151: Building Peer Support and Chaplaincy w/ Chaplain Pat Ellis

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By now you all know that I'm a ginormous proponent of Peer Support, not just in policy but in actualized culture. Today, I am joined by a personal colleague and friend who I have known through my existence at my PD- and more so in my increased peer support involvement in the last several years. Pat Ellis is my department's (and our local fire dept's) chaplain and crisis intervention coordinator.
In our discussion, we talk about his background, growing up around emergency services, his personal call to service, and how chaplaincy ranges from solely outward facing to the more efficacious dual-facing dynamic. We discuss themes in building peer support and wellness culture as well as first responder dynamics to help us navigate our relationships and lives both on and off duty.
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Pat Ellis started his career as a public safety chaplain in 2000 with the Kent Police Department, Puget SoundRegional Fire Authority, and Valley 911 Communications Center. He holds multiple certifications in critical incident stress management, traumatic stress, traumatic grief, and line of duty death of an emergency responder.
Pat teaches Critical Incident Stress Management, Compassion Fatigue and Emotional Survival in Emergency Services for various public safety agencies and academies throughout Washington. He also trains and coordinates peer support teams for multiple fire and police departments.
Pat serves as President of the Board for the Washington State Fallen Firefighters Memorial Foundation and is the co-author of the Washington State Fire Service Line of Duty Death Policy and Procedures. He is the Washington State Coordinator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Local Assistant State Team. Pat is married and has three children and 5 grandchildren.

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music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic