Harmless the Podcast

In this episode, host Eric Oldenburg interviews Beth Medina, the leader of The Innocent Justice Foundation(TIJF).

TIJF was established to support the work of Internet crimes against children task force teams across the country.

 Initially, their work focused on providing equipment and resources for investigations. Over time, however, they realized the immense mental health impact the exposure to distressing materials had on their members.

 Hence, they designed and implemented the SHIFT program(Supporting Heroes in Foundational mental health Training), which focuses on mental health and resilience for all those involved in these traumatic investigations.

 Eric and Beth emphasize the importance of being aware and accepting of the emotional trauma attached to their work.

 They touch on the effectiveness of this program in creating awareness, the challenges faced, their personal experiences and motivations, and the potential improvements in the future. 

They conclude with the affirmation about the importance of the resilience program for helping the law enforcement officers handle the traumatic aspects of their job.

Part 3, The Hope is the final part of this conversation that is focused on discussing the psychological impacts of dealing with highly traumatic and stressful situations specifically in policing child crimes investigations, with a focus placed on exploring, sharing, and understanding experiences with PTSD.

Eric and David discuss changes that could be made in law enforcement and investigation departments to better support members facing this kind of trauma.

Discussion topics include the importance of psychological support, changes needed in workflow to reduce exposure, and the crucial aspect of family involvement and understanding.

In Part two of this conversation, The Toll, Eric and David, discuss the mental and emotional toll of their work as investigators in cases involving child exploitation material. They talk about the impact it has had on their personal lives, the strain it put on their relationships, the lack of support from their employers, and the need for greater mental health resources for individuals working in this field.

In part one of this conversation, , The Truth, Eric and David discuss the challenging and traumatic experiences they faced while working in Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigations. David shares his experiences as an investigator and computer forensic examiner, while Eric asks questions and seeks to understand the impact of the job on David's mental health.

 This podcast highlights the disturbing nature of the content they had to review, the toll it took on their well-being, and the importance of their work in protecting vulnerable children.

Hosted by retired Phoenix Police detective Eric Oldenburg, this podcast tackles the hard truths about child sexual exploitation investigations.

Eric walks listeners through his experiences investigating online child sexual abuse cases and highlights the intensifying threat posed by advancing technology. 

He emphasizes the mental and emotional toll this work takes on investigators and discusses the urgent need for better support systems to protect these frontline heroes. 

Eric vows to provide an open platform for discussions that society typically shies away from, incorporating personal stories, shared struggles, and dedicated efforts from around the world in combating this ever-growing issue.