Equipping Those Who Serve With Training That Actually Works.
Your people run toward what everyone else runs from. After Action’s First Responder Training Network delivers elite, field-tested mental health and wellness training directly to your agency — every course built from the ground up for first responder culture, by people who’ve lived it.
Choose your courses and instructors, set your schedule, and we come to you. Priced per person with a minimum enrollment — we’ll build a custom quote for your agency before you commit to anything.
Officers, deputies, detectives, command staff, and the families who support them through every shift.
Firefighters and fire officers who respond to scenes that stay with them long after the call is cleared.
Medical first responders running toward every emergency — often without adequate mental health support.
The voices on every emergency call, carrying vicarious trauma invisible to most.
Officers managing daily exposure to violence and stress in a culture that rarely talks about it.
Federal agents operating under unique pressures across the full spectrum of first responder roles.
Most of our instructors have sat where your people sit — badge on, weight accumulating, no clear path forward. Click any instructor to read their full bio.
After his own personal struggles with depression and a failed suicide attempt in 2013, Doug dedicated his life to helping first responders acknowledge and address career-related mental health challenges. Co-founder of Trauma Behind the Badge, trustee of the FL Police Chiefs Association’s Education & Research Foundation, and advisory member of Lynn University’s Crisis Resiliency and First Responder Training Council. A nationally recognized speaker at FBI field offices, law enforcement agencies, and Critical Incident seminars across the country. His story is not one of tragedy but of transformation — and he tells it without flinching because he knows your people need to hear it.
Retired after 24+ years with the Norfolk Police Department. Holds a Master’s in Psychology, BS in Criminal Justice, and CCISM certification from the University of Maryland. Founder and first Director of Norfolk PD’s Critical Incident Stress Management & Peer Support Unit — one of the most respected programs in the country. Current Chair of Peer Response for the National Consortium for the Prevention of Law Enforcement Suicide. DOJ Antiterrorism & Emergency Assistance Program consultant and responder, including the Walmart mass shooting and University of Virginia shooting. Co-founder of Trauma Behind the Badge. C.J. doesn’t just teach peer support — he built the model.
A retired Master Police Officer with extensive tactical and investigative experience across local and federal agencies. Near the end of his career, Raul’s own mental health declined to the point of suicidal behavior. Since then, he has devoted himself entirely to helping first responders facing the same battle. Co-founder of Trauma Behind the Badge, board member of Survive First, and a Certified Critical Incident Stress Management instructor through the International CISM Foundation. His delivery on career, family, and resiliency is grounded in experience your people will recognize immediately. His message to every audience: you are not alone.
As a law enforcement spouse, Karen has seen firsthand the devastating effects of a loved one’s battle with depression, PTSD, and attempted suicide. Holding Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Central Florida, she serves as trustee of the Florida Police Chiefs Association’s Education and Research Foundation and oversees day-to-day operations of Survive First. A respected national speaker on the challenges faced by first responder families, Karen is committed to normalizing mental health conversations and building resilient marriages and communities across the public safety profession. Her course speaks directly to the spouses and families who too often carry the weight alone.
With a decade of experience in mental health and addiction recovery, Bonnie specializes in sensory modulation techniques for individuals dealing with PTSD, trauma, and self-regulation challenges. She has spent years working alongside first responders, developing programming specifically tailored to their unique pressures — and her sensory decompression approach is among the most specialized and effective in the country. Presenter at the Society for Social Work and Generation Conference. Serves as the UOTA Mental Health Liaison. Bonnie’s work addresses the physical dimension of trauma that most mental health programs overlook entirely.
With 23 years in law enforcement — including patrol, primary academy instructor, and her agency’s first wellness coordinator — Meghann brings a decade of health and fitness instruction alongside a counseling master’s she is completing. Certified in ICISF peer support, SAMHSA national trauma training, and FBI hostage negotiation. She teaches trauma science, nervous system regulation, operational durability, and family wellness. A sought-after presenter and consultant for agencies building or enhancing their wellness programs nationwide. Meghann understands the culture because she’s lived it — and she brings that credibility into every room she walks into.
