A Habersham County Emergency Medical Services employee was recognized Monday for spearheading mental health awareness among the department.
Habersham Emergency Medical Services Director/ Chief Jeff Adams recognized Joel Norton for taking on the task to ensure public safety personnel stay healthy mentally due to the rigors of their chosen profession.
Burying the bad
Adams told the commissioners, “In Habersham County, our personnel responded to approximately 10,000 requests last year. We are called upon to care for all ages, all types of illnesses and injuries, from the infant needing CPR to traffic accidents with multiple patients with varying injuries to chronic medical conditions, to those at the end of their life.”
He pointed out that many in public safety come from a line of “tough guys and gals”. Those same people tend to bury the bad stuff that they encounter and just forget it, rather than talk about it. “The burying of the memories, feelings, and experiences build up over time and leave their mark on individuals, families, and communities,” Adams said.
Adams explains that the mental strain of the profession takes on toll and that the body can only see, hear, and experience so much despite the training. Everyone agrees that the mental health for first responders needs to be implemented and addressed. It’s an easy topic for someone to say, ”yes we need to do this”, but hopes that someone else will take on the responsibility.
Norton addresses mental health
Norton is responsible for making sure public safety personnel in Habersham and the surrounding areas are taken care of after their tough calls are completed. He has created a support group for first responders and arranged for critical incident stress management classes with the Department of Public Health. He also helped spearhead the creation of Mental Health Day for Public Safety Personnel, which was held on August 21.
The event, titled Breaking the Silence – Time for Change, brought together speakers, vendors and professionals to discuss mental health challenges in the public safety community and celebrate the victories within the community.
The work of Norton is helping to take care of the public safety community and their families. He is showing what can be achieved when one person takes a stand for a better future.
Adams thanked Norton for his efforts in addressing first responders’ mental health. “Joel, thank you for your hard work and diligence in keeping this matter in the forefront so we can take care of our folks, their families, and the community.”
