With the ongoing devastation from lives lost during the flooding in Texas’ Hill Country, and first responders’ emotional fatigue as the death toll climbs, so does the call for mental health resources.
LATEST: At least 104 dead in Texas Hill Country floods; 56 adults, 30 children confirmed in Kerr County
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There are dozens of resources KPRC 2 has highlighted to help children and families, but certainly, the front-line helpers need assistance as well. To help combat mental health issues in first responders, there are a variety of state-wide and nationally available resources.
One of the most prominent resources for first responders in the U.S. is the Code Green Campaign.
“The Code Green Campaign, also known as Code Green, is an advocacy and awareness organization dedicated to first responder mental health and suicide prevention,” Director Fiona Thomas said. “Our mission is for each first responder to go home at the end of the day, and to remain mentally and physically healthy.”
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Founded in March 2014, the organization came as a response to the suicide of an American Medical Response Spokane Paramedic. This tragedy, organizers explained, sparked a wider conversation surrounding the mental strain first responders experience, which inspired the founders of Code Green to create their mission-driven organization.
“A group of first responders across the country began talking and soon realized we all knew at least one coworker or friend in the industry who had died by suicide,” Thomas said. “We wanted to do something about it.
Code Green accomplishes its mission through a variety of services and resources it provides. This includes offering training courses, speaking at national conferences, and assembling the first-ever resource database for first-responder mental health in one easily accessible location.
Thomas says that the demand for mental health support has increased as conversations surrounding mental health have increased societally.
“More first responders have been willing to seek mental health resources as time has passed,” Thomas explained. “I’ve been a first responder since before 9/11, and the evolution from then until now is significant - we are willing to take care of ourselves much more compared to before.”
Still, Thomas says significant roadblocks are preventing first responders from wanting to come forward about their struggles with mental health.
“Many of us hold special licenses,” she said. “A major tie to the stigma for certain providers is that they would lose the ability to renew that license or they would lose the license upon seeking help, even though getting help is protected.”
In times of tragedy like these, we must encourage our first responders to seek mental health assistance after having fought for us on the front lines.
Below is a list of resources, both in Texas and in the United States, that offer such support.
- Heroes Helpline: Heroes Helpline offers free, confidential services that intend to help first responders and healthcare workers across Texas. First responders can call for immediate support.
- Treat Mental Health Texas: Treat Mental Health Texas offers specialized mental health care to those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving their communities..
- UT Health Trauma and Resilience Center: The UT Health Trauma and Resilience Center offers telemedicine, trauma-focused care for people experiencing PTSD, free of charge.
- One-Tribe Foundation, Stay the Course Program: The One-Tribe Foundation provides counseling with licensed mental health professionals for veterans, first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families. Appointments are helpful but are not required.
- Counseling Place: Counseling Place offers counseling services to first responders at $20 per session.
- First Responders Foundation: The First Responders Foundation offers programming classes and telehealth appointments for first responders in need of emotional, psychological, or physical help.
- Code Green Campaign: The Code Green Campaign, the organization with which we spoke, offers a variety of resources to first responders, from continued education classes to consulting services, to an online resource database.
- The First Responder Center for Excellence: Promotes quality educational awareness and research to reduce physical, emotional, and psychological health and wellness issues for first responders.
- Foundation 1023: Foundation 1023 provides funding for emotional and mental wellness services, access to peer-supported outdoor activities, and events designed for wellness and connection.
- Public Safety Professionals Retreat: The Public Safety Professionals Retreat helps first responders learn and practice new coping skills.
- Gary-Sinise Foundation First Responders Outreach: The Gary-Sinise Foundation First Responders Outreach builds 100% mortgage-free smart homes with modifications for wounded or disabled first responders, along with providing funding for emergency relief training and equipment so that first responders can perform at their best when faced with dangerous situations.