Trauma on the Front Line

""This book could really save lives and needs to be on every fire station's day-room coffee table. The material is a self-help manual for all those that will not seek outside help even though we are often reminded that there are resources available. In my eight years as a Firefighter, I was never aware of a fellow firefighter utilizing those resources. Something about the culture and appearing weak? That said, I think many of them would pick up and read through the book if it was readily available during their downtime at the station. Firefighters, for the most part, are fixers and would rather do it themselves - and the book provides a lot of information to help them do just that."" Brian Howarth Firefighter/EMT ""I met Susan in the late eighties and was struck by her compassion for the people struggling on the streets of our cities. It is wonderful that she can now share with us the lessons learned from her many years of down-to-earth involvement. Susan has much to teach us - let us learn from her."" Rev. Dr. Pierre Allard Educating/training/equipping in prison, chaplaincy, and restorative justice ""In the mid 90s when I was falling in love with inner city work, I heard Susan speak, and I will never forget it. She was then the director of Ottawa Innercity Ministries. The grace and the expertise with which she shared her experiences was life-changing and cemented my conviction that this was the kind of work I was meant to do. What impressed me was how she shared from her heart the life experiences that she brought with her into the work. For her this wasn't some kind of social work job that paid the bills. This was her life. The people on or close to the streets that she encountered were her friends, not clients. There was no ""us and them"" talk from her. Everyone was part of the ""we."" Read this book. Use it as a resource when facing different kinds of trauma. Use it as a training module when it comes to issues related to trauma. Everyone doing any kind of frontline work with folks who have experienced poverty would be wise to keep this book on hand at all times."" Dion Oxford Founding Director of the Salvation Army Gateway (Ret.) ""Trauma on the Front Line is a gift to us from Susan Brandt and Cielia Hatch; clearly a labour of love from two clinicians with a desire to resource and equip frontline workers. With the increasing demands on frontline workers, this book is much needed; and is the only book I am aware of that gathers a wealth of trauma resources and makes them available and accessible for a wider sector of helping professionals. Thank you, Susan and Cielia."" Ann C. Stocker, M.Div., RP, D.Min., Registered Psychotherapist ""Working with traumatized populations demands both hard-won wisdom and deep compassion. In Trauma on the Front Line, Susan and Cielia deliver both. From years on the front lines, they know that well-intentioned but untrained hands can harm-and that helpers are not magicians. We cannot fix everything, but we can show up with care that endures. This book illuminates how to nurture others without losing yourself, offering practical strategies to stay compassionate without burning out. This book is an indispensable guide born of lived expertise-not just for understanding trauma, but for sustaining your heart and hope in the work, long after the first spark of compassion."" Todd Rutkowski Chief Culture Officer Epic Group, Facilitator and Founder of Lodestar Consulting