The 2nd Alarm Project
Bridging Social Work and Public Health to Improve Mental Wellness in the Fire Service
Bibliographic Data
Firefighters are trained to respond to a wide range of emergencies, and over the course of responding to emergencies, are exposed to a variety of potentially traumatic events. Repeated exposure to traumatic events may adversely impact firefighters' mental health. Combined with stigma surrounding help-seeking, lack of systematic resources and referral programs, and other barriers to care, firefighters do not routinely receive a continuum of trauma informed, assessment and treatment services from trained professionals. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evidence-informed approach to a reciprocal, collaborative model among social work and public health practice, policy, and research; and to offer a framework for researchers, clinicians, and policy advocates to more effectively achieve goals of preventing and treating trauma exposure in firefighters. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review, as well as describes a case study of a successful public health intervention for mitigating exposure to trauma among a population of firefighters. The significant contribution of mental health issues to the burden of disease among our firefighters is a matter of considerable public health concern. Effective approaches to mitigating behavioral health needs must bridge both mental health disciplines and public health to minimally, include access to evidence-based assessment and treatment, peer support capacity building, widely available mental health education, and leadership development to promote culture change. When considering a model for services with firefighters, reciprocal collaboration among researchers, health care professionals, first responder organizations, families, and other relevant community stakeholders is essential for success
Health care · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Public health · Referral · Medicine · Nursing · Occupational Health and Performance · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies · Social Work
Mental health stigma and barriers to mental health care for first responders
Peer support in adult mental health services
Mental Health Literacy
Peer support among individuals with severe mental illness
Perceived barriers to access care, anticipated discrimination and structural vulnerability among African Americans with substance use disorders
Mental Health Promotion in Public Health
Mental Health Literacy
Mental health literacy
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