Tag Archives: mental health issues for firefighters

The First Responder Behavioral Health Institute (FRBHI) is a pioneering organization dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of first responders. Established in 2022 by Joseph Brigandi, a retired fire captain/paramedic who became a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapistat the Counseling Center of Texas, FRBHI aims to provide education, training, and support to ensure the psychological well-being of first responders, be they law enforcement officers, firefighters, or EMS personnel. Today, Brigandi serves as the Clinical Program Director for FRBHI.

Recently, we have seen an increase in awareness for the impact mental health issues have on fire service members. The following is a brief explanation of how depression, the most frequent aspect of firefighter mental distress, can appear.This also shows what all of us can do to help change the impact of depression on ourselves and others.

Going public, speaking about it before groups of firefighters, having a “speaker” Facebook page for those who wished to follow my journey and how you can heal from PTS and PTSD, this created a whole new barrier for me in searching for a new job.