Commissioner Bray Shares Results of First Responder Survey

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray today announced the results of a survey conducted as part of New York’s inaugural first responder mental health needs assessment. The survey, which was conducted to better understand and help address mental health challenges facing the public safety community, included input from members of law enforcement, the fire service, EMTs, 911 dispatchers and emergency managers. More than 6,000 first responders statewide completed the survey. First responders reported a high degree of mental and physical stress as a result of the traumatic events associated with their work. A number of mental health programs specifically designed to assist first responders with their mental health needs are part of Governor Hochul’s $1 billion comprehensive multi-year plan to overhaul the continuum of mental health care.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “First responders need to know that it’s okay not to be okay, and that there is support to help them get through the traumatic stresses that are part of their jobs. We conducted this survey to help strengthen the mental health services available to them. We will work with partners across sectors to use the survey results to improve and expand appropriate care and options for our first responders.”

Negative impacts to home life due to work as a first responder were reported by 80 percent of survey-takers, 79 percent reported negative impacts to physical health and 72 percent cited challenges with family relationships. 

More than half of respondents report that traumatic events are a stressful part of their job and just under half cite not enough time spent with loved ones and public perception of their profession as stressful factors.  

Notably, 16 percent of respondents reported suicidal thoughts, which is four times higher than the general population in New York State based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

More than 90 percent reported that services such as individual therapy, couple and family therapy, and peer support groups would help improve first responder mental health, if they were free and easily accessible.  Training and seminars on stress management, coping with anxiety and depression and mental health awareness were of most interest to those who took the survey. 

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Governor Hochul’s mental health initiatives continue to increase the access first responders have to mental health care and services. First responders are our front-line defense and attend to emergencies and disasters every day. The input received from this survey illustrates the extreme stress and trauma they often experience on the job and the impact it can have on their physical and mental health, and that of their families and support systems. We are committed to providing the treatment and supports to best serve our first responder community and their families.”

SUNY New Paltz Institute for Disaster Mental Health Executive Director Amy Nitza said, “This assessment confirms that New York’s first responders and emergency services personnel carry mental and physical stress that ripples across all areas of their lives. These results affirm the value of robust resources and programs like Governor Hochul’s mental health care plan, which will provide support to professionals who face traumatic situations day after day to protect our communities.”

The survey was spearheaded by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz’s Institute for Disaster Mental Health and Benjamin Center. Results of the survey were reported at the 19th Annual Institute for Disaster Mental Health Conference in Hyde Park, which hosted more than 400 responders and mental health officials from across the state. DHSES and the Office of Mental Health (OMH) sponsored this year’s conference. In addition to the survey, a series of focus groups will be conducted in the coming weeks. 

Mental Health Resources to Assist First Responders

Last year, Governor Hochul announced a comprehensive $1 billion multi-year plan to overhaul the continuum of mental health care by expanding access to mental health care, reducing wait times, and ensuring appropriate levels of care. Initiatives currently being directed by state agencies to address first responder mental health wellness include:

• The New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center has launched an initiative called CARES UP that focuses on improving the mental health and wellness of law enforcement, firefighters, emergency services personnel and veterans. Learn more at https://nycaresup.com.
• DHSES and IDMH partnered to develop a Managing Stress Workshop to help individuals in emergency management-related fields better identify, understand, and manage stress, as well as provide practical information for individuals to help others manage stress. The workshop audience was recently expanded to include other state and local agencies, and a “train-the-trainer” program is being developed to allow more individuals to deliver training at the local level.
• DHSES recently hosted peer support team training at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany. 
• DHSES collaborated with OMH to expand the state’s Disaster Mental Health Response, which comprises state and local teams of licensed professionals and volunteers trained to provide crisis counseling and other mental health services to individuals and responders impacted by disasters and other crisis situations. 
• OMH manages the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline and hosts a web page.

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