Virtual Visits: Telemedicine gives Firefighters another Option for Mental Health Services

For firefighters and fire officers, the COVID-19 outbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The fire service was already seeking answers for two significant challenges, among many others, facing its members: the increasing number of both firefighter suicides and firefighters being diagnosed with cancer.

And providing an undercurrent to both of those threats to firefighter health and wellness has been the increasing awareness of the impact that emotional trauma is having on firefighters everywhere.

Then, just as some momentum was starting to build for providing better mental and behavior health services for firefighters, and breaking down the stigma associated with firefighters receiving such services, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down such in-office treatments. Read More…