COVER MY SIX: THE PLAYBOOK by Dr. Lea Sullivan is a comprehensive, hands-on "playbook" (workbook) designed specifically for firefighters and first responders to navigate the complex mental health challenges inherent in your profession. The playbook emphasizes peer support as a critical, culturally competent intervention that bridges the gap between trauma exposure and formal mental health care. It offers practical frameworks, exercises, and reflective prompts to train peer supporters in effective listening, boundary setting, resilient responding, crisis management, and sustaining mental wellness over the long term.
The core framework-P.R.E.P.-focuses on Prevention, Response, Engagement, and Pathways, guiding peer supporters to build trust, act with empathy, stay engaged with their crews, and connect peers to professional resources when necessary. The playbook stresses the importance of tactical listening, emotional validation, and somatic grounding techniques to help firefighters process trauma and stress effectively.
The playbook also addresses the vital need for clear boundaries, confidentiality, and knowing one's limits as a peer supporter, encouraging referral to mental health professionals in complex or crisis situations. It provides detailed guidance on crisis response, including recognizing red flags for suicide risk, handling disclosures with care, and activating emergency protocols.
Sustaining the mission requires establishing a culture of peer support that includes leadership buy-in, confidentiality protection, and cross-agency collaboration. The guide promotes building a network of culturally competent mental health professionals, chaplains, and peer support teams across departments to amplify resilience and mutual aid.
Finally, the playbook underscores the importance of self-care and mental armor for peer supporters themselves. It advocates for daily habits like quality sleep, physical exercise, nutrition, cold-water immersion, mindfulness, and self-compassion to maintain mental health and prevent burnout. Through exercises, partner practices, and group discussions, peer supporters learn to build sustainable teams, rotate responsibilities, celebrate quiet wins, and keep thriving in the demanding fire service environment.
Filled with clear and engaging exercises you can start on today, COVER MY SIX: THE PLAYBOOK is not only a great companion to and next step after the guidebook, COVER MY SIX, but as a stand-alone and foundational resource for peer supporters and fire service leadership committed to enhancing mental wellness and sustaining the mission of caring for those who serve on the front lines.
