Mental Health Prevention Programs for First Responders and Their Families

First responders (FR) face an increased risk of mental disorders due to their frequent exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE’s; Carleton et al., 2018). The impact of these stressors extends to FR families, with spouses often bearing the brunt of supporting the fire member and the family (Casas & Benuto, 2021). Various initiatives targeting operational and organizational interventions have emerged to reduce the frequency and severity of posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI) among FR’s, including fire, paramedics, and police (Stelnicki et al., 2021; Bahji et al., 2022). Many interventions, however, are lacking in evidence to support the validity and feasibility in producing measurable change in participants. In response to this, two intervention programs – the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program (McElheran, 2018) and the Re: Building Families (RBF) program (Schwartz et al., 2022) – have been developed and tested to demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing the cognitive, behavioural and social impacts of PTSIs. This presentation will summarize the development and delivery of both programs and discuss the importance of psychoeducation and support for both the FR and their spouses/partners. This presentation will describe how psychoeducation and support programs like BOS and RBF represent what is possible when rigorous academic investigation works in strategic collaboration with qualified and experienced mental health providers.

This session was originally recorded at te 29th Annual IVAT San Diego Summit.