DIGEST - Volume 11, Issue 3-FULL ISSUE

4 TPC Digest Warren N. Ponder, Elizabeth A. Prosek, Tempa Sherrill Validation of the Adapted Response to Stressful Experiences Scale (RSES-4) Among First Responders | TPC Digest F irst responders are repeatedly exposed to frequent and traumatic scenes that can affect their mental health. Police officers rate the following incidents as most disturbing: mistake that injures/kills colleague, colleague killed intentionally, mistake that injures/kills bystander, and colleague killed accidentally. In contrast, the fop four incidents for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with the highest level of stress associated with exposure are responded to a scene involving family, friends, or others known to the crew; saw someone dying; encountered an adult who had been badly beaten; and encountered a child who was severely neglected or in dire need of medical attention because of neglect . With such a wide range of encounters with civilians, treating first responders is complex and challenges even the most seasoned counselors. R esilience is an important topic for first responders and counselors treating this population because researchers have shown it to be a buffer against distressing consequences such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicide. There are numerous resilience assessments but few studied on first responders. Our study empirically reviewed a 22-question resilience assessment that was developed for military members. We used analyses to confirm the psychometric properties of a brief, adapted version of the measure. R esearchers suggest that resilience is an important variable to evaluate because of its known relationship with other mental health outcomes. To account for these comorbidities, we used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL- 5), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) to evaluate the abbreviated resilience measure for validity among first responders. These measures were selected because they are in the public domain and widely used by counselors. The sample was 238 treatment-seeking first responders at a nonprofit that specializes in treating this vulnerable population. T here are also several implications for clinical practice when treating first responders. As part of the ethics that align with the American Counseling Association, a comprehensive intake and battery of appropriate assessments are essential. We suggest using the measures in this study because the relationship between the assessments has been evaluated. Estimates range widely for the number of current first responders who have also served in the military. In this sample, 26% reported prior service. We recommend that counselors also explore what military service was like for those individuals because they might have served in a combat zone where they experienced more traumas that need to be accounted for during the treatment planning process. Warren N. Ponder, PhD, is Director of Outcomes and Evaluation at One Tribe Foundation. Elizabeth A. Prosek, PhD, NCC, LPC, is an associate professor at Penn State University. Tempa Sherrill, MS, LPC-S, is the founder of Stay the Course and a volunteer at One Tribe Foundation. Correspondence may be addressed to Warren N. Ponder, 855 Texas St., Suite 105, Fort Worth, TX 76102, warren@1tribefoundation.org .