ALPA’s In the Green Podcast

Episode 11: Mental Health and Jumpseating

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:58:12 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) chats with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and Capt. A.J. Berlotti (ALA), Aviation Jumpseat Chair. The three examine how the stressors of jumpseating can impact mental health and strategies that pilots can use to cope with these stressors, including "jumpseat therapy."

Episode 10: Sample Pilot Peer Support Call

Fri, 29 May 2026 19:12:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) engages in some role play with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and vice chair Capt. Elijah Nicolas (JBU). The three provide a sample call to ALPA’s Pilot Peer Support program to help answer fundamental questions pilots may have about the service and what to expect.

Episode 9: Mental Health Aviation Updates

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:11:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) chats with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and vice chair Capt. Elijah Nicolas (JBU), who also serve as the campaign’s respective chair and vice chair. The three examine how regulators and policymakers are actively taking a renewed interest in evaluating and addressing mental health concerns.

Episode 8: The Mental Health Continuum

Tue, 05 May 2026 18:51:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) talks with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and vice chair Capt. Elijah Nicolas (JBU), who also serve as the campaign’s respective chair and vice chair. The two go into depth about the mental health continuum, a model representing mental health as a dynamic spectrum, which pilots use to gauge their fitness to fly.

Episode 7: Meet the Mental Health Professionals

Wed, 28 May 2025 18:51:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) sits down with mental health counselor Jessica Auslander, licensed employee assistance program professional Mark Berg, and workplace consultant and psychologist Doug McGibbon, three of ALPA’s contract mental health providers. The four examine the changes in medical certification policy as they relate to current mental health issues, the kind of work the contractors perform for the Association, and the trends they are witnessing.

Episode 6: ALPA Canada’s Pilot Mental Health Support Network

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:50:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU), ALPA ASO Canadian Pilot Assistance chair Capt. Jacques Gendron (TSC), and Canadian Pilot Peer Support coordinator Capt. Dana Chepil (CMA) review the pilot mental health support structure and the many resources available to the Association’s Canadian members.

Episode 5: New Approaches to Mental Health Advocacy

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 18:45:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) meets with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support (PPS) chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and Capt. Richard Nestor (ALA), his pilot group’s PPS chair, in a discussion about the U.S. military’s holistic health and fitness approach and what airline professionals can learn from it. Based on his professional work and research, Nestor has helped develop a company-sponsored mental fitness and performance enhancement resource program for pilots.

Episode 4: The FAA’s Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances ARC

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:45:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) talks with ALPA Air Safety Organization (ASO) Pilot Assistance chair Capt. Travis Ludwig (UAL) and ASO Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) about the FAA’s Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances ARC. Chartered by the FAA on December 4, 2023, the ARC provided a forum for the U.S. aviation community to discuss the barriers preventing pilots from reporting and seeking care for mental health issues and to make recommendations to address these barriers to mitigate potential aviation safety risks. Ludwig served as co-chair of this effort.

Episode 3: Pilot Peer Support in Action

Tue, 21 May 2024 18:44:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU), ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU), and vice chair F/O Marion “Sonny” Ruff (UAL) review the various programs available to all members through the Association’s Air Safety Organization Pilot Assistance Group. Special attention is given to Pilot Peer Support, a network of pilot volunteers who help fellow ALPA members deal with stress from any source, including financial problems, family or relationship concerns, and any other work or personal issues.

Episode 2: Strategies for Staying Mentally Fit for Duty

Mon, 13 May 2024 18:43:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU), ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU), and vice chair F/O Marion “Sonny” Ruff (UAL) discuss practices for staying mentally fit to fly, as well as the development of an emergency mental health care plan for occasions when your mental wellbeing is less than optimal.

Episode 1: What Does Being in the Green Mean?

Fri, 03 May 2024 18:39:00 -0300

Are You in the Green? podcast host Capt. J.R. Hall (JBU) chats with ALPA Air Safety Organization Pilot Peer Support chair F/O Carrie Braun (JBU) and vice chair F/O Marion “Sonny” Ruff (UAL) about ALPA’s Are You in the Green? campaign. The title references the colors of the Mental Health Continuum, which helps pilots gauge the state of their mental health and fitness to fly, based on their attitudes, behaviors, and adherence to certain social norms. This evaluation is an important tool because a pilot’s mental state can impact their performance level.