Register Now! Mental Health in Forensics Summit • Gap Science

Learn How to Move Beyond the "Suck It Up" Mentality and Build Long-Term Strategies for Burnout, Stress, and Trauma.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
A Free Event for Forensic Professionals!

Missed the event?

Presented by The Vault

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN HOW THIS FREE EVENT WILL HELP YOU GET THE TRAINING, TOOLS, AND PERSONNEL YOU NEED—NO MATTER YOUR BUDGET:

You chose this career to make a difference, so you push through the stress, trauma, and emotional weight of the work (because you've always been told it's "part of the job".)

You learn to compartmentalize.
You use dark humor, sarcasm, and scientific detachment to cope with what you see.
And somewhere along the way, “suck it up” becomes the unofficial wellness plan for an entire profession.

But… you’re tired of acting like it’s all fine while quietly wondering how long you can keep holding it all together before something has to give.

MAYBE RIGHT NOW YOU…

Are exhausted most days—but can’t fully shut your brain off at bedtime.

Feel your stomach drop when your work phone goes off—it’s like instant anxiety!

Dread going to work some days—and have to force yourself just to wake up and get out the door.

Can’t find energy for hobbies or activities that used to bring you joy—even simple things feel like too much.

Find yourself more cynical, easily frustrated, and less patient than you used to be—at work and at home.

And deep down, you know there has to be something better than just pushing through it!

How great would it be to...

Feel equipped to manage stress, trauma, and burnout before they start affecting every area of your life.

Work in an environment where conversations about mental health are met with support instead of stigma.

Know you’re building a career that’s sustainable—not just surviving one shift, case, or year at a time.

When we start having honest conversations, this becomes possible for you and your Forensic Unit - and we’ll show you what that looks like at the Mental Health in Forensics Summit!

During Mental Health in Forensics, you'll learn how people in this field are actually navigating stress, trauma and burnout.

Join us for this free event featuring 15+ forensic experts sharing real-world strategies, lived experiences, and practical mental health support you can actually use in your career.

Meet the Speakers

Check out the incredible lineup of forensic experts and wellness advocates you’ll learn from at Mental Health in Forensics!

PHASE ONE

UNDERSTAND

Understanding What the Work Does to Us

Jan LeMay
The Weight of the Work: The Human Cost of Forensics

Nathalie Klasens
What the Research Says About Trauma, Resilience & Psychological Safety for CSIs

Teresa Bryant
Beyond the Trauma: How Critical Incident Exposure Changes Forensic Professionals

PHASE TWO

RECOGNIZE

Recognizing What Happens When the Work Follows Us

Gabrielle Wimer
When the Scene Follows You: Recognizing Triggers and Building Resilience

Dr. Jonesta Nolan
The Body Keeps the Score: Documenting the Physical Toll of Forensic Work

Joe Torok & Danny Krystyan
How to Support Forensic Teams Through Mass Casualty Events

PHASE THREE

RECONNECT

Reconnecting with Who We Are Beyond the Work

Jessica Liang
You Are Not Your Job: Reconnecting With the Person Behind the Profession

Jason Cole
When Your Body Says Stop: A Forensic Professional’s Wake-Up Call

Matt Davis
Exploring Alternative Approaches to Healing Beyond Talk Therapy

PHASE FOUR

CHANGE

Building Healthier People, Teams & Organizations

Dr. Heidi Sievers
Inside the IAI’s Approach to Practitioner Resilience

Dr. Kristilyn Lutt
What If Your Agency Prioritized Mental Health? A Look Inside Chandler PD’s Wellness Program

Candace Matthews
The Forgotten Responders: Advocating for Mental Health Protections in Forensics

LIVE SESSIONS

Bringing It All Together—Live!

Watching presentations is great, but some of the most meaningful conversations happen when forensic professionals come together to share experiences, ask questions, and realize they’re not alone. That’s why we’ll host live, interactive sessions where you can connect with speakers and have the conversations that our profession has needed for a long time. These sessions include:

PANEL DISCUSSION:
The Conversations We Don’t Have

10AM EDT

Join our speakers for an honest conversation about the realities of mental health in forensics, the experiences we often keep to ourselves, and how we can better support one another.

