Breaking the Silence: Local Foundation Brings Mental Health Support to First Responders

Check Your Six, a program designed to help First Responders manage the unique stressors of their profession funded by Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation (FBBCF) announces Check Your Six, an innovative mental wellness initiative designed to address the unique stressors of policing and emergency response for local first responders. This program offers practical tools, peer support, and holistic wellness strategies to help police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical providers better manage trauma and reclaim their mental health.

The primary mission of FBBCF is to provide immediate financial relief to the families of fallen or critically injured first responders. Executive Director Mark O’Connor explains “In recent years, we’ve provided a number of immediacy grants to families who lost a loved one to suicide. In talking with them, a heartbreaking pattern emerged - the stress and trauma that their first responder experienced on the job played a major role in their mental health struggles. It became clear that more support was desperately needed. That’s why we created this program: to give first responders the tools and reassurance to know they’re not alone - and that it’s absolutely okay to ask for help.”

When disaster strikes, first responders are the ones who charge toward danger while the rest of us seek safety. But what happens after the sirens fade and the scene clears? For

many first responders, the emotional aftermath lingers far beyond the emergency and too often, it's faced in silence.

Imagine being repeatedly exposed to traumatic experiences, waking up the next morning, putting your uniform on, and returning to help those on their worst days. According to a study, 69 percent of EMS professionals do not have enough time to recover between traumatic events (Bentley et al., 2013). As a result, depression, stress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, suicidal ideation, and a host of other functional and relational conditions have been reported. Those experiences increase the risk of developing mental health conditions, which often can be swept under the rug because of fear of being demoted or fired.

It is estimated that 30 percent of first responders develop behavioral health conditions including, but not limited to, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as compared with 20 percent in the general population (Abbot et al., 2015). While all of these numbers are concerning, they also show that first responders are not alone.

Led by certified trauma-informed mindfulness coach Jennifer Boileau, Check Your Six combines informal education with hands-on demonstrations in breathwork, meditation, and situational awareness.

In the words of one attendee:

“Some of our trainings feel like a waste of time. Yours, however, was practical and enjoyable. We would love to have you come back again.”

To date, over two dozen sessions have been held with over 1,000 cumulative attendees, including police officers, firefighters, and EMTs – from recruit level to seasoned leadership. Jennifer’s teachings emphasize mindfulness, breathing techniques, and situational awareness, all of which empower officers to remain composed and responsive in critical moments. Creating an atmosphere where first responders are learning about identifying stressors and how to cope with them among peers is incredibly important for being a catalyst to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in the first responder community.

The program is set to expand significantly, with plans to increase the number of certified presenters and launch a dedicated support portal tailored specifically for first responders. This portal will serve as a confidential, judgment-free space where individuals can access mental health tools, guided resources, and on-demand support all while maintaining their anonymity. By offering round-the-clock access to critical wellness resources, the portal

aims to empower first responders to take proactive steps in prioritizing their mental health without fear of stigma or professional repercussions.

By prioritizing mental health, Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, through its Check Your Six program, ensures that those who serve on the front lines receive the care and support they need to continue their vital work with strength and stability. If you are interested in learning more about the program, please email info@fbbcf.org.

References

Abbot, C., Barber, E., Burke, B., Harvey, J., Newland, C., Rose, M., & Young, A. (2015). What’s killing our medics? Ambulance Service Manager Program. Conifer, CO: Reviving Responders. Retrieved from http://www. revivingresponders.com/originalpaper

Bentley, M. A., Crawford, J. M., Wilkins, J. R., Fernandez, A. R., & Studnek, J. R. (2013). An assessment of depression, anxiety, and stress among nationally certified EMS professionals. Prehospital Emergency Care, 17(3), 330–338. https://doi.org/10.3109/10903127.2012.761307

Jennifer Boileau. (n.d.). Home - Jennifer Boileau. https://jenniferboileau.com/