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Journal article
The 2nd Alarm Project: Bridging Social Work and Public Health to Improve Mental Wellness in the Fire Service
Social work in public health, Vol.39(1), pp.93-104
01/02/2024
PMID: 38367222
Web of Science ID: WOS:001163875500001
Abstract
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.
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Details
- Title
- The 2nd Alarm Project: Bridging Social Work and Public Health to Improve Mental Wellness in the Fire Service
- Publication Details
- Social work in public health, Vol.39(1), pp.93-104
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Copyright
- © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
- Identifiers
- WOS:001163875500001; 99380579796006600
- Academic Unit
- Social Work; Psychology; Usha Kundu, MD College of Health
- Language
- English