Medical Director

Stacie Johns MD

Dr. Johns believes that mental health is just as important as physical health. She understands that people are complex beings, and therefore their health is complex. She is acutely aware of the enhanced difficulties brought on by the multiple micro-trauma stressors of a First-Responder's career. She values a close working relationship with her patients to create a safe and very confidential environment to assist them in making the best decisions for their long term health goals.

Dr. Johns is not your typical doctor and you can see why First Responder Trauma Counselors is excited about our alliance with her and Associates in Family Medicine. She has a passion for raising Guide Dogs for the Blind and has raised over 10 of them. She usually has one around to greet her patients.

Dr. Johns is an FRTC National Peer Support Academy graduate. We are proud to offer northern Colorado another truly Culturally Competent resource.

First Responder Trauma Counselors Medical Director Dr. Stacie Johns MD

911 Care Team/ARMOR Medical Control

Shelley Moore MD

Dr. Moore grew up in Houston, Texas. She attended and graduated medical school at the University of Texas at San Antonio and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Moore practiced Emergency Medicine for over 10 years in Austin, Texas prior to moving with her family to Colorado.

As a wife, mother and avid athlete, and a Board Certified Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Moore appreciates the value of providing the best care possible to speed along recovery time and getting our First Responders back to full duty, stronger and smarter. Dr. Moore is not only one of FRTC's valued Culturally Competent healthcare providers, she is our "Medical Control" for our vital 24-hour ARMOR Overwatch Team Program.

Dr. Moore is an FRTC National Peer Support Academy graduate. We are proud to offer our northern Colorado system another truly Culturally Competent resource.

911 Care Team/ARMOR Physician

Lloyd Blackler MD

Dr. Blackler's desire to practice medicine brought him to Denver, Colorado to complete his Emergency Physician rotation after completing medical school at the University of South Dakota. It was there that he met his wife, Jenny, who was also pursuing a career in healthcare as a physician's assistant. The two were married in 2009.

After completing a three-year residency in Idaho, he served four years in the United States Air Force as a U.S. military doctor in military and civilian hospitals worldwide.

Dr. Blackler believes that First Responders are "his people" and he's excited to be a medical resource both in times of health and crisis. His philosophy is that healthcare is NOT sick care. He wants to help First Responders and their families take control of their health and optimize their performance with the goal of reaching their maximum functional potential. This goes beyond understanding disease and treating illness. He enjoys helping his patients become as healthy as possible!

Dr. Blackler is one of our in-office 911 Medical Care Team physicians and member of our ARMOR Overwatch Team. He is an FRTC National Peer Support Academy graduate. We are proud to provide our member agencies with another truly "Culturally Competent" 911 Medical Care Team resource.

First Responder Trauma Counselors' 911 Care Team ARMOR Physician Dr. Lloyd Blackler, MD

Meet Robert (Rob) Owens

Robert (Rob) Owens PMHNP-BC

Rob's career in healthcare started in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his EMT training at Weiss Memorial Hospital before going to work on Chicago’s southside for a private ambulance company while waiting for the next exam to open for the Chicago Fire Department.

Unfortunately, at that time the next exam was five years off, so he opted to go back to school and become a Registered Nurse at Northern Kentucky University. After earning his RN license, he went to work on a pediatric mental health inpatient unit for preteens with behavioral issues secondary to severe trauma. Disturbed by the over reliance on medications to treat mental health issues, he returned to school at Eastern Kentucky University to become a Psychiatric Mental Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to have a greater say in how those he serves are treated.

Rob understands the sacrifice of First Responders as he has been there and done that. He states that, "the First Response career requires you to be at your best when others are at their worst. The difficulty of spending all shift dealing with atrocities and then trying to leave them at the door when you get home. Of working nights, weekends, holidays; missing birthdays, children sports games, and anniversaries."

Rob has made sure that getting assistance is not just another burden on the First Responder and their family by offering telehealth, weekend and evening appointments. He can often get you in for an appointment within 24 hours.

First Responder Trauma Counselors is proud to have Rob join our team of Culturally Competent Practitioners.