Mindful Minute: A Quick Reset for the Mind & Body

12PM EDT

Pause. Breathe. Reset. Join us for a few mindful minutes of breathwork, chair yoga, and gentle movement to help you release tension and recenter. No special equipment required.

PANEL DISCUSSION:
From Awareness to Action: What Do We Do Now?

1PM EDT

Join our speakers for a practical discussion about turning mental health awareness into meaningful action for ourselves, our coworkers, and our agencies.

Closing Call

3:30PM EDT

Join us in the summit Closing Call live in the private community to wrap up the event and get your action plan for moving forward.

These sessions have been designed to help you connect with others who understand the realities of this work, continue the conversation about mental health, and explore what healthier support in our profession can look like.

Worried you can’t make it live? No worries! You’ll have the opportunity to get ongoing access to the presentations after you grab your free ticket.

As you can see from these powerful presentations, this isn't surface-level conversation. This is real-world insight from professionals who are finding better, more sustainable ways to navigate the realities of forensic work.

CLICK BELOW TO GRAB YOUR FREE TICKET AND JOIN US FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN FORENSICS!

MEET YOUR HOSTS

Hey there, we're Ashley and Erin from Gap Science and creators of The Vault!

We’ve worked in forensic science and leadership roles, and over time we started noticing something that doesn’t get talked about enough:

The longer people stay in this field, the more they tend to push themselves further down the priority list.

Long hours become normal.
Lunch breaks disappear.
Work starts coming home.
And self-care becomes the thing you sacrifice first when the job gets heavy.

When we created our very first course, Forensic Supervision, we intentionally built self-care and staff-care into the curriculum because we’ve seen how important it is to recognize when you or your team is struggling—and know how to support them in those moments.

We’ve also personally experienced how quickly life outside of work can reshape how you show up (whether through personal loss, mental health crises, and major life transitions) while working in this field.

Those experiences didn’t take us out of forensics, but they did change how we show up for ourselves, our coworkers, and the work!

Mental health has been part of our work since the very beginning of Gap Science, and we’ve continued building training and conversations around burnout, stress, trauma exposure, and long-term sustainability in this field.

And now we’re bringing you the Mental Health in Forensics Summit to talk honestly about what this job does to people, and what it takes to keep doing it without losing yourself in the process!

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026

WHAT TO EXPECT AT MENTAL HEALTH IN FORENSICS

For too long, burnout, stress, trauma, and emotional exhaustion have been treated as “part of the job.” At the summit, we’re bringing together voices from across the forensic community to have the conversations many of us wish we’d heard earlier in our careers.

WHEN

The Mental Health in Forensics Summit is a one-day virtual event taking place on Thursday, September 24, 2026, with all presentations released at 9:00AM Eastern Time.

WHERE

This binge-worthy event is 100% virtual, streaming directly to you at your desk, or wherever you want to participate! All presentations will be viewed in our private community.

EXPERT SESSIONS

Presentations will be ~20-30 minutes. The presentations will be available for 48 hours to view at your own pace along with hundreds of other forensic professionals world wide.

PRIVATE COMMUNITY

Join our private Discussion Forum, where you can connect with fellow forensic professionals. This is also where speakers will be available to connect during the summit.

CHANCES TO WIN

You’ll also have a chance to win prizes by showing up and participating throughout the summit. Be sure to hang out in the Discussion Forum and join our live sessions for chances to win prizes we know you’ll love!

UPGRADE TO THE ALL-ACCESS PASS!

You can also choose to upgrade to the All-Access Pass! That means you’ll get on-going access to presentations, downloadable worksheets, and bonus resources. You won’t want to miss it!

SCHOLARSHIP

We’re committed to supporting you throughout your forensic career—not just through conversations about mental health, but as you grow into training roles, supervision, and leadership. To help, you’ll hear about The Vault, our all-access resource hub for forensic professionals, here and there throughout the event.

At the end of the summit, one lucky (and engaged) attendee will be selected to win a full scholarship and have instant access to on-demand training, practical tools, and expert guidance to support your growth and long-term success in this profession.

Stay tuned for details and your chance to apply!

Finally—An Event That Talks About the Parts of the Job We Usually Keep to Ourselves

Mental Health in Forensics was created for forensic professionals who care deeply about this work, but know that the weight of the work comes at a cost.

