{"id":9831,"date":"2026-05-07T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T07:00:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:00:26","slug":"when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/","title":{"rendered":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Firefighters
\n

Firefighters leave after extinguishing a 2017 house fire in the Bronx borough of New York City that killed at least a dozen people. Behind such emergency calls are first responders facing repeated exposure to trauma, long hours and mounting pressure \u2014 factors experts say can take a toll on their mental health. (Photo by Amir Levy\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ty Wooten didn\u2019t realize the weight of answering his first 911 call \u2014 until more than a decade later.<\/p>\n

A woman had dialed 911 to report that her husband had shot himself in front of her and their 7-year-old son, on the family\u2019s living room couch. It was Wooten\u2019s first call as a dispatcher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t prepared for that, and I didn\u2019t quite realize how difficult that call was for me for several years,\u201d said Wooten, who has worked in the 911 industry for more than 30 years, both taking calls and managing dispatch centers.<\/p>\n

He is now director of government affairs for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, an industry group that helps set standards for emergency dispatch centers.<\/p>\n

Wooten pushed the experience aside. It wasn\u2019t until about 15 years later, while swapping stories with colleagues, that the details came rushing back \u2014 triggering a spiral of anxiety, panic attacks and depression that would take time to fully confront.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had taken that experience and kind of put it in the corner of my mind, and built a wall around it so I wouldn\u2019t think about it again,\u201d Wooten said.<\/p>\n

Wooten\u2019s experience reflects a broader reality for first responders, who are routinely exposed to traumatic events but often lack the space \u2014 or support \u2014 to process them.<\/p>\n

Across the country, state and local officials are increasingly looking for ways to change that, expanding mental health resources and testing new approaches aimed at reducing stigma and improving access to care for 911 dispatchers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians.<\/p>\n

Research<\/a> suggests that first responders face higher rates of trauma-related mental health challenges than the general public, with repeated exposure increasing the risk of post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. That strain has also been linked to burnout, and to higher rates of substance use and suicidal ideation.<\/p>\n

Some policing experts say untreated trauma and stigma around mental health don\u2019t just harm police officers \u2014 they can also ripple outward, influencing split-second decisions on the street and the quality of encounters with the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just a personal and individual tragedy. It\u2019s also potentially going to have a direct consequence for how officers treat those they encounter on duty,\u201d said Heidi Bonner, a criminal justice and criminology professor at East Carolina University.<\/p>\n

At the same time, rising health care costs and concerns about affordability have made access to mental health services more difficult for many nationwide. Some communities are already experimenting with new approaches for first responders.<\/p>\n

In Brevard County, Florida, some first responders now have access<\/a> to therapy dogs, peer-to-peer counseling and confidential hotlines. Florida state officials last year also announced they were developing<\/a> a more coordinated, statewide mental health program for first responders.<\/p>\n

In Virginia, Henrico County firefighters<\/a> gained access to a new app that allows them to seek mental health support anonymously. They are one of the first departments in the country to use the platform. Some experts say anonymity can help reduce barriers tied to stigma and fear of professional consequences.<\/p>\n

Expanding options<\/h4>\n

Even as awareness grows, many first responders still don\u2019t seek help \u2014 a gap that policymakers and local agencies are increasingly trying to address.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to see something horrible, and the expectation is, \u2018Yeah, that\u2019s what we do \u2014 you just got to deal with it,\u2019\u201d said Alanna Badgley, a paramedic in New York. Badgley also is the EMS external affairs coordinator for the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics.<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing up if you were feeling some kind of way might have been seen as a sign of weakness, or that you weren\u2019t cut out for the job, so a lot of people would kind of hide it,\u201d she said, describing what the culture was like when she started in emergency medicine in 2010.<\/p>\n

She added that there\u2019s now a growing recognition that first responders need to be honest about their mental health and seek support early and often.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

You\u2019re going to see something horrible, and the expectation is, \u2018Yeah, that\u2019s what we do \u2014 you just got to deal with it.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u2013 Alanna Badgley, paramedic in New York state<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Many agencies or departments offer employee assistance programs, or EAPs, which provide confidential counseling and support services for employees dealing with personal or work-related stress, but some first responders may hesitate to use them.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of first responders worry about the potential for their employer to know what\u2019s going on if they go through their EAP,\u201d Badgley said.<\/p>\n

A 2025 survey<\/a> by the National Emergency Number Association found that nearly 70% of telecommunicators reported feeling stress before every shift, with fatigue and anxiety among the most common symptoms.<\/p>\n

In recent years, states and municipalities say they\u2019re focusing on reducing barriers to care, including affordability.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will pay whatever it takes for someone to get help,\u201d said Tom Synan, the police chief of the Newtown Police Department in Ohio. Synan also is a speaker with the nonprofit Law Enforcement Action Partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what\u2019s going to help first responders have long careers, better home life and better service to the community,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

State efforts<\/h4>\n

In New York, state officials launched<\/a> an online training program in March to help mental health professionals better understand and support first responders, with a focus on responder culture and barriers to care.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in January signed into law<\/a> a measure that provides employment protections for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, barring retaliation and guaranteeing they can return to their jobs once cleared. The law is already in effect.<\/p>\n

In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen in April signed into law<\/a> a bill that shields peer support conversations from being used in court or disciplinary proceedings.<\/p>\n

Minnesota legislators are considering a proposal<\/a> to allow first responders to access donated mental health services, including counseling and peer support, without violating state gift laws.<\/p>\n

And in Missouri, lawmakers have advanced<\/a> legislation<\/a> to study alternative therapies, including the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and ibogaine, for treating conditions such as depression, substance use and post-traumatic stress, with first responders and military veterans eligible to participate in supervised studies.<\/p>\n

