Let's make sure we're on the same page for improving firefighter mental health services
Robert Avsec
Retired battalion chief and freelance writer. Author of "Successful Transformational Change in a Fire & EMS Department: How a Focused Team Created a Revenue Recovery Program in Six Months--From Scratch"
Looking over the document, Firefighter Mental Health and Well-being, published by the U.S. Fire Administration that leads off with the following:
Providing comprehensive mental health and well-being resources, including those focused on suicide prevention, for all fire and EMS personnel is 1 of 7 critical issues identified for action on the part of the federal government during the 2023 Fire Administrator’s Summit.
In 2022, Congress recognized the impact of post- traumatic stress on our nation’s first responders by passing the Public Safety Officer Support Act (PL 117- 172)3. The legislation expands the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to cover public safety officers who die as a result of suicide under certain circumstances or are permanently and totally disabled as a result of traumatic self-inflicted injury.
Nevertheless, the federal government has a responsibility to do more. Congress should establish grant programs funding peer-supported mental health and wellness programs within fire departments. Resources should be available to health care providers, highlighting best practices for addressing post-traumatic stress among public safety officers [Emphasis added].
Peer support teams, as the name implies, are just that, support, not treatment. They're role should be to provide safe space for an individual to have conversation with someone who knows the job and can listen with a high degree of empathy.
Their training must include the knowledge and understanding of what psychologists and masters-level clinicians (e.g., licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists) can provide and recognize when they should guide an individual to seek professional help.
We need more culturally competent clinicians
How about asking Congress to create grant funding for the training and educating of more psychologists and masters-level clinicians to increase the availability of culturally competent clinicians to firefighters and officers when they need professional mental health services.
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Why? Because the report also includes this statement: There is a lack of culturally competent mental health and wellness specialists to assist firefighters, and local Employee Assistance Programs are ill-equipped to assist first responders.
Culturally competent clinicians know what firefighters do, why they do it, how they do it, the conditions under which they do it, and the unique stressors of the job.
Accurate data on the prevalence and causes of post-traumatic stress and suicide with the fire service must be collected. According to evidence-based research, mental health awareness campaigns provide effective intervention methods. Our collective responsibility is to provide those who serve with the tools they need to help themselves and each other.
Can't argue with the need for more research to gather firefighter specific data so that evidence-based strategies and be developed and implemented. The mission of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) is: Develop the scientific study and application of professional psychology to meet the needs of the fire service. FSPA represents the fire service within the psychology community--it was the first, and still only, organization whose sole focus is meeting the psychological needs of the fire service.
So, why are the major fire service organizations that represent the interests of firefighters and officers reluctant to engage with the one organization that has direct linkage to the psychological community through its recognition by the American Psychological Association (APA)? I'll wait.
"once in awhile you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"
4 个月Robert Avsec would we not do better if we built in mental fitness development in the front end, instead. of being reactive after having stress induced illnesses? How many who completed suicide or have had permanent stress injury fully recover? We handle mental health same as mitigation of fire. We wait for an event, then we’re reactive. Our current model sucks
Executive Vice President - BC Professional Fire Fighters Association
4 个月I could not agree more! That’s why I hear in BC we created a large partnership with all of the stakeholders including First Responder Health, the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters (BCPFFA) the BC Municipal Safety Association, Government of British Columbia and others to create and provide training to over 10,000 FFs across BC including BC Wildfire Service! https://www.firstresponderhealth.org/bcffoat
Organizational Behaviour & Workplace Wellness Specialist / Consultant / Fire Service Executive Management graduate
4 个月This is great, Robert. I would respectfully add a "Psychological Safe Work Environment/Culture" as a third and foundational component. Additionally, Peer Supporters must demonstrate impartiality and have not previously been involved in past grievances and/or poor behaviours. Otherwise could be perceived as a "check box" in an organization. JR