Host a Clinician Training
Treating Fire Fighters in Behavioral Health Settings is a two-day, live training designed by the IAFF for mental health clinicians who are interested in working with fire service members in a clinical or programmatic setting.
This training can be hosted by an IAFF local affiliate, state or provincial affiliate, or district entity. Requests to host the training by non-IAFF organizational partners will also be considered but must be approved by an affiliate IAFF president.
Why should your local or department host a training?
Hosting Treating Fire Fighters in Behavioral Health Settings is a great opportunity to take a proactive steps towards fostering behavioral health and wellness for your department members. Hosting a clinician training will help your department to:
- Strengthen the behavioral health resources available to your members
- Meet and vet local outpatient mental health clinicians to determine who is a good fit for your members and your family members
- Build a list of trusted clinicians to refer members to, before a crisis or inpatient treatment is needed
- Receive advanced behavioral health training for participating peer support team members
- Identify clinicians who are interested in partnering with your local support peer team
- Be ready to connect members with specially trained clinicians when the next disaster, critical incident, LODD, or suicide impacts your department
Who should attend this training?
This training is ideal for any graduate-level mental health clinician interested in expanding their practice to work with fire and rescue personnel. This may include clinicians currently in private practice, community-based behavioral health treatment programs, employee assistance programs, public safety health and wellness programs, or those interested in collaborating with fire service peer support teams. Clinicians who are already working with first responder populations will benefit from an enhanced understanding of fire and rescue personnel, while broadening their local professional network of clinicians who specialize in fire responder populations.
Clinicians will develop best practices for working with fire service members through a combination of traditional classroom instruction, small group interaction and skills practice, and hands-on fireground training. The training will also incorporate participation of local IAFF trained peers and other fire/ rescue personnel, selected by the host-organization. Clinicians will interact directly with fire/ rescue personnel through the two-day training experience.
Scheduling
Training is scheduled on two consecutive days for up to 8.5 hours per day. The IAFF strives to accommodate requested training dates based on instructor availability. To ensure enough lead time for preparation and student outreach, please request dates at least six months in advance. When you are ready to schedule, please complete our clinician training request form and send to [email protected]. If you have questions or would like a phone call, please contact [email protected].
Cost
The fee to host Treating Fire Fighters in Behavioral Health Settings is $5,000 in U.S. funds for a maximum of 32 clinician participants. Payment from the host organization must be received 30 days prior to the start of the two-day training.
The fee to attend the Treating Fire Fighters in Behavioral Health Settings is $325.00 in U.S. funds per student, due upon registration. The registration fee is waived for fire department personnel who participate in the training as IAFF peers or fireground wranglers.
What is included in the cost of the training?
- A two-day, in-person, highly interactive training experience for 32 clinicians
- Pre-planning meetings as needed with IAFF staff
- A promotional flyer and unique event registration link for the host organization to advertise the class, see sample flyer here
- Two seasoned IAFF instructors (clinician and fire fighter) inclusive of all teaching, travel, and lodging fees
- Printed manuals and materials for all registered students
- Protective knee pads, gloves, and eye protection for all registered students
- Certificates reflecting 13.0 continuing education credits (CEUs) for all registered students; students will also receive an additional 1.5 CEUs for the completing the online training prerequisite
- An opportunity for registered clinicians who complete the course to be listed in an IAFF Clinician Directory
Host Organization Requirements
- Provide a dedicated point of contact (POC) that will coordinate and oversee all aspects of class delivery, logistics, marketing, peer and wrangler selection, and participate in all pre-planning meets leading up to the event
- Provide a classroom that can comfortably seat up to 40 students, equipped with laptop, projector, screen and external speakers (or IAFF can provide AV set up for a fee)
- Provide access to a local fire ground training facility
- Supply one Engine, one EMS medic unit, and applicable personnel (e.g driver/ operator, officer, paramedic, etc)
- Provide 32 complete and sanitized SCBAs, face pieces, and structural fire helmets
- Provide on-site lunch for two days for all attendees
- Provide 9 local fire service personnel* to assist in class delivery. The host organization or affiliate is responsible for any compensation provided to fire service personnel participating in the two-day class.
- 4 IAFF trained peers (attend days 1 and 2)
- 4 fireground wranglers (day 2 only)
- 1 safety officer to oversee fireground training (day 2)
Filling Seats in Your Training
If the host organization would like assistance in filling vacant seats in the training, the IAFF will assist in advertising the training to surrounding IAFF affiliates in the state or region, in addition to our national database of clinicians who have expressed interest in the training.
Certificates
Certificates will be awarded to registered students who 1) complete the training prerequisite Understanding the Fire Service for Mental Health Professionals, 2) attend the full duration of the two day class, and 3) complete a post-training survey evaluation. Certificates will reflect 13.0 hours of continuing education credits and be emailed to students, upon completion of their class evaluation.
