficulties that can come while working in public safety. The founder of the organization, Shawn Thomas, worked at Kent County Sheriff’s Office for over 20 years, alongside her father and husband.

Her husband coped with alcohol abuse because of stress from work. Thomas recognized an overarching issue. “We didn’t feel comfortable reaching out to the department asking for support, because we didn’t know what that would look like. We searched for a confidential resource, and got him the help that he needed, but then I realized if we’re first responders and we don’t know where to get help, there have to be others out there.”

Since 2016, this group has been hosting conferences across the nation to support the mental health of first responders. Thomas feels like this helps bridge the gap. “We want to find a way to break the stigma, so people realize it’s okay to not be okay, you just can’t stay that way.”

Sergeant Valerio strongly supports these events because he believes mental health is often overlooked, and he enjoys sharing his experiences. “When you think about it, this is one benefit of police reform, where you have a better-quality candidate, and not only get that front end good candidate, but also maintain them until the end of their career.”