Behind the BADGE.
Beyond the BREAKDOWN.
Toward the BREAKTHROUGH.
Peer support, coaching, therapy, training, and a nationwide community for the people who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders — and the families who stand beside them.
Nationwide First Responder Mental Health & Wellness
Nationwide Weekly All Branches 100%
Virtual & In-Person Peer Support Meetings LE, Fire, EMS, Corrections, Dispatch, Vets Confidential & Judgment-Free
“This work didn't start in a boardroom. It started in the silence after the call. In the parking lot before going home. In the moment you realize nobody around you understands what you just saw.”
— Dylan Cade Bates, Founder
What We Do
One Mission. Many Ways to Serve.
Every service we offer exists because someone wearing a badge or uniform needed it — and it didn't exist yet. We built what we wished someone had built for us.
Our Flagship Service
Customizable, evidence-based training programs for law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, and corrections. From peer support team startups to leadership wellness — we don't do cookie-cutter. We build what your agency actually needs.
Healthy teams start with healthy people. At Badges & Breakthroughs, we partner with public safety agencies to help build a culture of wellness that lasts — one where mental health is prioritized, stigma is reduced, and peer support is strong.
Through customized training and consulting, we help departments design and implement evidence-based wellness and peer support programs tailored to their agency’s unique needs. From leadership education and mental health awareness workshops to creating or strengthening in-house peer support teams, our approach is built by first responders, for first responders.
We understand the demands of the job, the challenges of departmental culture, and the barriers that often keep people from reaching out for help. Our work bridges that gap — equipping agencies with the tools, strategies, and confidence to support their personnel in meaningful, sustainable ways.
Let’s build a healthier department together — one conversation, one training, one breakthrough at a time.
Available nationwide | Customizable training packages | Peer support team development & leadership consulting
In Partnership with Driftwood Psychotherapy
1:1 virtual coaching and therapy sessions with clinicians who actually understand the job. We don't make you explain what a 10-7 is or why you can't sleep. We already know. Confidential, affordable, and built around your schedule — even night shifts.
You spend your days taking care of others — responding, protecting, and carrying the weight of things most people never see. But who takes care of you?
Our 1:1 coaching sessions are a safe, judgment-free space built specifically for first responders, veterans, and their loved ones. Whether you’re feeling burned out, struggling to reconnect at home, adjusting after retirement, or simply ready to feel like yourself again, you don’t have to go through it alone.
These sessions combine evidence-based techniques from trauma-informed counseling and peer support with the understanding that comes only from lived experience behind the badge. Together, we’ll explore practical tools to manage stress, build healthy coping strategies, and strengthen your mental resilience — both on and off duty.
Coaching is available virtually nationwide, so you can connect from wherever you are, on your schedule. You’ve spent your career showing up for others. Now it’s time to show up for yourself.
$60 per session | Confidential | Support built for those who serve
Be our guest!
Dive into unfiltered, real-life accounts from the frontline heroes. Our group event offers an intimate platform for first responders to share their stories, fostering healing and awareness.
Genuine, unscripted conversations with first responders.
Expertly hosted sessions aimed at destigmatizing mental health.
Encourages connection and support amongst peers.
Join a community where real stories lead to real healing. Break the silence and find strength in shared experiences.
FREE & CONFIDENTIAL
A virtual community where first responders, veterans, and their families connect, share, and heal — together. Weekly Zoom meetings, resources, and a safe space that goes wherever you go. No chain of command. No judgment. No career consequences.
Real change begins with real conversations. Our conference presentations and wellness events bring those conversations to life — inspiring, educating, and connecting first responders, veterans, and those who support them.
Through engaging keynotes, interactive workshops, and panel discussions, we tackle the topics that matter most in public safety: mental health, resilience, leadership, peer support, and the human side of service. Each event is designed to break stigma, spark honest dialogue, and give attendees practical tools to take back to their teams.
With firsthand experience behind the badge and a background in mental health, our approach bridges the gap between tactical readiness and emotional wellness. Whether you’re planning a department wellness day, a regional conference, or a national first responder summit, we’ll collaborate with you to create a meaningful, memorable experience that leaves lasting impact.
Available for keynotes, workshops, and custom wellness events nationwide.
Because healing starts with connection — and every conversation brings us one step closer to stronger, healthier responders and families.
Partner With Us
Your brand can directly fund agency training, sponsor officers in crisis, and put your name behind something that truly matters. We're looking for companies and organizations who want to make a real, measurable difference in the lives of those who protect ours.
OUR TRUSTED NETWORK
Vetted Resources. Ready to Serve.
We've personally vetted every organization in our referral network. If they're on our list, it means we trust them to treat you the way you deserve. No guessing. No cold calls. Just direct access to people who are already expecting you — because of our partnership.
