Jan 21, 2025

KWU set to host Regional First Responder Wellness Conference next month

Posted Jan 21, 2025 2:59 PM
Pioneer Hall at Kansas Wesleyan University during a snowstorm on Saturday, Nov. 25, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier
Pioneer Hall at Kansas Wesleyan University during a snowstorm on Saturday, Nov. 25, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier

Submitted

Kansas Wesleyan University will host the Regional First Responder Wellness Conference on February 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be held in Fitzpatrick Auditorium, located in Sams Hall of Fine Arts on the KWU campus at 100 E. Claflin Avenue, Salina.

The conference, organized by KWU’s Departments of Social Work and Criminal Justice, aims to address the mental health challenges first responders face. Topics will include first responder wellness, support after a line-of-duty death, the value of continuing education for officers, and spiritual care for first responders.

The conference will feature several speakers, including:

Jamie Bradway, President of Kansas Concerns of Police Survivors

Annie Boswell, KWU Campus Ministry

Derrin Broome, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at KWU

Sean Morton, retired Deputy Police Chief from Salina

Brooke Philbrook-Riedel, Salina Police Department Dispatch and member of the Peer Support Wellness Committee

The event includes a suggested $20 fee, covering lunch and materials. Attendees are encouraged to register online at www.kwu.edu/firstresponders.