Where can I find mental health resources and support for first responders?

Exploring NAMI’s Public Safety Professionals webpage is a great place to start. It provides information on building resilience, peer support, and wellness strategies for public safety professionals and their family members. It also lists resources for confidential and professional support and other information to help first responders and their families stay well. 

In Crisis? 

If you experience a mental health crisis, know that you are not alone. Help is available. You work every day to keep others safe, and others want to help you stay safe too. If you are thinking of suicide or experiencing another mental health crisis, reach out to the following organizations for support right away: 

  • The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential crisis counseling 24/7/365 just by dialing 988. 
    • To reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for Veterans, select "1" 
    • To reach Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio (Spanish) select "2" 
    • Lifeline Options for Deaf + Hard of Hearing for TTY Users: use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988. You may also text 988, or chat function is available here at 988Lifeline.org. 
  • Crisis Text Line also offers free 24/7 mental health support. Text “BADGE” to 741741 for help. 
  • Safe Call Now is a confidential 24-hour crisis line and support service for first responders, emergency services personnel, medical professionals and their family members nationwide. Call (206) 459-3020. 

The following resources may also be helpful: 

  • Catch a Falling Star serves first responders, including police, EMTs, correctional officers, military personnel and their families by providing confidential training and peer support services to help with their personal or work-related concerns. 
  • COPLINE is a 24/7 confidential service that helps law enforcement officers and their families deal with stressors both on and off the job. Help is provided by experienced or retired law enforcement officers.  
  • The Battle Within offers a therapy program that matches you with a therapist and covers the cost of their first six sessions. This structured support is designed to help individuals process trauma and establish healthy habits as part of their healing journey.  
  • Bulletproof is a confidential and anonymous resource that provides law enforcement professionals and their families with mental health and wellness initiatives, addiction awareness tools, assessments and direction towards treatment and care. 
  • Catch a Falling Star serves first responders, including police, EMTs, correctional officers, military personnel and their families by providing confidential training and peer support services to help with their personal or work-related concerns. 
  • Firestrong is a 24/7 firefighter and family crisis and support line that can be reached at (844) 525-3473. 
  • The National Volunteer Fire Council provides a directory of behavioral health professionals, vetted by the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) for cultural competence with fire and emergency services professionals. 
  • Next Rung links firefighters and first responders to professional or peer resources. The organization offers free peer support via talk, text, social media messaging, email, Skype, or FaceTime. To contact Next Rung, text “SUPPORT” to (833) 698-7864.  
  • Responder Strong offers support for all emergency responders and their families including referrals, self-help tools and educational resources.  
  • Therapy Aid Coalition provides free and low-cost short-term therapy for first responders, including individual and group support.   
  • 1st Help offers quick access to organizations assisting first responders with a range of topics from peer support to mental health care and financial aid. 
  • 911 At Ease International provides access to free trauma-informed counseling for first responders and families, including police, fire, paramedics, emergency medical personnel and other essential agencies. 
  • NAMI I Don’t Want to Lose Any More Friends: First Responders are Not Alone Video Officer Victor Machese has spent more than 15 years working in law enforcement. In the past few years, he has lost five of his close friends on the force due to suicide. It was these losses that moved Victor to do more to stem the tide of first responder deaths by suicide. This is his story and a message to others that there is help and a path to wellness and recovery. 

Hours of operation Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST 

Call: 800-950-NAMI (6264) 

Text: 62640 

Webchat: www.nami.org/help  

Email: helpline@nami.org

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