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In Episode Two of the Silent Struggle, hosts Robert Asencio and David Magnusson bring on
retired NYPD Lieutenant Rich Mack to discuss his career, his experiences after 9-11, and his not stop quest to assist his brethren in blue via peer counseling.
The stories Lt. Mack discusses will have you on edge, particularly during the times of recovery and ultimate identification at the landfill on Staten Island. He later goes on to the time he was hurt, during a protestor march on the Brooklyn Bridge that ultimately ended his long career.
All the discussions were wrapped up and thrust into a robust discussion about peer counseling and overall mental health assistance which Lt. Mack undertakes.
His initial beginning with POPPA (Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance) and more
currently public speaker and trainer on stress management, suicide prevention and leadership. His love for and desire to provide assistance to those in mental illness distress goes back to 2000.
Mack’s philosophy is to have things in place prior to an incident in order to provide all the
mental illness resources for those who are going to come into a traumatic event (before the
incidence occurs if at all possible) in place and ready to go. This would include hurricane
landfalls, anticipated hurricanes, and perhaps large events (e.g. Boston Marathon) in the event some catastrophic incident takes place.
One can see, Lt. Mack is a man of proactivity (much lie Episode One’s Miami Police Chief
Manny Morales). And that is the bottom line to mental illness awareness and assistance: being proactive.
Reaction is fine when one is helping another, and time is not a factor. But being proactive is far preferred because one never knows exactly just how much help one needs at any given time. This includes a full personal awareness of oneself and open-mindedness and clear-eyed looks at friends and families.
This episode is a great road map towards putting yourself in an opportunity to give help. It will require an open mind and a focus on dealing with the very real issues. As Lt. Mack said ever so succinctly (paraphrased) as horrid as 9-11 was, where it brought the worst out in people, it also brought out the very best in people. What was left however was the scars of mental illness that demanded a concerted effort of vigorous assistance.
A huge thank you to Miami’s Community News and the Millers and staff for their generosity in making sure this most important message is pushed forth to the community we all love.
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