As conversations around first responder mental health continue to gain urgency, we are helping to bring those realities into focus. Our co-founder Tony Rodarte and retired Oregon State Police lieutenant Bob Charpentier were recently interviewed by ABC15 Arizona to share their personal stories and how Compassion Alliance is filling a critical gap.
For Tony, that gap in support is personal. After stepping away from the job, he found himself needing help but not knowing where to turn or who would truly understand what he had experienced.
Bob shared a similar reality, describing the loss of identity that followed retirement and the toll years in the field had taken. Without the structure and purpose of the job, he found himself on a difficult path, carrying experiences that first responders are often expected to move past without the time or space to process.
Watch to see why Compassion Alliance was founded, and how we are changing lives.