Faculty Agenda

Joanne Rupert, MA, LPC, NBCC is the Co-Founder and CEO of First Responder Trauma Counselors and the Executive Director of First Responder Trauma Services, 501c3. With more than 30 years of experience across EMS, fire service, and law enforcement, she specializes in building resilient peer support and post–critical incident response systems for high-stress, high-risk organizations.

Joanne is the founder of the 40-Hour National Peer Support Academy and author of its training manual, focused on professionalizing peer support while maintaining cultural credibility within first responder agencies. She oversees large-scale peer networks, post-incident response operations, and system-level recovery programs serving first responders and their families. A frequent national conference presenter, Joanne is known for translating trauma science and organizational psychology into practical, sustainable peer support frameworks that work in real-world EMS environments.