The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) today announced the agency has named its first ever Chief Wellness Officer. Terry Hastings will serve as the Chief Wellness Officer and will be responsible for leading the agency’s overall wellness program for DHSES employees and the larger public safety community in New York State. This will include the identification and advancement of evidence-based wellness practices to support both the mental and physical health of first responders and other public safety professionals. Terry has served in various roles at DHSES, including Deputy Director of Emergency Management and, most recently, as Senior Policy Advisor where he led several statewide programs and initiatives, including the New York State First Responder Mental Health Needs Assessment conducted for DHSES by the Benjamin Center and Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz.
“I am delighted that Terry Hastings will serve as the Division’s first Chief Wellness Officer,” Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Terry O’Leary said. “Terry’s dedication to improving the lives of Division employees and first responders statewide has been central to our wellness efforts to date, and I look forward to seeing him advance this work to ensure we always take care of those who protect us.”
Chief Wellness Officer Terry Hastings said, “I look forward to helping our first responders and other public safety professionals, including DHSES employees. Our people are our most important resource, so it’s critical we have programs and services in place to support their overall health and wellbeing.”
The DHSES Wellness Program will include new wellness related training for DHSES employees and other public safety professionals, and an ongoing effort to enhance access to mental health resources and peer support programs.
DHSES also announced the release of a new virtual managing stress training course available on the agency’s Learning Management System. The Managing Stress training is a one-hour awareness level training intended to help first responders better understand the different types of stress, how stress impacts the body, and various stress management strategies.
The appointment of the DHSES Chief Wellness Officer and the new training also supports Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to improve first responder mental health and wellness. In addition to the New York State First Responder Mental Health Needs Assessment, DHSES previously announced new training for mental health professionals interested in working with first responders and several other responder wellness resources. The new resources available include a Responder Wellness Program Primer, an informational resource intended to help state and local public safety agencies develop or enhance their responder wellness programs; a video that highlights the unique mental health needs of first responders; and the launch of a new website dedicated to first responder mental health and wellness.
About the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov.
Get real time emergency and weather alert texts delivered directly to your phone. Text your county or borough of residence to 333111 to enroll now. Learn more at dhses.ny.gov/emergency-alerts.
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