About the Project
A culture of toughness still surrounds emergency medicine. Only within the last few years have various organizations began to truly catalog the extent of PTSD, burnout, and suicide. That being said, this is not a complete report. But it's a start.
The project is called Reaching the Brink because many first responders do, in fact, reach the brink before seeking help. This was the case with the main subject Anthony Guerne, a paramedic. It was also the case with an anonymous police officer, who called a social worker but died before he could see her.
I chose this topic because two of my friends are certified emergency medical technicians; I wanted to understand how stressful their job is and how it impacts people in their profession.
Reaching the Brink is also my capstone project. This journalistic venture, done for JRN-490, explores the depths of mental and behavioral health issues of those in the emergency medical services, what unique challenges they face, and what resources are available to them. Reporting was done from late September to late November 2016. I spoke to numerous experts, emergency medical personnel based on Long Island, and read through numerous reports.
The project is called Reaching the Brink because many first responders do, in fact, reach the brink before seeking help. This was the case with the main subject Anthony Guerne, a paramedic. It was also the case with an anonymous police officer, who called a social worker but died before he could see her.
I chose this topic because two of my friends are certified emergency medical technicians; I wanted to understand how stressful their job is and how it impacts people in their profession.
Reaching the Brink is also my capstone project. This journalistic venture, done for JRN-490, explores the depths of mental and behavioral health issues of those in the emergency medical services, what unique challenges they face, and what resources are available to them. Reporting was done from late September to late November 2016. I spoke to numerous experts, emergency medical personnel based on Long Island, and read through numerous reports.
About the Reporter
If you want to see more of my work, click here. If you want to contact me (and feel free to do so!), this is how:
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @JanelleClausen Facebook: journojanelleclausen Portfolio: janelleclausen.net Phone: Available upon request. |
As of March 27, 2017, I am a reporter and photographer at Blank Slate Media, a chain of six weekly newspapers focusing on the North Shore of Long Island. I primarily cover the Great Neck peninsula and the Town of North Hempstead. My work there can be found here.
Previously, I was a part-time general assignment reporter for the Amityville Record, Babylon Beacon and Massapequa Post, opinions editor at the Stony Brook Press, and Vice President of the Society of Professional Journalists at Stony Brook University. I also interned at Newsday, newsday.com and News 12 Long Island, worked at the Stony Brook Independent, and won awards for student journalism at Vignette, the student newspaper of Nassau Community College. Additionally, I've also travelled to Cuba (January 2016) and China (June 2014) to report on how the countries are evolving. I graduated from Stony Brook in January 2017 with a B.A. in Journalism with a concentration in public policy and affairs, but I also enjoy writing about arts, businesses, education, sports, science, and people in general. Ultimately, my goal is to tell stories that matter, regardless of the medium. Whenever I'm not reporting or researching something, you can usually find me hiding behind today's issue of the Wall Street Journal, at the library with a good book, researching places to visit, or gaming at home. |