When the Shift Ends, the Weight Doesn’t: A Focus on EMS Wellness
Our EMS professionals show up on the hardest days of other people's lives. They respond to emergencies, support families, make difficult decisions and care for patients in moments when every second matters. They carry what they see, hear and absorb, often long after the call is over. How we take care of the people who spend their careers taking care of everyone else deserves attention all year long.
The Massachusetts Ambulance Association is proud to partner with Rebuilding Recovery Center, which is expanding access to specialized, confidential support for EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers and other first responders.
Kyle Craig, the program's founder, director and clinician, developed Rebuilding's First Responders program by listening first. He worked closely with peer support teams to understand where existing resources were falling short and what could make it easier for first responders to actually seek help.
We had the opportunity to speak with Kyle about the mental health and wellness challenges he sees among first responders, and the importance of having support in place before someone reaches a crisis.
Wellness Is About More Than Getting Through the Shift
In a job that requires you to keep moving, it can be easy to overlook how much the work is weighing on you.
Sometimes the signs are subtle: a shorter temper at home, pulling away from friends, drinking more, feeling constantly on edge. Many first responders find it difficult to turn off the part of themselves that is always ready for the next call. Kyle described hearing from a large number of responders who experience a fight-or-flight response when they see an ambulance nearby, even when off the clock, even when with their family. The job does not always end when the shift does.
Kyle encourages providers to remember that the uniform is only one part of their identity. Making room for family, hobbies, time outside or anything else that helps someone reconnect with who they are outside of work can be an important part of maintaining wellness.
Building a Culture Where People Can Ask for Help
For a profession built around being the person others call for help, first responders can find it difficult to be the one asking for it themselves. Common barriers include concerns about confidentiality, finding providers who understand the first responder experience and finding a practical time to seek treatment while continuing to work.
Creating a healthier EMS culture means recognizing that a provider who needs support is not failing. It means giving people a place to talk before they reach a crisis and making mental health support a normal part of a long career in EMS.
Suicide Prevention Starts With Connection
When we talk about suicide prevention, it is easy to focus only on the moment of crisis. But prevention can start much earlier by noticing that something has changed and being willing to ask about it.
Kyle said isolation is one of the biggest things he watches for. A person can be surrounded by family, friends and coworkers and still feel completely alone. Changes in relationships, increased substance use, anger or pulling away from the people and activities that once mattered can all be reasons to check in. Sometimes the most important thing a colleague can do is simply ask how someone is doing and stay long enough to hear the answer.
A Resource Built for the First Responder Community
Rebuilding Recovery Center's First Responders program was intentionally built around the people it serves, offering a confidential and discreet environment and clinicians who understand the first responder community. The approach focuses on whole-life recovery.
Kyle explained that what brings someone into treatment may be one issue, but that issue often affects other parts of life, including relationships, family, finances and work. Addressing the whole person is important for creating recovery that lasts.
There Is No Need to Wait
Taking care of yourself helps you continue doing the work you do for others. As Kyle put it, every person needs help at some point. The sooner we can move away from the idea that asking for it is a weakness, the sooner we can create a culture where people feel supported before they reach a crisis.
Through the MAA partnership, EMS professionals have a direct pathway to the Rebuilding Recovery Center's First Responders program. The program accepts all insurance plans. Call 781-806-3008. The admissions team is available 24/7/365, or visit RebuildingFirstResponders.com to learn more.
Additional resources: The BHHL is a free, confidential, 24/7/365 statewide resource that helps connect to mental health and substance use services. The BHHL is insurance-blind and available in 200+ languages. People can call or text 833-773-2445 or chat at masshelpline.com/chat.