By Dan Nephin

LNP

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Jerry Schramm says talking about mental health and trauma was “more or less taboo” when he became a first responder in 1997.

But that has changed.

“We have a new generation coming in, and the stigma of mental health and being able to take care of yourself is starting to fizzle,” said Schramm, 48, director of operations at Lancaster EMS.

| More: Peer support teams: How to build trust and maximize effectiveness

In Lancaster County, resources such as the Critical Incident Stress Management program help first responders deal with the trauma they face on the job that can negatively impact their mental health. But while the local CISM (pronounced SIH-zym) program has been around since the late 1980s, several people involved with it say it could

See Full Page