Director Lowndes County EMA Valdosta, Georgia, United States
Emergency managers face unique mental health challenges: long-duration activations, political scrutiny, community trauma, and relentless operational demands. These pressures often accumulate quietly until they affect decision-making, relationships, and professional performance. This session examines the behavioral health risks inherent to emergency management and provides tools EM leaders can use to protect themselves and their teams.
Led by an Emergency Management Director and certified peer counselor through Georgia's OPSS program, this presentation covers warning signs of burnout, stress, and cumulative trauma, and highlights common barriers that prevent EM professionals from seeking help. Participants will gain an understanding of how peer support programs can be applied specifically to the emergency management environment, including during EOC activations, recovery operations, and post-incident processes.
The session includes practical resilience strategies and leadership recommendations aimed at improving well-being, strengthening office culture, and embedding mental health considerations into EM operations. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to support both personal resilience and organizational readiness.
