Northwest Michigan Peer Network

11/21/2025

11/17/2025

🙏🏼🙏🏼

11/17/2025

The NWMIPN is a team that is protected by senate bill 444. This bill protects our peer team from being called in to court to discuss any information that the team gathers from a debriefing that our team does for agencies.

This is very important to understand. If your agency does your own debriefing, you are at risk of those members that performed the debriefing now being able to be called into court and not being legally allowed to maintain confidentiality of what they heard.

I want to be clear that this isn’t saying departments and agencies cannot do their own. We think it is very important to do your own after action review, hot wash, “bumper talk”, or simply discussing it with the team after. We encourage this.

We just want you to understand how a registered peer team can help maintain that confidential information exchanged during a debriefing, briefing, or peer to peer cases.

11/15/2025

Holidays can be a trigger for many people.

Financial issues can play a big part in trying to enjoy your holidays with your family.

UNRESOLVED issues from work can show their faces during the holidays with the increase stress of money issues, at home issues, the stress of having your house packed with family and friends, and they amount of OT we see responders picking up around the holidays.

You’re not alone. We want you to know that we are here for you 24/7.

The holidays can be a difficult time for first responders, bringing added stress, loneliness, and emotional strain. Join the NVFC for a panel discussion on behavioral health during the holiday season, including myths about su***de rates, signs and symptoms to watch for, and practical coping strategi...

11/11/2025

11/07/2025

Our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends.

10/31/2025

Abandoned for Asking for Help: The Silent Crisis of Police Officers Terminated for Mental Health Issues - By Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma Founder Captain Adam Meyers, CPS

(Captain Meyers writes from his heart and from his professional experience.)

In recent years, the conversation around mental health in law enforcement has grown louder, but for many officers, speaking up still comes with devastating consequences. Behind the badge, countless men and women who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting others find themselves abandoned, stigmatized, and even terminated when they reveal their own struggles with mental health.

The Hidden Wound in Law Enforcement:

Police work is among the most mentally demanding professions in the world. Officers are exposed to trauma, violence, death, and human suffering on a near-daily basis. Over time, these experiences can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health challenges. Yet, despite widespread acknowledgment that these issues exist, the culture within many departments still discourages vulnerability.

Instead of being treated with compassion and support, officers who admit they need help often face suspicion and judgment. The same system that praises them for bravery in the field too often punishes them for bravery in admitting their pain.

The Reality of Retaliation and Termination:

When officers come forward about their mental health, they frequently encounter retaliation, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt. They might be pulled from duty, stripped of their badge and firearm, and placed on administrative leave. While some departments justify these steps as “precautionary,” the result often feels more like punishment than protection.

In too many cases, officers are ultimately terminated - not because they did something wrong, but because they asked for help. Instead of being supported through treatment, they are quietly dismissed or encouraged to resign, often under the guise of being “unfit for duty.” This not only destroys careers, but also reinforces the dangerous message that seeking help equals weakness.

Abandonment After Service:

The impact of such abandonment goes far beyond the loss of employment. For many officers, their identity, sense of purpose, and financial stability are tied to their career in law enforcement. Being terminated for mental health reasons can trigger deeper emotional pain, leading to isolation, shame, and hopelessness. Tragically, some officers who are cast aside end up becoming part of the rising statistic of law enforcement su***des.

What’s even more disheartening is how departments often distance themselves from these officers afterward. The same organizations that once called them “family” may stop checking in, offering no support or follow-up. The brotherhood and sisterhood that are supposed to define the profession can suddenly disappear the moment an officer’s mental health becomes visible.

The Stigma Still Lives:

Despite campaigns and slogans promoting “officer wellness,” the stigma around mental health remains deeply ingrained. Many officers still fear that disclosing their struggles will lead to career-ending consequences and too often, they’re right. This fear perpetuates silence, leaving officers to suffer alone until the damage becomes irreparable.

If departments truly want to change this culture, it will take more than words. It will require policies that protect officers who seek help, confidential and supportive mental health services, and leadership that leads by example - not through punishment, but through compassion.

A Call for Change:

No officer should have to choose between their career and their mental health. Departments must recognize that supporting their officers in times of psychological distress is not a liability, it’s a responsibility. Officers who have the courage to confront their mental health challenges deserve the same loyalty and protection they’ve given their communities.

It’s time for law enforcement agencies to stand by their own and to stop abandoning those who serve and start leading with empathy, understanding, and humanity. Because behind every badge is a human being who deserves help, not rejection.

www.stopthethreatstopthestigma.org

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RACINE JOURNAL TIMES

10/30/2025

Congrats to our very own OG.