27 years in law enforcement — training officer, sergeant, crisis negotiator, chief of police, and chief deputy. Became the youngest police chief in South Carolina history at age 22. Attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico and was selected by his class to speak at graduation alongside then-Director Robert Mueller. Now serves as official Master of Ceremonies for FBI National Academy Associates conferences. An internationally renowned speaker trained across Europe, Africa, South America, and North America — consistently one of the highest-rated presenters in the field. Paul brings credibility that command staff and line officers alike immediately respect.
A member of the Oklahoma City Fire Department for 31 years, retiring as a Major in 2017. Captured in a photograph that became one of the most iconic images of the Oklahoma City Bombing — Chris has lived through what most people only read about. He shares his journey out of the suffering accumulated over three decades of first response, without pretense or polish. His message to fire service personnel is simple, direct, and deeply personal: reach out before the weight becomes too much to carry alone. Chris speaks the language of fire service because it’s the only language he’s ever known.
Libby Timmons, M.Ed., LISAC, CEAP, SAP is the Co-Founder of Thrive with Chaos and a nationally sought-after presenter with over 40 years of experience in addictions, trauma, and first responder mental health. A former President of the International Employee Assistance Professionals Association, Libby began working with first responders in 1988 and has worked at Onsite Workshops and developed specialized first responder programming throughout her career. She is a nationally sought-after presenter on Attachment, Addictions, Tech and Computer Misuse, Ethics, and Therapeutic Alliance. Libby has presented at national conferences for EAPA, C4, LAP, US Journal, and various CE events. She has dedicated the remainder of her career to creating safe environments for first responders to address mental health and addiction. Known for her lively, interactive delivery — every session she leads is engaging, practical, and memorable.
Chief Mariano Augello joined the Palm Bay Police Department in 2000 following U.S. Army service, rising through every rank to Chief of Police in 2022. A SWAT Commander and graduate of the FDLE Leadership Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, and Florida State University’s Center for Public Management. Holds a BS from Barry University. Recognizing the growing mental health crisis in law enforcement, Chief Augello spearheaded the development of a comprehensive wellness program within his agency — including a dedicated wellness coordinator position, a peer support team, expanded mental health resources for employees and their families and retirees, and the department’s first therapy dog. He also founded the Palm Bay Police Foundation to support officers and staff in times of need. His approach treats wellness not as a program, but as a leadership responsibility.
Dr. Benjamin Stone holds a PhD in Human Physiology from Oxford University with specialized training in cardiovascular genomics and metabolism, and has conducted pioneering research in cardiac risk prevention and physical resilience. Appointed Senior Lecturer at Oxford’s Department of Physiology at age 24, he later served in faculty and curriculum leadership roles at multiple U.S. medical and academic institutions. In 2015, he co-founded Sigma Tactical Wellness, leading it as CEO until its acquisition by Telemed2U in 2025 — building it into the national authority in advanced cardiac disease prevention for first responders. His screening and prevention protocols have saved lives in police and fire agencies nationwide. A keynote speaker for the FBI National Academy, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and numerous state and national organizations, Dr. Stone connects complex science to real-world decision-making that leaders can act on.
Arthur Mogilevski is the CEO and Founder of After Action, a specialized behavioral health program created to serve first responders and their families with the care, respect, and understanding they deserve. His commitment to this mission comes from personal loss — after experiencing the tragic suicide of a loved one who struggled with alcohol abuse despite multiple treatment attempts, Arthur was driven to create something different. Programs built on compassion, clinical excellence, and genuine human connection. In 2014, he opened the first AM Healthcare facility in the Santa Clarita Mountains. That same passion led to the creation of After Action, where Arthur recognized the unique burdens carried by police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, corrections professionals, EMS personnel, military members, and their families. He leads with heart, integrity, and action — and his greatest purpose is helping those who spend their lives protecting others finally receive the support they need for themselves.
18+ courses built from the ground up for first responder culture. Click any course to read the full description and what your people will learn.
