Confidential And Professional Support

Sometimes it helps just having a peer to listen. Other times, having professional mental health support is essential.

Public safety professionals are often reluctant to seek professional support. This may be due to concerns about leaders or coworkers finding out and losing confidence in their ability to do the job. When your job is centered on saving other people in emergency situations, it may also be difficult to reconcile needing help yourself.

The fact is that everyone needs support sometimes. You may have become accustomed to many challenging aspects of the work, but there are many things you experience that simply have an inescapably negative impact. When other forms of self-care and support aren’t enough, professional support can help.

Below you will find a number of free, confidential support services available for public safety professionals. You can access these services without concern for your career, and they are staffed with culturally-competent professionals — people who understand your line of work. Find one that is right for you and reach out. The sooner you do, the sooner you can start to feel better.

• The National Volunteer Fire Council provides a directory of behavioral health professionals, vetted by the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) for cultural competence with fire and emergency services professionals.
• 911 At Ease International provides access to free trauma-informed counseling for first responders and families, including police, fire, paramedics, emergency medical personnel and other essential agencies.
• 1st Help offers quick access to organizations assisting first responders with a range of topics from peer support to mental health care and financial aid.
• Responder Strong offers support for all emergency responders and their families including referrals, self-help tools and educational resources.
• Bulletproof lets you use your agency’s code to find confidential and anonymous mental health and wellness resources for law enforcement professionals and their families.
• Next Rung links firefighters and first responders to professional or peer resources.
• Firestrong is a 24/7 firefighter and family crisis and support line.

A 911 Communication Officer’s Experience

by Daniel, Paulding County 911
These three words may be the most important three words that you’ve ever spoken