In this episode of Shielded, Paolo Longo and Geoff Bichler sit down with a truly unique guest — Robert Asencio, a retired law enforcement officer with more than 25 years of service, a combat veteran, a former Florida House of Representatives member, a former client of Bichler & Longo, and now a passionate advocate for first responders and veterans through his nonprofit Healing Corp.

Robert brings a perspective that almost no one else can offer — having lived the first responder experience from the street level, the legislative level, and the personal level as someone who fought his own Heart Bill claim and won.

In This Episode We Cover:

• Robert's background — 34 years of combined military, law enforcement, and legislative service and what drives his advocacy work today
• His new film Out of the Fire Into the Light — documenting the post-traumatic growth of combat veterans from the Second Battle of Ramadi, and what it means for first responders dealing with similar trauma
• Healing Corp — Robert's nonprofit focused on healing through storytelling for veterans and first responders
• Why employers consistently fail first responders when mental health issues surface on the job — and whether it's intentional or simply a failure of awareness
• The dangerous gap between agencies that talk about supporting their people and what actually happens when a claim is filed
• How compounded trauma builds over a 25-30 year career — and why the average first responder experiences hundreds of traumatic events compared to four or five for a civilian
• The mind-body connection — how untreated PTSD and stress directly contribute to cardiac conditions, hypertension, and AFib (and why Geoff and Paolo see this every day in their cases)
• The culture of silence — why first responders still hesitate to raise their hand, and how that silence destroys careers, families, and lives
• What early intervention actually looks like — and why the clients who come in early almost always finish their careers while the ones who wait often don't
• A behind-the-curtain look at Tallahassee — what really happens when first responder legislation comes up for a vote and why there's more lip service than action
• The 2018 PTSD law — how it passed, why it falls short, and what needs to change
• Robert's role in saving Florida's public sector pension system — protecting $183 billion for public employees statewide
• Why bipartisan collaboration is possible in Tallahassee when the right pressure is applied and the right stories are told
• The suicide crisis — why we are losing more first responders to suicide than to on-the-job injuries and why that is an institutional failing that demands action
• Robert's personal story — his own Heart Bill claim, his ejection fraction dropping to 35%, and what getting the right legal representation meant for his health and his life

The conversation covers the challenges and experiences of filing a workers' comp claim, navigating the legal process, and the importance of seeking benefits and rights to protect first responders. It also highlights the impact of impairment ratings, the doctor-patient relationship, and provides advice for future first responders.

Takeaways

• Filing a claim isn't a fight with the employer, but with the workers' comp insurance company.
• Take care of yourself and don't be afraid to seek the benefits you're owed.
• Listen to your body and seek the benefits and rights in place to protect first responders.

The episode features a mailbag format where listener questions related to workers' comp claims are addressed. Topics include the timeframes for filing a claim, coverage for off-duty incidents, misconceptions about workers' comp, payment and leave policies, reporting a claim, selecting a doctor, mileage reimbursement, transportation services, and access to medical history in workers' comp claims.

Takeaways

• Workers' comp claims have specific timeframes for filing based on the type of injury.
• Workers' comp provides mileage reimbursement for travel to medical appointments.
• Access to medical history in workers' comp claims is limited to relevant records for the specific injury being claimed.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Mailbag Episode
• 06:19 Coverage for Off-Duty Incidents
• 11:32 Payment and Leave Policies
• 19:15 Selecting a Doctor for Workers' Comp
• 28:44 Access to Medical History in Workers' Comp