This is After Action’s complete ICISF-certified Peer Support pathway, covering Basic and Advanced training for both individual and group support. Participants learn the core principles, ethics, and skills every peer support specialist needs — how to approach a peer in crisis, conduct one-on-one support conversations, and understand the limits of peer support versus clinical intervention — then build toward advanced case management, program development, and facilitating group debriefs after critical incidents and line-of-duty deaths. Individual and Group certifications are included in this single package. Delivered by instructors who have run peer programs inside real agencies, including ICISF-certified instructors (6th Edition ICISF Training) — not consultants who have studied it from the outside.
This course covers mental health diagnosis basics, trauma-informed care principles, how to recognize and respond to clinical-level presentations in the field, and how to connect personnel with the right treatment resources. Taught by Paul Butler — a former chief of police with extensive crisis negotiation and command experience who understands the gap between clinical knowledge and operational reality.
This course teaches the personal resilience frameworks that allow first responders to sustain a long career without losing themselves. Topics include stress inoculation, nervous system regulation, identity beyond the badge, the warning signs of cumulative occupational stress, and how to build a life that can absorb the weight of the job. Doug Monda teaches this course from lived experience — his own attempt, his recovery, and the decade of work he has done since. This is not a lecture. It is a conversation.
Law enforcement and first responder families face unique stressors that most couples counseling completely misses. This course addresses hypervigilance at home, emotional detachment, communication breakdowns specific to shift work culture, the impact of secondary trauma on spouses and children, and how to build a marriage and family that can survive a career in service. Karen Monda has lived this story — and teaches it with honesty, compassion, and the knowledge of someone who made it through.
Culture flows from the top. This course gives command-level personnel the framework, language, and tools to build a department where mental health is treated as an operational issue — not a weakness. Topics include leadership responsibility in peer program development, how to respond when a subordinate is struggling, stigma reduction strategies for command staff, and how to model the behavior you want your agency to reflect. Taught by leaders who have run agencies and know the pressures that come with every star on a collar.
Supervisors are the ones who see it first — the change in demeanor, the isolation, the performance drop, the dark humor that crosses a line. This course teaches mid-level supervisors how to recognize early warning signs of psychological distress, how to approach a subordinate without triggering defensiveness, mandatory reporting responsibilities, and how to support their people without overstepping into clinical territory. Practical, direct, and built for the realities of first responder supervision.
Dispatch operators hear everything. They carry calls they can never respond to, hold the line for officers in crisis, and process trauma through a headset without ever leaving the building. This course addresses the unique psychological load carried by communications professionals — vicarious trauma, moral injury, the isolation of a 12-hour shift, and the tools that make a difference. Coming soon from a specialist instructor with direct experience in communications.
The suicide rate among correctional officers is twice that of line-of-duty deaths. This course addresses the unique stressors of corrections work — constant exposure to manipulation, violence, and institutional culture that punishes vulnerability. Topics include stress management inside a closed environment, peer support program development for correctional settings, and how to build a wellness culture inside an institution that historically has had none. Coming soon.
Fire service culture has its own language, its own traditions, and its own relationship with suffering. This course doesn’t borrow from law enforcement models or corporate wellness frameworks — it is built entirely for fire. Topics include the cumulative weight of runs over a career, how to build peer support inside a house culture, the unique challenges of retirement transition, and how to talk about struggle in a culture that values stoicism above almost everything else. Chris Fields teaches this course having lived every part of it.
This course introduces first responders to the science and practice of body-based self-regulation tools — yoga movements designed for people who think yoga is not for them, box breathing and tactical breath control, progressive muscle relaxation, and sensory decompression techniques. Every tool is taught in the context of first responder life and explained through the lens of nervous system regulation. Participants leave with a toolkit they can actually use — on shift, in their car, at home.
First responders experience two kinds of stress: the acute spike of a critical incident and the slow accumulation of chronic occupational exposure. This course teaches the physiology of both, how each affects performance and health, and the practical strategies — behavioral, cognitive, and physiological — that make a real difference over a career. Not a lecture on why stress is bad. A practical course on what to actually do about it.
