Of Course You're Angry! Real Solutions to Solving Stress and Suicide Prevention in Law Enforcement and First Responders

December 4, 2026 | 2pm to 3:30pm CT | 1.5 hours (with CEs/CEUs/PDCs)

**Registration for this live course closes on Wednesday, December 2, 2026 at 5pm CT**

This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $256,219.00 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the US Government.

Investment: This course is FREE if you meet at least one of the following criteria (enter code RHTP100 at checkout for free registration):

1. You are a rural or Tribal North Dakota resident (i.e., live anywhere in North Dakota EXCEPT for Fargo, West Fargo, Grand Forks, or Bismarck); OR
   
2. 50% of the clients that you serve or people you employ are rural or Tribal North Dakota Residents

If you do not meet criteria for free registration, the registration fee is $29+ sales tax.

CE/CEU/PDC credits included: 1.5 (see below for approval details). You must attend at least 90% of the live webinar to receive continuing education credits, and attendance is monitored (partial credit not awarded).

Format: Live, virtual workshop via Zoom. If you are interested in the on-demand course, click here.

Presenter: Mitch Abrams, PsyD, LP (see bio below)

Abstract:

Law enforcement officers and first responders face chronic occupational stress, repeated trauma exposure, and a culture that often discourages help-seeking. This combination places them at significantly elevated risk for burnout, anger dysregulation, and suicide. A meta-analysis of 62,663 police officers estimated lifetime suicidal ideation at 21%, often exceeding general population rates (Sousa et al., 2025), and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, core features of burnout, are associated with suicidal ideation in officers (Talavera-Velasco et al., 2024). One-third of first responders endorse mental health stigma, most often fears about confidentiality and career impact (Haugen et al., 2017). Rural access gaps compound these barriers (Moslehi et al., 2025). Volunteer firefighters report more depression, posttraumatic stress, and suicidal symptoms than career firefighters, differences explained by structural barriers such as cost and availability of care (Stanley et al., 2017). American Indian/Alaska Native firefighters were 16 times more likely than other firefighters to report a career suicide attempt (Stanley et al., 2020).

Anger in this population is frequently a rational and understandable response to challenging working conditions, moral injury, and accumulated loss. Firefighters who knew colleagues killed or injured in the line of duty showed greater posttraumatic stress, state anger, and altered anger control (Görlich et al., 2025), and moral injury can produce severe shame, guilt, and anger (Lentz et al., 2021). Yet anger remains one of the most stigmatized and undertreated experiences in first responder mental health. This course offers practical, destigmatizing strategies that meet this population where they are, helping professionals and peers support real recovery, and reduce suicide risk in those who dedicate their lives to serving others.

Objectives:

1. Differentiate anger from aggression and violence, recognizing anger as a normal, potentially adaptive emotional response to occupational stress, trauma exposure, and perceived injustice among law enforcement officers and first responders.
2. Identify the psychological, physiological, and occupational factors contributing to anger dysregulation, burnout, and increased suicide risk among first responders, including cumulative stress, trauma, emotional suppression, and barriers to help-seeking.
3. Apply practical, evidence-informed emotion regulation strategies, including early detection of escalating arousal, cognitive reframing, and the Adjust the Flame approach, to promote resilience, reduce stigma, and support suicide prevention and recovery among first responders.

Non-Discrimination:

HPC and ATAGF do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, military status, sexual orientation, or age.

Conflict of Interest Statements:

Dr. Abrams receives an honorarium for instructing this course. He receives royalties from the sales of his books, but they will not be marketed during this webinar. There are no relationships between the CE sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could be construed as conflicts of interests. There is also no commercial support or benefits for endorsement of products (e.g., books, training, drugs).

The presenter will inform participants of the utility and validity of content discussed (including the basis for statements about utility/validity), as well as limitations of the approach and the most common and severe risks, if any, associated with program content.

Requests for Accommodations:

HPC and ATAGF are committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in all aspects of its continuing education activities. Participants with special needs should contact program organizers so reasonable accommodations can be made.

To request accommodations, contact ATAGF'S Continuing Education Vice Chair, Christine Boulton-Olson, PhD, LP, at training@grandforkstherapy.com.