A big congrats to our very own, the Traverse City Fire Department's EMS Administrator Kathryn Dunklow, on being honored as one of Northern Michigan’s Most Influential Women by the Record Eagle!

Her words capture her impact perfectly: “I’ve seen firsthand how a single decision, action, or even conversation can ripple outward and make a difference for someone in what could be their darkest moment.”

Dunklow joined the City in 2025 and has been instrumental in the transition toward the full primary EMS Transport program, expected in July 2026. We thank her for her dedication to service, mentorship, and positive change in our community! 👏

10/20/2025

Our hearts are heavy with unimaginable grief. On October 19th, our brother, Lt. Johnathon Minor of the Springfield Township Fire Department, was tragically taken from us in an instant.

Johnathon was a devoted husband, father, and a true hero who dedicated his life to serving others. Now, his beloved family faces a future without him and needs our immediate support.

We are asking our community, friends, and fellow firefighters to rally around the Minor family. Your donation, no matter the size, will provide crucial financial stability and allow them to grieve without added burden.

Please donate and share this post to help us honor Johnathon's legacy by caring for those he loved most.

www.theyardfoundation.org/mayday/he-dedicated-his-life-to-serving-others-now-its-our-turn-to-support-his-family

10/17/2025

Statically speaking, you will have a high chance of encountering someone who needs to know that THEY MATTER.

And you do matter.

10/08/2025

Tonight, we honor the service and life of Eric Re*****on Thomas, who died by su***de on March 21, 2025.

Eric was born on October 22, 1987, in Childress, Texas to Jacob “JP” and Mary C (Romo) Thomas. He grew up in Wellington, Texas and graduated from Wellington High School Class of 2006. Growing up in small town Wellington, he found joy in simple things and leading a simpler life. Living outdoor life was for him and just fit. He loved to hunt, fish, shoot guns, and especially offroad in vehicles that were not rated for off roading. He reloaded his own rounds, tore up many a back road, and lived life as fast as he possibly could. All traits he carried with him into adulthood.

Eric moved to Amarillo in 2006 to further his education at Amarillo College. He obtained his first certificate as a Pharmaceutical Tech. This led to his family leaning on him for all things medicine any and every time they had a question. While in school, Eric worked for Hastings. Being the bookworm he was, this set the perfect scene for him to express his passion for reading. He loved Harry Potter and worked many of the book releases. Eric found great pleasure and solace in reading, especially HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. He enjoyed poetry and writing some of his own. Eric even wrote some short stories. He obtained his second certification from Amarillo College in Paramedicine, which led to his career. He became a Flight Paramedic in 2014 and found his love for helping people grow exponentially. Eric loved his career in the skies. But Eric’s most important trait was the love for helping people. Not just in his professional life, but also his personal life. He was literally willing to give the shirt off his back to help someone in need.

Eric was an incredibly intelligent man. His knack for acquiring information was beyond impressive. Eric could read or watch something and immediately absorb it to be recalled at a moment’s notice. He learned how to play a variety of instruments, especially the guitar. He had quite the collection, even if they did sit in the back of the closet for the most part. He was a medal head and loved his music loud and hard. But for all of the loves Eric had, none compared to the love he had for each and every member of his family. From his parents all the way to his extended family, nothing meant more to Eric, especially his wife and their children. He married Monica Zamora at the Harrington House on June 26, 2016. They welcomed their daughter Ariana Eley in 2016, and their son Ian Winter in 2021. He adored his little family. Eric would share stories of them to everyone who would listen, but especially to his coworkers. He doted to everyone about how he and Monica first met and how he was awe struck by her the moment he laid eyes on her.

Eric is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents JW and Virginia Thomas, and maternal grandparents JM and Mary Rose Romo. Those left to cherish his memories are his beloved wife, Monica, and their children Ariana and Ian, parents, JP and Mary Thomas, sisters, Jamie Hunter and husband Jeromy and Alexandria (Alex) Nolan and husband Isiah, brother, Phillip Thomas and wife Caylie; nieces Darian and Vera, and nephew Dylan, as well as many extended family members and beloved friends, colleagues, and co-workers.

Thank you, Paramedic Thomas, for your dedicated service. Special thanks to his family for sharing him with us.



To read Eric's full memorial page, please visit https://whitehelp.org/firstresponders/eric-remington-thomas/