Behavioral health training and peer support programs

Due to the nature and requirements of their career, first responders (FR; i.e., law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and communication personnel) experience a higher risk of physical and mental health concerns. Further, researchers concluded this population has one of the most deleterious jobs for their overall health (Mona et al., 2019). These health concerns are reinforced over the course of their career as they experience repeated exposure to critical incidents, shift work, disrupted sleep, and command difficulties (McCoy & Aamodt, 2010). Additionally, FR may be given little to no recovery time after witnessing a particularly difficult scene or call; therefore, these issues compound and often lead to higher rates of unidentified mental health difficulties within the population (Cleveland Clinic, 2021; Van Hasselt et al., 2020). To help FR better understand the physical and mental impact of their careers, Behavioral Health Training (BHT) and Peer Support Programs (PSP) have become an imperative part of the training process. Researchers suggest that BHT should begin at the academy level to proactively provide incoming FR with resources and increased awareness should mental health issues arise (Van Hasselt et al., 2020). While PSP have become an effective method for FR to discuss mental health concerns or debrief with a colleague. Therefore, this chapter begins in addressing the purpose of BHT, provides essential modules curriculum, and discusses the effectiveness of BHTs in emergency services. It concludes with an overview of PSPs, the advantages/disadvantages, and the program structure within various branches of first responders.