Safety Forces Center

Your stress can be overwhelming. We’re here to help.

The Safety Forces Support Center provides specialized support focusing on the unique job stressors that law enforcement, fire, EMS and dispatch personnel experience, which can have significant impact on their physical, mental, and emotional health. The highly specialized roster of services and interventions are provided to active and retired first responders and their spouses/partners, and to safety forces departments.

Its training programs are also offered to mental health professionals and chaplains.

While SFSC’s mission is to help any first responder in need, it is limited by resources, providing services primarily in Summit County, Ohio. Service is offered – whenever possible – in the contiguous region of Portage, Stark, Wayne, Medina, and Cuyahoga counties.

Meeting of support group, copy space

What We Do

Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for ALL first responders including:

Confidential mental health counseling for individuals and couples
PTSD, Anxiety & Depression, Suicide Prevention
Substance abuse intervention
Emergency response and intervention for critical incidents
Professional education for departmental peer support
Training through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy
Chaplaincy services – visitation, funerals, weddings
Limited material assistance
Outreach to retirees
Year-End Holiday Activities

We’re here for you after:

Active shooter incident

Police use of force

Fire fatality

Assault

Traffic fatality

Pediatric or infant death

Natural disaster response

Suicide

Reach Our Counselors

Stress concept.

Why We Do What We Do

“First responders are usually the first on the scene to face challenging, dangerous, and draining situations. They are also the first to reach out to disaster survivors and provide emotional and physical support to them. These duties, although essential to the entire community, are strenuous to first responders and … put them at an increased risk of trauma.”

(2018 SAMHSA Research Bulletin)

DEPRESSION & PTSD

Nearly 1/3 [of EMS personnel] were formally diagnosed with either depression or PTSD.

ALCOHOLISM

The percentage of alcoholism among police officers is calculated to be twice as high as that of the general population.

SUICIDE

6.6% of 4,000 first responders completing a national survey had attempted suicide; more than 10 times the rate of the general population.

COMMUNITY STRESS

There is a rising distrust of first responders in some communities and greater scrutiny in use of force

VETERANS

An increased number of veterans are joining the safety forces, often bringing complicated needs and dynamics with them.

RETIREES

Retirees carry unique stressors from a career spent in physically and mentally hazardous situations.