Local Program Helps First Responders Heal from Trauma and Break Mental Health Stigma

Beyond the Call, a new intensive outpatient program created by first responders for first responders, has launched in Middle Tennessee to address the growing mental health crisis among emergency professionals.

First responders face significant mental health risks:

• About 30% develop PTSD or depression, compared with about 20% in the general population, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
  
  
• Thirty-seven percent of fire and EMS personnel report seriously considering suicide, nearly 10 times higher than the general population.
  
  
• Police officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.
  
  
• Alcohol use is common as a coping mechanism, with studies showing first responders drink at higher rates than the general population, often in connection with unprocessed trauma.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and across EMS, fire and law enforcement, normalizing conversations about mental health is more critical than ever. Beyond the Call offers a confidential, first responder-focused environment with evidence-based care for police officers, firefighters, EMS workers and dispatchers. The program prioritizes mental health while also addressing alcohol and substance use that often develop as coping mechanisms for job-related stress and trauma.

A therapist with 11 years of law enforcement experience leads the program, which is available both in person and virtually to meet the demands of first responders' schedules.

"Too many first responders treat trauma like just part of the job," said Jody Babb, MSed, LMHC, LPC-MHSP, with Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital. "Beyond the Call gives them a safe space to face that trauma, reduce risky coping, and build lifelong resilience."

Local departments and peer support teams can schedule a lunch-and-learn or program overview to learn how Beyond the Call can support their members. Media interviews are available with clinical staff and program partners.

To find out more about the program, go to Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital.