Scott Mcpherson on wellness

About Scott Mcpherson

Scott McPherson, president and chief operating officer at Performance Food, has also been active as the first responder program coordinator for Reboot Recovery, a faith-based trauma recovery organization. In a September 2024 podcast appearance, McPherson discussed his own trauma from serving in Desert Storm and his work with Reboot, which offers peer-led courses at over 400 locations in the U.S. and 11 countries. He described moral injury as "a perceived or actual witnessing or being unable to prevent actions that transgress deeply held moral values," and said that first responders often face a "default response to trauma" of denial, numbing, and isolation)Skip. McPherson stated that "wellness is not optional" and emphasized the importance of community in pulling people out of isolation, noting that the organization welcomes participants of any faith background. McPherson also shared personal struggles, saying he "struggled deeply after leaving the military due to injury and betrayals" and reached a point where he had "a bottle on one side and a pistol on the other," but did not act on it because he had a son. He criticized the attitude in some agencies that first responders should "suck it up" rather than seek help, and said that asking for help can lead to being "asked to turn in their badge or put on the sidelines," which he called "a betrayal of trust." McPherson called for more people who have experienced trauma to serve as leaders in recovery efforts, stating, "What we need more than anything else are people who have been there."

Profile compiled from Scott Mcpherson's verified public interviews and appearances. See all quotes & transcripts →