Administration

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While her medical center experience is diverse, including stand-alone, community owned facilities, as well as large multi-facility organizations, Karen has always worked within integrated delivery systems. 

Karen has been a part of the Weld/Larimer Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), first joining the steering committee in 2004.  She has been a CIT trainer since the establishment of the first Weld/Larimer class, a coalition which later expanded to include Boulder County. She became a mental health consultant for the Larimer County Regional SWAT Team in 2013, completing the FBI Negotiations Course in September of that year. Karen also responds to crisis negotiation calls in Boulder County through the Longs Peak Crisis Negotiators.

Karen has instructed on identifying and de-escalating psychiatric crises for Colorado State University law enforcement personnel, as well as for the Ranger Excellence School. She has studied forensic psychology under Roy Hazelwood, Reid Meloy, Kris Mohandie, Phillip Resnick and John Douglas.

We are excited to have Karen join our team of culturally competent clinicians serving our First Responders and their families, as well as interfacing with medical/behavioral health clinicians, facilities (inpatient and outpatient) and various departments to coordinate the logistics of their specific care needs.

Welcome to Jovanna Brunner MPH, First Responder Trauma Counselors’ Research and Development Manager. Jovanna is a Colorado native who has had a passion for prevention from a young age. This passion first emerged through interest in nutrition and exercise and Jovanna slowly began to build her expertise as a fitness instructor, holding certifications in yoga, barre, aquatics, and personal training.  Jovanna received her Master's of Public Health, with a concentration in Community Health Education, from the Colorado School of Public Health. Having been raised in a First Responder family - she's the daughter of a firefighter and has several other first responders within her immediate family - Jovanna has a heart to understand and serve the needs of the First Responder community.

Jovanna is a certified QPR trainer, who's mission is to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training alongside FRTC’s licensed clinicians. She loves to facilitate focus groups for vetted programs and processes within our member agencies. As FRTC's Research and Development Manager, Jovanna will provide data driven educational offerings to create the highest efficacy of training available, ensuring that our member Peer Support Teams are the best trained in the industry.

Jovanna is a wife and a mom of two. Outside of work you can find her spending time with family out in the sun, crocheting, reading, or practicing yoga. First Responder Trauma Counselors is proud to provide all of our member agencies with this extremely “Culturally Aware” professional.

Don Patterson has over 20 years of experience in Communications, IT and Security. As a Communications/Security Engineer he has supported multiple government agencies and corporate level communications and secure network environments. 14 years of his communications/security career were devoted as the Founder and CEO of Simply Networking, Inc. His company was responsible for the communications and security needs for over 150 clients nationwide. Recently he managed and maintained the cellular broadband deployable network for the 2020 Cameron Peak Wildland Fire, Colorado’s largest wildland fire. Don has given communications presentations to FEMA (Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Work Groups). As well as FirstNet Authority and the Colorado Public Safety Communications Sub Committee for which he is also a member. 

Don has also been a member of the fire service for over 18 years. He has earned qualifications and experience in over 30 active certifications spanning Structural Fire, Wildland, Special Operations Team disciplines, Fire Investigations and First Responder Peer Support. During that time, he has served as a Lieutenant and Dive Rescue Team Coordinator/Instructor for a Colorado Mountain Town Fire Agency, as well as multiple wildland incidents in Northern Colorado and across the nation.
Don is currently a Firefighter with a Northern Colorado Front Range Fire Agency, as such, he is a member of the Wildland Team, SOT, Fire Investigator, Peer Support Member, Communications Specialist and Dive Rescue Team Coordinator. In his spare time, he is a Fire Science Instructor at Aims Community College where he teaches multiple classes in their Fire Science Programs. 

Don is a valued member of First Responder Trauma Counselors as a graduate of the National Peer Support Academy and assists FRTC OPS Staff, in developing systems wide, IT based, security protocols for our ARMOR Alert systems and interfaces with our medical/behavioral health deployment teams. Also creating secure integration pathways with FRTC’s Member Regional Support Teams; encrypted communication systems.