Behavioral Health Program

The stresses faced by fire service members throughout the course of their careers – incidents involving children, violence, inherent dangers of firefighting and other potentially traumatic events – can have a cumulative impact on mental health and well-being.

Peer support programs have been demonstrated to be an effective method for providing support to occupational groups, including fire fighters.

• The IAFF Peer Support Training Program is a two-day interactive course taught by experienced peers from the fire service and behavioral health clinicians. For a program overview, please see the IAFF Peer Support Training Overview.
• To learn more about building your peer support program, please see the IAFF program planning guide “10 Steps to Build Your Peer Support Program.”

Important:
It may be possible to obtain a grant through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program to fund the IAFF Peer Support Training.

For more information, log in to the IAFF website, visit the Grants Administration page and review the Grant Application Guidance for the IAFF Peer Support Training.

Despite increased awareness of behavioral health problems in the fire service, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, burnout and suicide continue to plague our ranks.

Building on the initial success of the IAFF Peer Support Training program, the IAFF Resiliency Training is the next behavioral health training to be offered by the IAFF.

This training is a one-day, eight-hour, in-person training focused on building individual and organizational resilience in the fire service.

Important: It may be possible to obtain a grant through the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant program to fund IAFF Resiliency Training.

For more information, visit Grants Administration and review the grant application guidance for IAFF Resiliency Training.

The IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery is a one-of-a-kind treatment facility specializing in behavioral health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health challenges exclusively for professional fire fighters, paramedics and dispatchers.

Partnering with Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), a leader in behavioral healthcare management, the IAFF Center of Excellence is staffed by a highly experienced and specialized team familiar with the unique needs of our members and the fire service culture. Located outside Washington, DC, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, the Center opened March 5, 2017.

Learn more about the Center and the resources available to IAFF members.

For an overview of the treatment program offered at the Center, see the IAFF Center of Excellence Clinical Program Guide.

In addition, the IAFF has created a toolkit designed to provide affiliate leaders with information and resources to ensure IAFF members have access to the Center of Excellence.

Understanding the Fire Service for Mental Health Clinicians

This online self-paced training is intended for behavioral health clinicians who are interested in working with fire service personnel in a clinical setting. Other healthcare providers may also benefit from this training. This course will provide clinicians a therapeutic foundation for working with fire fighters, by deepening their understanding of the fire fighting occupation and the fire service community.  To register for this course, please visit the IAFF Online Learning Center Course Catalog and search for “Understanding the Fire Service for Mental Health Clinicians”.
Coming Soon: Expected Delivery Fall 2021

Treating Fire Fighters in Behavioral Health Settings

This is an in-person training intended to build best practices when working with fire fighters in a clinical behavioral health setting, in addition to gaining direct exposure to the daily operations of a fire fighter through live simulated training.
Coming Soon: Expected Delivery Fall 2022

Video Resources for Clinicians

• Understanding Peer Support in the Fire Service
  This 1.5-hour webinar is intended for clinicians and fire service personnel who want a deeper understanding of peer support in the fire service and the role of a clinician on a peer support team. This webinar is delivered in collaboration with the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery.
• Trauma in the Fire Service
  This 1.5-hour webinar explores best practices for clinicians interested in working with fire service personnel coping with post-traumatic stress or PTSD. Fire service personal will learn more about what to look for in a clinician. This webinar is delivered in collaboration with the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery.
• Suicide and Suicide Prevention in the Fire Service
  This 1.5-hour presentation from the 2019 Redmond Symposium/Barbera EMS Conference explores suicide postvention, suicide prevention strategies, evidence-based treatments for suicide, resources for suicide loss and the IAFF’s efforts to understand and address suicide. This workshop is intended for a general fire service audience, but is also recommend for clinicians who are interested in working with fire fighters.

Online Meeting Basics

IAFF online recovery meetings are for members coping with or in recovery from an alcohol or substance use problem.

This peer-led meeting is intended to provide a supportive space for individuals to share their experience, strength and hope with other brothers and sisters interested in recovery.

Online recovery meetings are an inclusive space that embrace multiple pathways to recovery, including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART recovery, harm reduction and medication assisted treatment.

Peer connection plays an essential role in supporting recovery from addiction and overall behavioral health. Online meetings provide an alternative to in-person meetings and offer support, accountability and connection to other members who want to live without alcohol or drugs.

Meetings are hosted through an external, web-based platform. You can choose to participate with video or audio only and do not need to provide any identifying information to participate in the meeting. We are not monitoring or tracking who participates in the meeting.

Online recovery meetings are 60 minutes and begin with a review of ground rules. Meetings are delivered in two formats:

• Speaker Meetings focus on the recovery testimonial of one to three speakers who have agreed to share their story. Speaker meetings are not an opportunity for individual participation and are designed for larger groups.
• Small Group Meetings begin with a brief discussion on a specific theme, then individual participants have a time-limited opportunity to share how they relate to the theme or to check in with the group. Small group meetings are designed for 25-50 participants.

To address the ongoing opioid problem, the IAFF – with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) – has launched an online series to provide an in-depth understanding of opioid epidemic impacting the United States and Canada. This series is designed for fire service personnel and civilians. Each segment includes at least one video and corresponding podcast to provide more in-depth discussion and commentary.

Topics include:

1. Opioid Use Disorder: A Disease
2. Treating Opioid Addiction
3. Treatment Considerations for Fire Fighters
4. Responsible Approaches to Pain Management
5. Stories of Recovery From Opioid Addiction
6. Addressing Substance Use in Your Department
7. Situational Awareness When Responding to Opioid Incidents
8. Managing Exposure Risks
9. Community Approaches to the Opioid Crisis
10. Managing Compassion Fatigue

Click here to access the series.

• Building Resilience Through a Pandemic
• IAFF Center of Excellence Spouse and Family FAQ Guide
• IAFF Center of Excellence Family Resource Guide
• Fire Fighter Suicide: How to Cope With Grief and Loss
• How to Talk About Fire Fighter Suicide
• Understanding the Difference Between PTS and PTSD
• Coping with Grief
• Finding the Right Clinician
• Burnout and Self Care During a Disaster Relief Operation
• Talking to Kids About LODD and Tragedy
• Talking to Your Kids After Disaster
• Talking to Kids About Your Addiction
• How to Tell Your Kids You Are Going to Rehab
• Talking to Kids About Close Calls
• Creating a Behavioral Health Program: A Checklist
• How to Support a Crew Member From Treatment
• IAFF Peer Support Training Program Brief
• 10 Steps to Build Your Peer Support Program
• Recruiting Members for Your Peer Support Team

Resource Guides and Articles

• Building Resilience During a Pandemic: An EMS Guide
• Coping With Grief During COVID-19: Saying Goodbye to Loved Ones
• Spiritual Connection During COVID-19
• Staying Sober During COVID-19
• Coronavirus Guidance for Peer Support
• COVID-19 Behavioral Health Considerations
• IAFF Guide to Managing Coronavirus Anxiety
• What to Expect in Quarantine
• Helping Your Family Cope With COVID-19
• Is Telemental Health Right for Me?

Podcasts

• Podcast: Tackling Behavioral Health During COVID-19

Free Telemental Health Services

The Warriors Research Institute (WRI) – run by IAFF Behavioral Health partner Dr. Suzy Gulliver – is offering telemental health services at no cost to all IAFF members in the United States. Learn more here.

For more information, contact [email protected]

International Association of Fire Fighters
Attn: Health and Safety Department
1750 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5395

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) connects callers to local crisis centers and has information on suicide prevention.