LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – First responders in Lubbock are highlighting department wellness programs designed to give officers, firefighters and paramedics access to mental health support.<\/p>\n
Dr. Andy Young is part of the Lubbock Police Department\u2019s wellness program. He said he wants first responders to know help is available.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a general characteristic of people in emergency services that I am here to assist others and for me to burden somebody else, that\u2019s not desirable,\u201d Young said. \u201cHowever, how are you going to be there for somebody else if no one, you never allow anyone else to be there for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attitudes shifting across agencies<\/p>\n
Young said officers, firefighters and paramedics across emergency services have become more open to seeking assistance with their emotions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a part of that might be the administrative component, too, that when the people who trained you and your bosses were like, nah, gut it out, keep going, that\u2019s what I did, you\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Young said. \u201cBut now everyone through the agency sees that maybe that\u2019s not quite the best way to do business. And so, openness among the bosses is translated to openness among the troops.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blake \u201cLumpy\u201d Ball has been with Lubbock Fire and Rescue for almost 25 years. Ball said he has seen a change in the six years since a similar program started there.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew you wanted to talk about it, but you dealt with it in a different way,\u201d Ball said. \u201cFirefighters, public servants, military, law enforcement, EMS are known for their dark humor. And that\u2019s the way we dealt with it for a long time, on top of other bad vices that we would involve that didn\u2019t pay off. We\u2019re seeing the improvement. We\u2019re seeing the benefits. We\u2019re seeing success stories that we would have lost people before.\u201d<\/p>\n
How to access the programs<\/p>\n
Access to the wellness programs is a phone call for first responders. Counseling resources vary, from sessions with friends and family in person or online.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t created to go through this world alone,\u201d Ball said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t put in this job to go through it alone. We weren\u2019t put on a crew to go on calls alone. We shouldn\u2019t carry anything alone. If you\u2019re dealing with something, pick up the phone, call me, call one of our brothers and sisters, call somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both LPD and LFR say trauma comes with the job, but they say first responders shouldn\u2019t have to carry that weight forever.<\/p>\n
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