Michelle Fayed is a Firefighter/Paramedic and 16-year veteran of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR). She has an Associate of Science Degree from Broward College.
She is an advocate for first responder mental wellness, and is especially passionate on the importance of supporting their families and caregivers. She has extensive knowledge and life experience with family/caregiver mental health issues, as she was a spouse and caregiver for her husband, an Army veteran diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for over 15 years. Her background led to the National Council for Behavioral Health contracting her as a Content Developer and National Trainer for the Mental Health First Aid Fire/EMS specialty module. Moreover, in 2017 they called upon her to advocate for support and funding of mental health awareness education for the fire and emergency service at Congressional Staff Briefings in Washington, D.C.
Michelle currently has the honor of serving as Statewide Family/Caregiver Coordinator for the Florida Firefighter Safety and Health Collaborative (FFHSC). As the Statewide Family/Caregiver Coordinator, she is responsible for providing caregiver-based social support and services to those providing care to first responders living with the wounds, illnesses and/or injuries associated with being a first responder. This branch of the initiative provides first responder spouses, families and caregivers with the resources, training and web-based social engagement to increase their sense of connectedness, engagement, hopefulness, wellness, as well as their knowledge and skills and reduce their isolation.
Public speaking engagements include local, regional and national speaking and teaching events. Specific events and topics include: mental health and PTSD in emergency services at the National Association of State Fire Marshal’s Annual Conference, the Orlando Fire Conference, and the Louisiana Company Officer Leadership Conference, FDIC International, National Professional Development, Virginia Fire Rescue Conference, the South Florida Safety Stand Down and Behind the Shield podcast.