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Faculty

Joanne Rupert

MA, LPC, NBCC
Founder
First Responder Trauma Counselors

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.

2026 Sessions

Beehive Leadership: Resilient Peer Support Teams for First Responders

Yes, I understand

First responder organizations face persistent challenges in sustaining effective peer support programs. High stress, cumulative trauma, and operational demands can make peer support teams fragile, leading to gaps in coverage and inconsistent follow-up. This session introduces a novel, evidence-informed framework for designing resilient peer support systems, inspired by the structure and efficiency of a beehive.

Participants will learn how principles from hive behavior—role clarity, communication, self-organization, and redundancy—can be applied to first responder teams. The session will focus on practical strategies for strengthening team cohesion, ensuring consistent outreach, and building sustainable, scalable peer support programs. Attendees will leave with actionable methods to optimize their department’s peer support operations, even in high-stress or resource-limited settings.

Presenter (1 Presenter)

Thursday, October 01 8:00–9:00 AM
Room W240 B
Health and Wellness
Faculty

Joanne Rupert

MA, LPC, NBCC
Founder
First Responder Trauma Counselors

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.
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