-
Licensed therapists who specialize in first responder trauma, PTSD, and the unique challenges of public safety life.
-
Organizations that understand what it means to love someone who wears a badge — and the toll it takes on the whole family.
-
Immediate support for officers, responders, and families in crisis — because sometimes you need help right now, not next Tuesday.
-
Fitness, nutrition, mental health and substance rehabilitation, and holistic programs designed specifically for the demands of first responder life.
Our Heart & Soul
The Peer Support Network That Never Closes
What started as a handful of first responders sharing war stories on a Zoom call has grown into something we never imagined — a nationwide family. Every Thursday night, cops, firefighters, medics, dispatchers, veterans, and their loved ones show up for each other. Some nights there are tears. Some nights there's laughter. Every night, someone walks away feeling less alone.
We are currently migrating our full resource library from Patreon to a dedicated virtual community platform — bringing you articles, tools, training materials, and peer connections all in one secure place.
Weekly Peer Support Meetings on Zoom
Every Thursday | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST
Free. Confidential. Anonymous. No sign-up required.
For confidentiality and the safety of our members, Zoom links are shared directly. Reach out to receive yours:
Email: Info@badgesandbreakthroughs.com
Call or Text: (818) 800-1147
Virtual Community Login Coming Soon
Our Flagship Service
Training & Consulting That Changes Agencies From the Inside Out
This is the core of what we're building. We partner with law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, and corrections agencies to create sustainable, in-house wellness and support systems. Not one-and-done check-the-box trainings. Real, lasting culture change.
Peer Support Team Development
Leadership & Command Staff Wellness
Trauma, PTSD & Moral Injury
Crisis Intervention Training
De-escalation & Negotiation
Resilience & Burnout Prevention
Family Wellness Programs
Suicide Awareness & Prevention
Critical Incident Stress Management
Customized Agency Wellness Plans
Every program is tailored to your agency's size, culture, and needs. We've been where your officers are. We know what actually works — and what doesn't.
In Partnership with Driftwood Psychotherapy, LLC
Coaching & Therapy Built for the People Behind the Badge
We partnered with Driftwood Psychotherapy because we believe the person sitting across from a first responder should understand what that badge actually means. Our coaching and therapy sessions are virtual, nationwide, and built around the realities of shift work, hypervigilance, cumulative trauma, and the relationships that take the hardest hits.
Whether you're a 20-year veteran carrying decades of weight, a rookie already feeling the toll, or a spouse wondering where the person you married went — we're here. No judgment. No clinical jargon. Just real people who get it.
What We Offer
1:1 Coaching Sessions — Affordable, confidential, virtual
Therapy Services — Through our clinical partnership
Family & Couples Support — For the people who love them
The Reality
More First Responders Die by Suicide Than in the Line of Duty.
That is not a statistic. Those are people. They are our partners. Our friends. Our brothers and sisters. And most of them suffered in silence because the culture told them asking for help was weakness. We're here to change that — one conversation, one agency, one life at a time.
Real Stories. Real People. No Filter.
The Badges & Breakthroughs Podcast
Every episode is a raw, unfiltered conversation with first responders, veterans, clinicians, and families who are brave enough to say what nobody else will. These aren't rehearsed talking points. These are the stories that happen after the radio goes silent — the ones nobody talks about at roll call.
We've had officers share stories they've never told anyone. Spouses who finally felt heard. Veterans who found out they weren't broken — they were human. Your story could be the one that reaches someone sitting in their patrol car right now, wondering if anyone else feels the way they do.
Want to Tell Your Story?
We are always looking for first responders, veterans, family members, and mental health professionals who want to share their experiences. Your voice matters. Your story could save a life. Reach out to be a guest.
Be Part of Something Bigger
Sponsor the Mission. Change Lives.
We're not just looking for donations. We're looking for partners who want to put their brand behind something that matters — companies who believe the people protecting our communities deserve to be protected too.
Your sponsorship directly funds agency training, supports officers in need across the country, and builds a nationwide support network that runs every single day — not just when it's convenient.
Fund training programs for agencies that can't afford them
Sponsor individual officers and families in crisis
Feature your brand across our podcast, events, and national platform
Partner with vetted organizations serving first responders nationwide
Join our annual Sponsors & Partners Dinner for major contributors
Whether you're a tactical gear company, a wellness brand, a local business, or a national corporation — there is a place for you here. Let's talk about how your brand can make a real impact.
Take the First Step
Your Breakthrough Starts With One Conversation.
Whether you're a first responder looking for support, an agency ready to invest in your people, a brand that wants to make a difference, or someone with a story worth telling — we want to hear from you.
Contact Us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!