Meet Shannon Darling

Shannon Darling PMHNP-BC

After becoming a Registered Nurse and working in various aspects of acute care (including Emergency Services, Neonatal Intensive Care, and Labor and Delivery) for 15 years in hospital based systems in northern Colorado, Shannon realized the toll that compounded traumas took on her personal mental health, her family, and her fellow health care workers. That's when she decided to become part of the solution to the growing behavioral health crisis and became a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

Shannon realized that traditional behavioral health care was based upon talk therapy and medication control, and, in many cases, front line workers did not have the time or patience to allow months and years to find relief. So Shannon became keenly interested in other therapies that mitigate compounded traumas faster. The new neurosciences as a promising frontier of behavioral health care for caregivers provided her answers to the care crisis.

Shannon prides herself on being an integrative practitioner who is passionate about treating each person in body, mind, and spirit to create a solid foundation for lasting results. She has certifications in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and integrative psychiatry, and specializes in group work with ketamine. She has a deep-rooted passion for First Responders and other frontline workers.

Shannon is a Colorado native. She loves Olympic weightlifting, being outdoors with her children, mountain biking, and all the things to do with Colorado outdoor life. First Responder Trauma Counselors is very excited to be on the cutting edge of neuroscience medicine with Shannon and The Wholeness Center.

Meet Kirsten Martin

Kirsten Martin MS, RDN

Kirsten received her undergraduate degree in Nutrition from the University of Northern Colorado, and her Master’s Degree in Nutrition from the University of Saint Joseph. She has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 2017 and has expertise working with Medical Nutrition Therapy and Sports Nutrition.

With the stress First Responders face daily including shift schedules, sleep disruption, stress hormones, and disrupted eating patterns, balanced nutrition can be especially challenging. Kirsten uses an individualized approach to help clients mediate the stress response, restore balance, and become more resilient through nutrition.

Kirsten is the founder of First Response Nutrition LLC, a company dedicated to providing nutritional counseling that specifically addresses challenges that First Responders face. Being married to a firefighter, she has firsthand experiences with these challenges as well. We are pleased to have Kirsten join our culturally competent team of providers!

Meet Kimberley Benjamin

Kimberley Benjamin LAc, Dipl. OM

Kimberley received her Bachelor's Degree in sociology with an emphasis in social work. She received her Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, California.

Kimberley is certified as a diplomate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and is licensed to practice acupuncture in Colorado.

Kimberley is past president of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado. In addition to helping her clients, she stays involved and contributes to the AOM community at large.

Kimberley accepts most insurance programs in her practice and is very excited to work with FRTC, our First Responders and their families.

Meet Tiffany Lipsey

Tiffany Lipsey MEd, ACSM

Tiffany is the Assistant Director of the Human Performance Clinical/Research Laboratory, Director of Heart Disease Prevention Program (HDPP) and Management of Teaching and Outreach Programs at Colorado State University. The HDPP includes the First Responder Testing Programs and the Cardiac One Risk Evaluation (CORE). Her experience includes over 20 years in exercise physiology focusing on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment, prevention and treatment for CVD.

She has been working with Colorado firefighters and emergency personnel for nearly 20 years and has been involved in physiological testing for over 2,000 of them. Projects include cardiovascular disease risk assessment, lifestyle modification, temperature regulation, cooling mechanisms using adjunct cooling tools, novel medical devices, noise exposure and performance. As an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses encompassing health, wellness, aging, chronic disease, electrocardiography and exercise testing and prescription.

Prior to coming to Colorado State University, Tiffany was the Director of the Faculty/Staff Wellness Program for Towson University and Saint Joseph Medical Center, and the Assistant Director of LIFEWORx Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. She also taught courses in the Department of Kinesiology at Towson University. In addition, Tiffany has over 7 years of experience in EMS at Western Albemarle Rescue Squad and Owings Mills Fire Department.

As a graduate of First Responder Trauma Counselors’ National Peer Support Academy, Tiffany is a valuable member of FRTC’s Medical Care 911Overwatch Team, providing our area First Responders with another layer of culturally competent health and safety.