Firefighters Need Mental Health Clinicians Who “Get it”

By: Robert Avsec, battalion chief (Ret.), and fire service member of FSPA

Good day, Fire Chief!

Is your department “Clinician Friendly?” Do you want more culturally competent mental health clinicians in your area?

What does “culturally competent clinician” mean? For a firefighter seeking help with a mental health issue, it means a clinician who won’t ask “Do you sleep at the fire station?” It means a clinician who understands what an extended vehicle extrication operation means and why you’re having trouble coping with the death of the entrapped occupant because you couldn’t extract them in time.

That’s why we at the Fire Service Psychology Association have developed the model depicted in this graphic, a model that’s designed to inform and educate a mental health clinician about what you do, how you do it, and the conditions under which you must do it.

And It’s a Two-Way Street

At FSPA, we believe it’s equally important for fire departments and their personnel to be informed and educated about what mental health clinicians, particularly psychologists, “bring to the table” when working with firefighters and officers. We couldn’t think of a better way for mental health clinicians and firefighters to learn about each other–before the latter needs their help–than to develop this pathway that can give firefighters and officers the opportunity to learn about mental health clinicians “one-on-one” right there in their own fire station!

If your fire department is interested in helping develop clinicians who have that knowledge and understanding, please enter your department’s information using the link below and we’ll get to work with your fire department:

CULTURALLY COMPETENT CLINICIANS FOR THE FIRE SERVICE

This is a team effort. Let’s work together on this.