Other states have taken similar steps in recent years. Last year, Ohio lawmakers approved<\/a> $40 million for a PTSD treatment fund, while Texas is developing<\/a> a statewide peer support network for firefighters and EMS personnel.<\/p>\n

Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Utah and Washington have enacted laws to protect the confidentiality of peer support counseling. Lawmakers in Vermont are considering similar legislation<\/a> this year that would ensure conversations in peer support groups remain confidential for first responders.<\/p>\n

Still, advocates say access alone does not guarantee use \u2014 particularly when providers may not fully understand the realities of the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trauma is so unique,\u201d Badgley said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to feel comfortable confiding in somebody who just really isn\u2019t trauma informed, or doesn\u2019t understand the first responder mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some first responders say the mental health strain of the job goes beyond exposure to traumatic calls. It\u2019s often shaped just as much by internal and external pressures, including workplace dynamics, public expectations, staffing shortages and required overtime, and stressors from life outside the job.<\/p>\n

The combination can leave first responders struggling to process their stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you feel helpless \u2014 and you\u2019re the person who helps \u2014 who do you go to?\u201d said Synan, the Newtown police chief.<\/p>\n

Synan said his department has worked to create space for those conversations, holding debriefs after difficult calls and encouraging officers to talk through what they experienced without pressure or judgment.<\/p>\n

A culture slow to change<\/h4>\n

When now-retired firefighter Frank Leto joined the New York City Fire Department in 1983, mental health support barely existed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mental health support at that point was probably drinks after work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The expectation was to absorb whatever you saw and move on \u2014 until, as Leto put it, \u201cYou just stuffed it down until it started taking things from you: your family, your relationships, your health, eventually your job.\u201d<\/p>\n

That code of silence began to break after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was really no option for the fire department to not address the mental health needs of our firefighters and their families,\u201d Leto said.<\/p>\n

He moved off the line to help expand the department\u2019s counseling unit and its early peer support efforts, but their first major idea \u2014 embedding clinicians in the hardest-hit firehouses \u2014 \u201cwas an utter failure.\u201d Firefighters rarely spoke to those experts, and the clinicians were overwhelmed by the scale and immediacy of the trauma.<\/p>\n

The breakthrough came when the department stopped trying to import help from the outside and instead formalized what had long existed informally. Training firefighters to support one another created a trusted buffer between the rank-and-file and clinical care, and over time that model \u201cbecame part of the fabric of the department,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The International Association of Fire Fighters, a labor union, recognized how powerful that shift was and helped fund the work in New York City.<\/p>\n

Today, Leto, who is a member of the IAFF Disaster Response To-Go Team, estimated that roughly 15,000 IAFF members have been trained in peer support \u2014 a sign that, in a culture slow to change, attitudes around mental health are beginning to shift.<\/p>\n

But that progress has been uneven, and many departments \u2014 across fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services and 911 dispatch \u2014 are still working to build systems in which seeking support is normalized and accessible.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at mental and physical and overall well-being is not one answer with one solution,\u201d said Wooten, the former 911 dispatcher. \u201cThese are all things that have to be worked at collectively and multifaceted to make sure that we can hopefully create an opportunity to fix some of these larger systemic problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stateline reporter Amanda Watford can be reached at awatford@stateline.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

This story was originally produced by Stateline<\/a>, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Missouri Independent, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Firefighters leave after extinguishing a 2017 house fire in the Bronx borough of New York City that killed at least a dozen people. Behind such emergency calls are first responders facing repeated exposure to trauma, long hours and mounting pressure \u2014 factors experts say can take a toll on their mental health. (Photo by Amir…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9832,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWhen the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Firefighters leave after extinguishing a 2017 house fire in the Bronx borough of New York City that killed at least a dozen people. Behind such emergency calls are first responders facing repeated exposure to trauma, long hours and mounting pressure \u2014 factors experts say can take a toll on their mental health. (Photo by Amir...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WestplexNews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brad Hildebrand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brad Hildebrand\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brad Hildebrand\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0\"},\"headline\":\"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1745,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"WestplexNews.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"WestplexNews.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png\",\"width\":690,\"height\":242,\"caption\":\"WestplexNews.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0\",\"name\":\"Brad Hildebrand\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Brad Hildebrand\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/Westplexnews.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/westplexnews.com\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/bradh\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com","og_description":"Firefighters leave after extinguishing a 2017 house fire in the Bronx borough of New York City that killed at least a dozen people. Behind such emergency calls are first responders facing repeated exposure to trauma, long hours and mounting pressure \u2014 factors experts say can take a toll on their mental health. (Photo by Amir...","og_url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/","og_site_name":"WestplexNews.com","article_published_time":"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/missouriindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Brad Hildebrand","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brad Hildebrand","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Brad Hildebrand","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0"},"headline":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support","datePublished":"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/"},"wordCount":1745,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/","name":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support - WestplexNews.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-07T12:00:26+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefighter-zd7NS0.jpg","width":1024,"height":683},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/when-the-helpers-feel-helpless-first-responders-get-a-boost-in-mental-health-support-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"When the helpers \u2018feel helpless\u2019: First responders get a boost in mental health support"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/","name":"WestplexNews.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#organization","name":"WestplexNews.com","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/cropped-Westplex-News-MASTER-PNG-CLEAR-CROP-690-X-242.png","width":690,"height":242,"caption":"WestplexNews.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/86ac6e2a917ca881b22f6d55d1b955f0","name":"Brad Hildebrand","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc2f8931c569b15114c958f40a15bda5a2ae504b7f31d3ecf1c2227aa19e0071?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Brad Hildebrand"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/Westplexnews.com"],"url":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/author\/bradh\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9831\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westplexnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}