Episode Details
Back to EpisodesEp. 71: Where Do We Go From Here? The State of First Responder Wellness w/ret. Sgt. Chris Littrell
Description
I frequently talk about leadership, what it is, and how to cultivate it in ourselves and others. Leadership is modeling. It is being honest. Being clear. Being demonstrative. Being vulnerable. Showing and proving your virtues through your words and actions. Your spirit. Your heart.
For years, I reviewed Police1 articles as a young officer, learning about tactics, mindset, and leadership. Chris Littrell’s name would pop up as an author from Kennewick, the “Tri Cities” in WA state, just a few hours drive. There was a reverence to the name, which was bolstered through my meeting people who knew and respected him appropriately- as a cop, tactician, and human.
In recent years, we became acquainted directly through our missions at work. We both had swiftly changing roles between community issues and recruiting, with an ever-present veil on peer support coordination and advocacy. We connected on all of these topics, to collaborate and share struggles.
Chris has, for years, been extremely vulnerable in sharing his story and struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Injury and its tidal waves permeating into both his professional and personal life. Recently, the struggles led him to a place of crisis, followed by a place of courage, where he recognized a chapter was ending and he retired from police work.
In our conversation, we talk the State of the Profession, with wellness and mental health, question our own impacts and efforts, and talk about where the greater WE need to go from here. It is a distinct pleasure to have his example and peer relationship as we tackle crises in first responder culture, one day at a time.
--
Christopher Littrell is a retired law enforcement leader from Washington State. With almost 25 years of public service, he had the opportunity to serve as an Air Force security forces sergeant, patrol officer, gang detective, child crime detective, CISM peer support group counselor, SWAT member, school resource officer, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant and community services sergeant. Christopher is a survivor of job-related PTSD. He is a leadership instructor for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Christopher is the owner of Gravity Consulting & Training, LLC, and teaches leadership, emotional intelligence and communication skills. He and his wife co-host the Gravity Podcast with the mission of captivating audiences with perspective and support.
--
Instagram: @thatgravitypodcast
Facebook: @thatgravitypodcast
LinkedIn: linkedIn.com/in/gravitychris
Website: https://gravityct.com
Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!
To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:
Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !
Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.
Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.
Need help with entry-level, promotional testing, career & mindset coaching? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop
Email at bluegritwellness@gmail.com
-