Stress Aid

What Is Stress Aid?

Stress Aid helps high-demand field teams support each other under sustained stress.

Our Approach

Stress Aid equips peer support teams and frontline personnel with practical, non-clinical tools to recognize stress reactions early and respond effectively in the moment. The focus is on usable support—tools that help people stay grounded, functional, and connected during demanding work.

Stress Aid is not therapy, not critical incident stress management, and not a replacement for clinical care. It is an early-support approach designed for peer use, with clear roles and an emphasis on stabilization, presence, and appropriate support at the point of need.

Stress Aid is built for real conditions: on shift, in the field, and in real time. It fits the realities of high-demand work and supports teams as stress accumulates—during and after the work, not months later.

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Why Operational Care Matters in First Responder Culture

First responders are trained to handle crisis—but rarely trained to care for the human impact of repeated exposure to stress, danger, and responsibility. Over time, operational stress accumulates, affecting decision-making, relationships, health, and retention.

Stress Aid helps organizations move from a reactive, crisis-only approach to a proactive culture of care, where:

  • Stress reactions are normalized, not stigmatized

  • Peer support is structured, skilled, and trusted

  • Care is embedded into daily operations—not treated as an afterthought

  • Responders look out for one another without overstepping into clinical roles

What Stress Aid Looks Like in Practice

Stress Aid provides peer support teams with:

  • Shared language for recognizing stress responses

  • Simple, repeatable tools for regulation and grounding

  • Clear role boundaries that protect peer supporters

  • Structured ways to check in, debrief, and support recovery

  • Leadership-aligned practices that reinforce trust and psychological safety

Stress Aid supports both individual responders and the systems around them—helping teams function better together over time.

Stress Aid

How Strses aid Supports Peer Support Teams

Stress Aid strengthens peer support programs by giving teams:

  • A clear framework for what peer support is and is not

  • Skills that are appropriate for peer-to-peer use

  • Tools that reduce burnout among peer supporters themselves

  • A shared model that aligns peers, supervisors, and leadership

  • Practices that can be used across calls, shifts, and critical moments

Rather than relying on personality or informal check-ins alone, Stress Aid provides structure without rigidity, allowing peer support teams to be consistent, ethical, and effective.

Who Stress Aid Is For

Stress Aid is designed for:

  • Law enforcement

  • Fire and EMS

  • Dispatch and communications personnel

  • Search and rescue

  • Ski patrol and outdoor response teams

  • Outdoor Guides and Raft Guides

  • Peer support teams and leadership

Stress Aid adapts across disciplines while maintaining a consistent core: care in the context of the work.

Building a Culture of Operational Care

Stress Aid supports organizations in shifting from “handle it on your own” to “we take care of each other.”

By embedding care into daily operations, peer support structures, and leadership practices, Stress Aid helps guides and first-responder organizations strengthen resilience, retention, and readiness—without compromising professionalism or performance.

Meet the Team

  • Christi Garner, LMFT

    FOUNDER

    With a vision for building something meaningful, Christi brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on experience, working in the field for over 20 years with cross sector teams and across rural and urban areas as a trauma therapist and mental health consultant in the Depatment of Defense/War, with Healthcare Fortune 500 companies, as well as local PDs, Sheriffs, Fire Departments & Emergency Medicine professionals.

  • Ruthi Solari

    TEACHER & TRAINER

    Ruthi Solari holds a Master's in Mind Body Medicine and has 20+ years helping leaders and communities transform through holistic practices. She teaches practical techniques that connect mind and body, helping groups work better together and develop supportive systems of care. Ruthi guides organizations across nonprofit, private, and public sectors to create meaningful change by effectively engaging their resources and people. She works internationally with organizations committed to social and environmental improvement.

  • Eden Trenor

    TEACHER & TRAINER

    Eden Trenor brings 20 years of nonprofit leadership and over a dozen years of facilitation experience in high-stakes settings such as prison, the outdoors, and international peace-building. Her background in nature-based education and body-centered healing includes systems thinking, learning design and community organizing as well as extensive training in energy medicine, Mindful Self-Compassion, regenerative systems design, and radical education models.

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What We offer

Stress Aid Trainings

Foundational Training

A practical, skills-based introduction to Operational Care First Aid.

This training provides first responders and peer support team members with:

  • A shared framework for understanding operational stress

  • Practical tools for peer-to-peer support and regulation

  • Clear boundaries between peer support and clinical care

  • Language that normalizes stress responses without stigma

Format options:

  • Half-day or full-day trainings

  • In-person or virtual

  • Suitable for mixed teams or peer support members

Consultation for Peer Support Programs

Peer Support Team Consultation

Stress Aid provides consultation to help organizations develop, refine, or strengthen peer support programs.

Consultation may include:

  • Reviewing existing peer support structures and practices

  • Clarifying scope, roles, and boundaries

  • Supporting peer support leads and coordinators

  • Addressing challenges such as low engagement, burnout, or role confusion

  • Aligning peer support with organizational policies and culture

Consultation is collaborative, practical, and grounded in the realities of first responder work.

Operational Stress Aid (OSA) supports first responder organizations through training, consultation, and ongoing partnership designed to strengthen peer support systems and build a sustainable culture of care.

Our services are flexible and can be delivered as one-time engagements or as ongoing support, depending on the needs of your team.

Stress Aid for Peer Support Teams

A deeper training designed specifically for established or emerging peer support teams.

This training focuses on:

  • Peer supporter roles and responsibilities

  • Ethical and role-appropriate support practices

  • Preventing burnout and overextension among peer supporters

  • Supporting peers before, during, and after difficult calls

  • Strengthening trust within peer support programs

Leadership & Supervisor Training

Stress Aid training adapted for supervisors, command staff, and organizational leaders.

This training helps leaders:

  • Understand the impact of operational stress on teams

  • Support peer support programs without undermining them

  • Reinforce a culture of care through everyday leadership practices

  • Align peer support with organizational values and policies

Ongoing Support & Partnership

Ongoing Stress Aid Support

For organizations seeking sustained support, Stress Aid offers ongoing partnership models.

These may include:

  • Periodic refresher trainings

  • Ongoing consultation with peer support leads

  • Support during program growth or transition

  • Guidance following difficult operational periods or critical stress points

Ongoing support helps ensure peer support programs remain healthy, trusted, and effective over time.

Flexible Engagement Options

Stress Aid services can be delivered as:

  • One-time trainings

  • Short-term consultation engagements

  • Ongoing partnership and support

We work with each organization to tailor services to their size, structure, and operational realities.

How Stress aid Fits Within Your Organization

Stress Aid is designed to complement existing resources, including:

  • Peer support teams

  • Employee assistance programs (EAPs)

  • Wellness and resiliency initiatives

  • Behavioral health partnerships

Strss Aid strengthens what is already in place by building capacity at the peer and organizational level.

  • "Their attention to detail and commitment" to quality truly stood out. We’ve already recommended them to others.

    —Former Customer

  • "Creative, reliable, and genuinely passionate about what they do."

    —Former Customer

  • "A professional team that delivers on their promises."

    —Former Customer

  • "Every detail was thoughtfully executed. We're thrilled with the outcome."

    —Former Customer

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