Anthony Thompson, Intern

I graduated from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts

degree in Criminal Justice. I began my law enforcement career with the Wilmington Police Department and experienced several critical incidents which instilled a resolve to help others. I was given the opportunity to work for my hometown of King, NC, embracing the challenge of community policing in a small town. While at the King Police Department, I was selected to be King Police Department’s Liaison for the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Office.

In 2004, I relocated to Oklahoma and worked for a short time with the Muskogee Police Department where I was assigned to the department’s mounted patrol unit. In 2007, I joined the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and served the State of Oklahoma as a State Trooper for almost two decades. During my tenure with the Patrol, I served as part of the Honor Guard and with the Officer Assistance Program, continuing my commitment to others by attending several courses with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. I am an Approved Instructor for Assisting Individuals in Crisis and an Approved Instructor for Group Crisis Intervention. I have also been involved with the concerns for Police Survivors and have worked within the Support Services at National Police Week in Washington, DC. I have been providing PEER support and training to first responders and their families for several years with a passion for helping others. I am an instructor for Blu Phoenix, a PEER Team building and development company with Magnus One, which specializes in individual leadership development and wellness integration within high stress career companies and first responder agencies.

I was accepted by the University of Oklahoma in their Clinical Counseling and Mental Health Program and have concentrated my focus on First Responders and First Responder Couples.