Illinois Valley Community College’s Emergency Medical Services program has introduced Challenge Coins to support the mental health of its graduates. These coins, distributed by Program Coordinator Nick Fish after the final exam, feature contact information for Chaplain Dave Van Laar, offering a direct line for support and encouraging open communication about the emotional challenges faced in emergency services. This initiative aims to foster a sense of community and provide a mental health resource for new responders.
“Talking is a form of therapy. It’s important to be able to sit together after a call and to be OK with saying ‘That messed with me."” Fish said.
“We don’t control the outcomes,” Van Laar said. “I try to help first-responders understand their emotions are normal, they happen. It’s OK to have those emotions but to realize we can get through them. “That’s something I didn’t have 40 years ago.” “We focus so much on providing care for everyone else we forget to take care of ourselves,” he added. He wants to banish the stigma that admission demeans the individual or dishonors the profession.
