Podcast Interview with Dr. Kerry Ramella, LPC, Ph.D., Owner and Clinical Director of Public Safety Crisis Solutions

“I have a choice – do I want to stay negative or do I want to look for the positive… But we also know that negativity is contagious – so if you have one or two people who are negative then that just evolves, it grows. So, it’s really important to insert the positives. Negativity is so strong – that for every one negative, you have to have three positives to counteract it.”

NEP Media's Jim Aleski talks with Dr. Kerry Ramella, LPC, Ph.D., owner and clinical director of Public Safety Crisis Solutions, a Phoenix, AZ based counseling and wellness center. Dr. Ramella is former radio dispatcher and 911 operator and has more than 35 years of public safety and clinical mental health experience and works with numerous public safety and behavioral health committees and programs.

Dr. Remella discusses her experiences developing behavioral health programming for first responders, including peer support, creating EAPs, and training. She covers resiliency, creating positive and optimistic workplaces, and the need for leaders to prioritize and commit to the overall health of their organizations. She also discusses her work with the Firestrong website.

Jim Aleski is a more than 25-year fire service veteran and career engine company Lieutenant in the Philadelphia metro area. Jim serves as a Branding and Content Specialist at NEP Services and formerly served as the Communications/Social Media Director for the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ), the state affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Prior to becoming a career firefighter, Jim responded as a volunteer while working for more than a decade as a media producer. Jim was involved in the production ofhundreds of national TV commercials, network branding campaigns, music videos,and corporate communication projects. Jim holds a BS in Mass Communications from Emerson College and earned a MS in Fire and Emergency Management Administration from Oklahoma State University.