RAPID CITY, South Dakota – Emergency medical personnel are exposed to trauma at a much higher rate than the average American, as their jobs require them to respond to multiple traumatic events each year. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and Rapid City Police Department are committed to employee wellness and mental health care prevention.
Emergency responders experience some of the most difficult moments of their lives in their communities every day, and after witnessing tragedy after tragedy, the mental toll can be heavy. “It’s hard to help yourself sometimes, and we never want to admit defeat,” explains Sergeant Amanda Swanson with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s a hard thing for people to deal with and get through. It all comes down to the support systems you have at home and at work. Here, we feel really well supported because people are there to support us when we need them.”
Heather Courage is a mental health nurse who works with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Rapid City Police Department to help employees who receive difficult calls or are experiencing personal issues outside of work. “I’ve been a really great part of that cultural change of not talking about it, not dealing with it, just putting up with it and moving on. And now I’ve been a part of that change where police are being a little bit vulnerable and saying, this does affect us. It does affect us, and it should. These are things that should affect human beings,” she says.
As a leader in the Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant Swanson keeps an eye on her coworkers and makes sure they know they can come to her when they need help with personal or professional matters. “You get to know people and of course I really want to help people, but I really, really, genuinely care about everybody. I just want them to go home to their families,” she adds.
As paramedics eventually retire, staying connected is an important way to continue looking out for one another. “I think it’s important that law enforcement and emergency services continue to reach out to individuals who have served our community for decades and make sure they don’t lose their sense of value and belonging,” says Jerry Derr, founder of the Sgt. Colton Levy Derr Foundation.
But Corrections Officer Shannon Rainey says what motivates her every day at work is to be an example to the inmates and their families. “I pray for their rehabilitation, for a second chance at life, a second chance to live,” Rainey says. “They don’t have to stay behind four walls of a prison. There’s a life for everyone.”
If you or someone you know is suffering, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
