Mental Health Team

Need help now? Our Team is available to talk to any EMS provider

Call (877) EMS-1098 or (877) 367-1098

Join REMSCO NYC’s Mental Health & Wellness Team

Support NYC’s EMS Professionals and their families by joining our Mental Wellness & Critical Incident Response Team. We provide individual and group support services, post-incident education and referral, and educational seminars on the causes and effects of acute and long-term stress. Help reduce the effects of psychological trauma providers experience during and after critical incidents.

Upon completion of the three-day Dual Certification program, you will learn:

  • Basic crisis communication techniques
  • Suicide intervention
  • Large & small group crisis interventions

Respond to calls for assistance and help educate colleagues, friends and families in recognition of emotional distress, improving psychological health and resiliency.

 

If you have any questions contact our Mental Health Coordinator, Georgette Keane, at [email protected] or 212.870.2215

About the Team The original NYC REMSCO PEER Team was created after the events of September 11, 2001, when it quickly became evident that many of our members were suffering from direct and indirect PTSD. Many also had generalized anxiety and depression, were self-medicating, and making unhealthy choices to ameliorate the negative feelings they experienced. Working with then existing mental health services, we created a team with members from each borough in order to respond to EMS providers who had experienced traumatic events, such as the death/suicide of a colleague, pediatric patient deaths, and other triggering events. We also conducted awareness courses so that EMS personnel could recognize the signs of depression and other mental illness in themselves and their workmates.

Today’s team has been redesigned with a focus not only on identifying colleagues in crisis, but to promote emotional wellbeing and education. We provide emotional and mental health support to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers and educational services to promote provider wellness. The team is comprised of a wide variety of volunteers, including licensed mental health professionals, EMT & Paramedic Peer supporters, physical therapists, and clergy. Team members will provide quick response crisis intervention services designed to mitigate the effects of stress during and after a critical incident or event.

When exposed to Critical Incidents, you may experience Critical Incident Stress.

Types of Critical Incidents

  • Death or Major Injury to a Child
  • Death or Major Injury to a Co-worker
  • Loss of a patient after prolonged rescue attempts

 

  • Event of Terrorism
  • Personal Identification with the victims
  • Mistake on a call: Real or imagined

Signs of Critical Incident Stress

  • High level of anxiety
  • Depression
  • Sleeplessness

 

  • Feeling of Isolation
  • Increase alcohol use
  • Headaches

All NYC EMS providers are encouraged to reach out to the Team for help when exposed to a critical incident.

For more information about Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), check out our Resource List:
  1. Mental Health & Wellness Referral List for EMS Providers
  2. NAEMT Resilience Guide
  3. QPR: Suicide Training for First Responders
  4. Understand Why Suicide Prevention Fits with Your Role

The Regional EMS Council of New York City Inc. is a 501(c)3 Not for Profit Organization