Episode 5

Soul Repair: After Moral Injury is hosted by Dr. Susan Diamond and Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock. And is produced by Studio D Podcast Production.

Episode 5: Our Rescuers in Times of Trouble: First Responders and Soul Repair

When danger and emergencies threaten lives, we depend on first responders for help. In this episode, Rita and Susan explore with their guests, the impact of such high stakes, often dangerous work and the moral cost of failure and exhaustion. They also assess the legal and cultural barriers involved in first responders finding support and solutions that chaplains and other spiritual care providers can offer to repair the souls of those who dedicate themselves to our safety and to saving lives.

Hosts:

Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Programs at Volunteers of America (VOA) and a Commissioned Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Capital Region. She is a former professor and academic administrator and co- author of Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury After War. An online, one-hour moral distress-relief program at VOA is open to the public at www.voa.org/rest.

Rev. Susan Ward Diamond, D.Min., is Lead Pastor of Florence Christian Church, Florence, KY, and was ordained as a pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1990. She has served on a number of boards and leadership roles in the denomination, including moderator of the church. She is author of The Daily Grind:  GOD with Your Coffee. Her daily blog, “Thoughts for the Day,” can be found at pastorsusantftd.wordpress.com.

Guests:

Mr. J. Corey Feist, JD, MBA, is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation

Chaplain Michael A. Shochet, MSM, is Chaplain Coordinator, Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax VA, and Senior Cantor, Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, VA

Rev. Ann Kansfield, M.Div., is Pastor of Greenpoint Reformed Church and Chaplain in the Fire Department of New York City

Resources:

Ann Kansfield, Be the Brave One: Living Your Spiritual Values Out Loud and Other Life Lessons, Broadleaf Books, 2021.

The Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation,www.drlornabreen.org

For online Moral Distress Relief: www.voa.org/rest.

Soul Repair: After Moral Injury is hosted by Dr. Susan Diamond and Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock. And is produced by Studio D Podcast Production.

How You Can Help Us Grow

We want to see more and more of you join us on Soul Repair: After Moral Injury. To help us do that, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you think the episode would be helpful to someone else please share it. The number one way people learn about a new podcast is through word-of-mouth. Invite a friend to join us on this journey uncovering moral injury.

Volunteers of America

If Uncovering Moral Injury has piqued your interest, head over to Volunteers of America at voa.org/moralinjury. There you’ll find resources, conferences and events as well as other ways to connect with the Shay Moral Injury Center.

Newsletter

Looking to get further connected? Subscribe to our newsletter that is linked in the show notes to get monthly updates about new resources, events and the work of the Shay Moral Injury Center.