“Straight Talk’’
Shifting Our Attention!
Daniel DeGryse, BA, BS, CEAP, CADC, LAP/C
Daniel DeGryse is the Director of the Rosecrance Florian Program and a retired Battalion Chief in the Chicago (IL) Fire Department. He began his career with the Chicago Fire Department in 1989 and retired in November 2019 after 30 years of service. He also worked in a private psychiatric hospital for six years providing individual, group, and family therapy for adolescents and adults in the areas of addiction, mental health issues, and behavior management.
Following that, he was the coordinator of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for 14 years. While in this position, he started the Chicago Firefighters Union Peer Support program called “Gatekeepers,” providing training for team members on addiction and mental health issues, suicide, and related topics.
In 2014, he created the Florian Program with Rosecrance Health Network and serves as the Director. Florian is a 14-bed unit within Rosecrance that provides inpatient treatment for firefighters and paramedics dealing with substance abuse and co-occurring issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This program was expanded in 2017 to include all first responders and military personnel.
Dan will share his life’s path and experiences in parallel careers coming to others aid and how they have intertwined. A career in the fire service and in clinical psychology. He will offer his viewpoint on what he believes department leaders truly must demonstrate to successfully manage the growing number of reported behavioral health concerns in our field. He will also discuss the Rosecrance Florian program as the model for firefighter substance use and mental health treatment and the importance of cultural competency within this model.