Behavioral Health Task Force Renews Commitment to Mental Wellness
Among the more than 80 names added to the California Firefighters Memorial this year were those of three men whose line-of-duty deaths were caused not by fire or physical illness, but from a more troubling menace: suicide.
Over the past half decade or so, more and more firefighters have been revealed to have taken their own lives. While the increase can be traced to a more difficult job, the awareness of these tragedies has grown over those same years. The reason: The stigma surrounding mental wellness in the fire service has steadily broken.
At the center of breaking that stigma has been the California Fire Service Task Force on Behavioral Health.
Recently, the Behavioral Health Task Force reconvened to engage its four partner entities (labor and management), assess the work that has been done to date, and look ahead and adjust its goals, as necessary, to meet new challenges.
The Behavioral Health Task Force is made up of representatives from California Professional Firefighters (CPF), the California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs), the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Cal-JAC). The purpose of the task force is to identify projects and objectives to assist in behavioral health awareness, treatment, and service delivery to the fire service.
Since its inception, the Behavioral Health Task Force has worked hard to break the stigma over mental health and substance abuse in the fire service. Its groundbreaking “Healing Our Own” site (HealingOurOwn.org) has become an essential information hub, with helpful resources and information alongside firefighters telling their own stories of struggle and survival.
The Task Force has also been a force for advocacy, pushing for legislation like SB 542 for PTSI presumption. The Task Force has been able to expand access to peer support, treatment, and wellness centers specifically for firefighters.
Looking ahead, the Task Force will be developing criteria for a culturally competent clinician program to ensure firefighters are able to connect with clinicians who are trained in the fire service culture. Cultural competency is an essential component of bringing mental health issues out of the shadows.
In response to recent workplace incidents, such as the Station 86 shooting in Los Angeles County, the Task Force will also work on an Anger Management/ Conflict Resolution leadership training program in partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters to build greater resiliency in the fire service.
With the passage of AB 1116, the California Firefighter Peer Support and Crisis Referral Services Act (Grayson), which establishes statewide standards for peer support, the Task Force will be connecting with personnel in California.
HealingOurOwn.org will also be updated in the coming months. The original purpose of the site was an effort to break through the stigma in the fire service surrounding mental health. As the stigma even among experienced firefighters seems to have eased, the Task Force is working hard to make sure all information is updated and helpful tips, trainings and resources are available.
“The site was a great tool for getting our firefighters to know that it is OK to reach out for help,” said Task Force Chair Dave Gillotte, president of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014. “We need to make sure it is now a resource where they can directly access the resources they need.”
The Behavioral Health Task Force will continue to be the lead entity supporting the Suicide Prevention Stand Down in May each year. Stay tuned for additional information on the May 2023 Suicide Prevention Stand Down.