Chaplain, mental health advocate to be honored April 22 at Bert Nash Pioneer Celebration

Paramedicine was a relatively new field in 1975.

At the time, Paul Taylor was completing his studies at St. John’s College in Winfield and trying to figure out what to do with his life.

“I was going to college and casting around for some kind of career,” Taylor said. “It’s nerve-racking when you are almost through school and you don’t know what you’re going to do.”

Then someone suggested he become a paramedic.

Taylor didn’t know what the person was talking about. Literally.

“I had never even heard of a paramedic,” Taylor said. “I didn’t even know what a paramedic was.”

But Taylor decided to take the person’s advice and signed up for a  paramedic program at Southwestern College in Winfield.

Turns out, he found his calling.

Fast-forward 20 years, Taylor retired from being a paramedic and started a new career, this time as a pastor. He found his second calling.

Today, Taylor combines his experience as a paramedic and a pastor in another role – as a chaplain for Lawrence and Douglas County law enforcement agencies and emergency medical services.

In his role as a pastor and a chaplain, Taylor has been a longtime supporter of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.

In recognition of Taylor’s advocacy for mental health services in Douglas County, he will receive this year’s Bert Nash Pioneer Award. The award will be presented at the center’s annual Pioneer Celebration on April 22 at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire St. in Lawrence. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

The Pioneer Award was first presented in 1986. Taylor's name will be added to a list that includes former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden; Lawrence Journal-World publisher Dolph Simons, Jr.; and the late Sandra Shaw, the longtime Bert Nash executive director.

Taylor said his appreciation for Bert Nash makes this award especially meaningful.

“I respect them as an organization,” Taylor said. "So, for them to give me this award, I’m very honored. Anytime your peers single you out for an honor it’s always very special.”

While Taylor’s work focuses more on the spiritual side, he recognizes the importance of mental health, as well as physical health.

“Anytime you can bring all three – physical, emotional and spiritual healing – into play, people are going to get well faster,” Taylor said. “What I’ve found is if you get the right kind of help to people and they trust that help, and it’s quality help, they recover so much quicker.”

Taylor is grateful for the working relationship he has with the Bert Nash Center.

“I have really enjoyed the partnership and the quality of the people from Bert Nash I have worked with,” Taylor said. “It has just been high quality from the top down. You can see their motivation, and it’s very genuine. I respect them as an organization.”

Taylor, through his duties as a pastor at the Mustard Seed Church in Lawrence, is confident when he refers people to Bert Nash that they will receive exceptional service.

“They do a wonderful job there,” he said. “It’s really a trust relationship that has been built.”

With his background as a paramedic, Taylor participated, along with representatives from Bert Nash, in formation of the Kansas All Hazards Behavioral Health (KAHBH) team in Douglas County.

“Bert Nash’s ability to partner with law enforcement and fire and medical was enhanced by Paul’s continual advocacy for the mental health of our community,” Patricia Roach Smith, Bert Nash chief operations officer, said of Taylor. She was also involved in the formation of KAHBH.

Taylor spent 20 years as a paramedic, five in Winfield and 15 in Lawrence. During that time, he also attended a Bible college in Kansas City, Mo., where he received training to become a pastor.

So, in 1995, after Taylor retired from one vocation, he started a new one. “I just transitioned from one career to another,” he said.

Taylor’s first experience as a chaplain came in 1997 when he received a call from the Lawrence Fire Department.

“They called and asked me if I would help them through a very difficult situation,” Taylor said. “There had been a house fire and they lost a child in the fire. It profoundly affected the department because they couldn’t rescue him.”

Having been a paramedic, Taylor was exposed to crisis situations on a regular basis. He witnessed the emotional damage a traumatic experience can have on emergency responders. His experience as a paramedic helps him in his role as a chaplain. Those in this profession can suffer from EMS ptsd after seeing what they see on a daily basis, so having that fuel Taylor’s new way of life can be a support for those who also are affected.

“I understand what they are going through. Oftentimes I am working with people who are uncomfortable with their own discomfort and it’s not easy for them to share they are struggling,” Taylor said. “They want somebody they trust, somebody who will understand, somebody who will not judge them, and somebody who has credibility in having lived their lifestyle.”

Ken McGovern, Douglas County sheriff, said Taylor’s paramedic experience makes him uniquely qualified to be a chaplain for local law enforcement agencies. “With law enforcement they are a tight group and it can be hard to break into that group,” McGovern said. “With Paul, it’s easier because he can understand what they are going through. It’s easier for them to relate to him.”

As a chaplain, Taylor works behind the scenes. His duties include assisting law enforcement with death notifications, giving post-traumatic debriefings and providing counseling.

“It’s one of those things that not too many people see,” McGovern said of Taylor’s contributions. “He becomes a liaison between law enforcement and the families in need. He understands what we do and why we do it. He’s been a great asset for our staff.”

Taylor describes his role as a chaplain this way, “It’s a little bit like being a pastor to people who don’t have a pastor.”

Sounds like he found his calling. Again.