You already know how to push through.

… you’ve compartmentalized difficult scenes.
… you’ve answered late-night callouts.
… you’ve learned to function on too little sleep, too much caffeine, and the belief that you’ll deal with it later.

And maybe you’ve told yourself what many of us have been told:

“This is just part of the job.”

Good news! That does NOT have to be the only way to navigate this job.

Mental Health in Forensics was created specifically for real-world forensics professionals who are:

Tired of feeling like “suck it up” is the only wellness strategy available
Looking for practical ways to manage stress, trauma, and burnout before they start affecting every area of life
Ready to have mental health conversations met with support instead of stigma

Instead of generic wellness advice, you’ll hear from people who understand the realities of forensic work—professionals sharing real experiences and lessons learned from navigating these challenges themselves.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Let this summit help you build a healthier, more sustainable way to do the work you love.

HERE'S WHAT SOME PAST ATTENDEES HAVE HAD TO SAY!

10 out 10, would recommend. Gap Science curated a one-of-a-kind summit that brought together presenters with various backgrounds and experience ... straight to my screen.

Dennise Hernandez

Supervising Forensic Scientist

The knowledge of over 25+ speakers throughout the week is truly invaluable and the fact that you were able to gain in just a short amount of time is truly phenomenal.

Matt Davis

Crime Scene Unit Supervisor

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN LOVING THIS WORK AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF.

It’s time to move beyond “suck it up” and start learning practical strategies that help you do forensic work without sacrificing yourself in the process.

Grab your free ticket by clicking the link below and join us for the Mental Health in Forensics Virtual Summit!

HAVE QUESTIONS?

WE HAVE THE ANSWERS.

How do I know if the Mental Health in Forensics Summit is right for me?

If you’ve ever felt stressed, burned out, emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, or wondered whether the job is affecting you more than you’d like to admit, this event is for you!

Mental Health in Forensics was created specifically for forensic professionals working in disciplines like Crime Scene, Latent Prints or Property & Evidence.

Whether you’re brand new to the field or have decades of experience, you’ll walk away with practical ideas, new perspectives, and reassurance that you’re not alone.

When is this event happening?

Mental Health in Forensics takes place on September 24, 2026 (during National Forensic Science Week!). You’ll also be able to join our private Summit Discussion Forum as soon as you grab your ticket, so you can join in on the fun right away!

Are the presentations live?

To avoid tech glitches, give you the best possible experience, and keep things easy for the speakers, the presentations are pre-recorded and will be released at 9AM Eastern Time on September 24, 2026. However, the speakers will be hanging out in our Summit Discussion Forum where you can connect with them and ask your questions!

What if I'm not able to attend live?

While most of the presentations for the summit are pre-recorded, there are some live elements, and the pre-recorded presentations are only available for 48 hours with your free ticket. So we encourage you to attend live if you can!

We would love for you to set aside some time during the summit to attend the live panel interviews with the speakers, watch the pre-recorded presentations, and participate with others in the community.

However, if you’re not able to attend all of the sessions live, go ahead and grab your free ticket, and you’ll have the opportunity to upgrade to the All-Access Pass for extended access.

How long will I have access to the presentations?

Your free ticket includes 48 hour access to each of the presentations. If you need more time, you can always upgrade your ticket to the All-Access Pass after registering, which will give you on-going access to the presentations well after the event is over along downloadable worksheets and more!

Will I receive a certificate for attending the summit?

A certificate of attendance is included as a special bonus to any individuals that upgrade to the All-Access Pass! The certificate will be provided once you have watched all of the presentation videos.

Are your videos captioned or transcribed?

Yes. All pre-recorded presentations have closed captioning.

Please reach out if there’s anything we can do to ensure you’re able to enjoy this event.

I'm sending a training request for approval. Can I get a printable flyer?

Sure thing! You can download a flyer HERE.

I still have questions!

If you still have questions, we encourage you to go ahead and sign up. Your questions will likely be answered during the event or in the private community, which you’ll be able to join right away after grabbing your free ticket.

However, if you need to ask us a question before registering, feel free to send us an email at info@gapscience.com.

Learn How to Move Beyond the "Suck It Up" Mentality and Build Long-Term Strategies for Burnout, Stress, and Trauma.