Saint Leo University Presents Virtual Series For First Responders

SAINT LEO, FL — Saint Leo University and F1RST, Florida’s Forensics Institute for Research Security & Tactics, will present a free webinar series for first responders, targeting skills to improve their well-being.

“First responders are under a great deal of stress with the difficult jobs that they have, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and recent social unrest,” said Dr. Christopher Cronin, professor of psychology. Cronin will be the presenter for Strengthening the Force: Service, Support, and Security Series.

This four-part series of 8-hour sessions will improve responders’ mental and physical health as well as on-the-job effectiveness. The series will be interactive, with time for questions and answers, and attendance certificates will be issued for each 8-hour training seminar.

Strengthening the Force: Service, Support, and Security Series is being presented by Saint Leo’s Jacksonville Education Center in order to assist first responders and possibly enroll them in the university’s degree programs. The series will be available via Zoom and broadcast online so that all Saint Leo locations, and first responders from anywhere may participate.

The sessions are:
● Unconscious Bias Training, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, February 23. Register at Session 1.
● De-escalation for First Responders, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, March 23. Register at Session 2.
● Resiliency for First Responders, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, April 13
Register at Session 3.
● Suicide Prevention for Law Enforcement, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 11
Register at Session 4.

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The presenter, Dr. Cronin, teaches at the graduate and undergraduate levels at Saint Leo and provides continuing education workshops to mental health and law enforcement professionals. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and has held academic positions in Europe, Australia, and the United States. He has practiced forensic psychology since 1991.

“This series will provide first responders with practical skills to deal with the stress as well as to develop resilience,” Cronin said. “The first in the series addresses the issue of unconscious bias. There has been a lot of recent press given to the concept of unconscious bias and, as a result, much misunderstanding. The other presentations address de-escalation of a situation, suicide prevention among first responders and resiliency development.”

For more information, contact Nikki Heister, special programs manager, Department of Public Safety Administration, at Nikki.heister@saintleo.edu or (352) 588-8487.

This press release was produced by Saint Leo University. The views expressed here are the author's own.