LGBTQ+ first responders face a layer of occupational stress that their colleagues may never see — navigating identity in departments with complex cultural histories, the fear of disclosure, and the lack of peer support specifically designed for their experience. This course trains peer specialists and supervisors to provide affirming, competent support and builds the foundation for departments that genuinely include all their people. Taught with the authority of someone who has navigated this terrain professionally.
Research in occupational trauma consistently shows that the body stores stress in ways that talk-based therapy alone cannot fully address. This course teaches first responders how sensory modulation works, why certain environments and stimuli amplify or reduce stress responses, and how to use sensory tools for self-regulation after high-intensity calls and extended high-stress periods. Bonnie Eckman has spent years developing this programming specifically for first responder nervous systems — and the results speak for themselves.
This course is a practical blueprint for building and sustaining an agency-wide peer support and wellness program. Chief Augello walks participants through the decisions, obstacles, and successes of building Palm Bay PD’s wellness infrastructure from the ground up — including creating the wellness coordinator position, launching a peer support team, integrating mental health resources for employees and retirees, and introducing the department’s first therapy dog. Covers the leadership case for wellness investment, how to get command buy-in, and how to sustain a program when budgets are tight and culture resists.
Dr. Benjamin Stone has spent his career studying why first responders’ hearts fail early — and what to do about it. This course covers the physiology of occupational cardiovascular stress, the specific risk factors that accumulate in law enforcement, fire, and EMS careers, evidence-based prevention strategies, and how to build individual and agency-level cardiac health protocols. Dr. Stone translates cutting-edge Oxford research into actionable guidance that has already saved lives in agencies across the country. This is not a general wellness talk — it is precision science applied to your specific occupational risk.
Chaplains occupy a unique role in first responder agencies — trusted with the most private moments, present at the hardest scenes, and called to serve across a wide range of faith backgrounds and no-faith backgrounds. This course addresses moral injury in first responder service, the theology and practice of spiritual care in crisis, how to support personnel through line-of-duty deaths and mass casualty events, and how to build a chaplaincy program that all personnel can access. Coming soon from a specialist with direct first responder chaplaincy experience.
Vicarious trauma is the invisible occupational hazard of working with suffering. This course gives first responders and peer support specialists the framework to understand how repeated exposure to trauma affects the helper, the warning signs that cumulative exposure is becoming clinically significant, and the evidence-based strategies for processing, integrating, and recovering from vicarious trauma. Also covers crisis support techniques for peer specialists working with colleagues in acute distress. Taught by Libby Timmons — 40 years in the field — and/or C.J. Scallon, both Licensed clinicians with extensive first responder experience.
When a first responder reaches the point of seeking treatment — for substance abuse, mental health, PTSD, or any combination — the quality of that treatment experience can be the difference between recovery and relapse. This course teaches supervisors, peer specialists, and command staff how to evaluate treatment providers for first responder cultural competency, what the admissions process should actually look like, what questions to ask, what red flags to watch for, and how to support a colleague through the treatment decision. Arthur Mogilevski founded After Action specifically for this purpose — and teaches this course from the perspective of someone who built what he believes first responders deserve.
These tracks group courses by role and mission. Mix, match, or go fully custom — you only pay for what your team actually needs.
Build your own package. Every course is available individually. Call us to design a schedule around your agency’s specific needs, budget, and timeline — (866) 587-1845
The intensive is organized by theme — a logical progression from foundation through leadership and specialized training. Individual course packages receive a custom schedule confirmed before your training date.
Note: Basic & Advanced Peer Support (Individual & Group) is scheduled as a dedicated training block — not within the standard three-day format. Contact us to discuss integrating this certification into your agency’s calendar.
Four times per year, we host a full three-day intensive at our Northridge, California facility — with an optional guided tour of After Action’s first-responder treatment program. Your team sees firsthand what the resources look like when someone finally asks for help.
Every day without the right tools is another day your team carries weight they don’t have to. Fill out the form and we’ll get back to you within one business day — or call us now.