Editor’s Note: Help is available if you or someone you know has a mental illness or is struggling emotionally. If you are suicidal or in emotional distress, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Mental health resources have expanded in recent years. For first responders, however, the stigma surrounding utilization of these resources, and the inadequate training of professionals related to responder trauma, are vastly underutilized.
Finding a mental health provider is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. In many instances, a person may visit two or more providers before finding the one that “clicks” with them. Unfortunately, some responders who do not feel that they had a good experience with their provider provide negative feedback causing other responders to shy away from seeking help. Having patients and commitment are the keys to success.
Treatment modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have been shown to provide positive therapeutic benefits for responders battling anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress.
The key to obtaining success is responder commitment. The responder must recognize and admit to having a mental health struggle, as well as commit to fully participating in the treatment plan before success can be achieved. Recovery is not only possible but probable with proper resources and commitment. There is never a reason to lose hope!
Support
Professional help should not be the only resource for responders. While it is a key component for some, success also is dependent on internal support from leadership and peers. External support from family and community systems is also crucial.
Responder organizations including EMS, fire, law enforcement, hospitals and public health should work to build strong internal peer support systems and incorporate peer support specialists whenever possible. Peer support should also have a component for family support and resources for families of responders dealing with mental health issues.
For families to be supportive and understand the normal reactions to trauma experienced by responders, they must be offered education and taught how to support their loved ones. Community support systems can be built by collaboration of responders to establish activities such as soft ball, basketball, golf, or other activities that encourage comradery between organizations.
This not only allows responders to exercise their bodies and minds but provides opportunities for team building across responder disciplines furthering opportunities for additional peer support. Families need to be involved so social connections and support systems can be established through communication and friendships.
Education is Key
Education remains a pillar for building an organization successful in supporting its responder’s mental health. Education begins at the top, leadership must be trained to support mental health and physical health equally, encourage mental health check-ups along with physical health check-ups and provide automatic opportunities for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) response to provide services such as diffusing and debriefings when traumatic calls and events occur.
Responders must also be offered education about mental health and the resources available to them and encouraged to use these resources without fear of negative repercussion or stigma.
Trainings
The Tennessee Department of Health is committed to providing opportunities for evidence based educational trainings for responders and their families. A current focus is on providing new instructor trainings and participant trainings in mental health first aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Other trainings include applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) through Livingworks and Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) through the QPR Initiative both supported by the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network who teach classes across the state. These are just a few of the trainings available.
Team Approach
Mental health resources are only as good as the people who promote, support and utilize them. There must be a commitment made at all levels within an organization to support and care for their responder’s mental wellbeing and by the responders to support one another and utilize the supports offered.
It takes a team approach to support mental health just as it takes a team approach to run that call, fight that fire, save that life. The difference is the life saved may be one of a teammate or even yourself.
