First Responder Resources

First responders are the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency. Due to the first responder job demands, first responders have the potential for burnout, stress, PTSD, suicide risk, and various other mental health issues.

DMH is committed to finding, creating, and/or sharing resources for first responders.

First Responder Resources

First Responder Provider Network

First Responder Provider Network
Established in 2018, The MO CIT Council identified a list of trained behavioral health professionals who specialize in helping first responders struggling with depression, anxiety, relationships, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and more. The providers on this network understand the unique professional culture and are trusted and vetted by first responders. 

First Responder Provider Network Resources

Wellness App

LE Wellness App
Lexipol’s Cordico wellness solution is a mobile wellness app for first responders and others in high-stress occupations. The Cordico app is 100% confidential and anonymous and comes packed with a wide range of resources developed by clinical experts, with new content and tools added monthly.

Post Critical Incident Seminar

Post Critical Incident Seminar
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has a Post Critical Incident Seminar which is a 3-day intensively focused therapeutic seminar to assist first responder personnel suffering from traumatic stress following their involvement in a critical incident(s), such as officer-involved shootings, mass casualties, line of duty deaths, etc.

Wellness Resources

First Responders and Disaster Responders Resource Portal
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration compiled a resource portal for first responders to learn more about the signs of stress, stress management skills, and other practical resources.

Public Safety Professionals
The National Alliance on Mental Illness compiled resources for public safety professionals on various tops: resilience, support, wellness, and more.

Office of Disaster Services
The Office of Disaster Services compiled resources for various topics to assist individuals in crisis or those responding to the crisis.

Wellness Education

Warrior's Rest Foundation Training
In 2018, the Missouri Department of Public Safety launched a training program to teach first responders - law enforcement, fire service, EMS and dispatchers - how to identify and deal with the stress that can come with their jobs. Free classes are offered several times a year in Jefferson City, Columbia, Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Kansas City and more.

DMH Content Hub
Take free educational courses on mindfulness and stress management; trauma-informed care and peer support; mental health management and overall wellness; and so much more. These courses are for professionals or individuals to broaden their knowledge and techniques to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. 

First Responder Wellness Animated Series
Watch an entire animated series focusing on first responder wellness.

Resources to Assist Others in Crisis

Community Behavioral Health Liaisons

Community Behavioral Health Liaisons
The Community Behavioral Health Liaison's goal is to form better community partnerships between Community Mental Health Centers, law enforcement, and courts to save valuable resources that might otherwise be expended on unnecessary jail, prison, and hospital stays and to improve outcomes for individuals with behavioral health issues. 

Missouri Crisis Intervention Teams

The Missouri Crisis Intervention Teams (MO CIT) Council is a network of representatives from each established local CIT council across the state, Community Behavioral Health Liaisons (CBHLs), state agencies and associations, and those with lived experience. The Council works to address any structural barriers at the state level and advocates for policy and legislative changes that may be necessary to support health and wellness. 

DMH Crisis Resources

DMH Crisis Services
Crisis Services are for anyone, anywhere and anytime. They are the first line of care in helping people and preventing tragedies. DMH strives to use the best tools and practices to meet the needs of people in crisis.

Law Enforcement Crisis Response Resources Flyer - This document can be printed and posted in break rooms, squad rooms, zone offices, etc. to remind first responders of the crisis resources available.

Co-Responders

Co-Responders are typically behavioral health professionals who are employed by a behavioral health agency and are embedded within a law enforcement or first responder agency. Co-responders respond alongside law enforcement and/or first responders to behavioral health related 911 calls.

Co-Responder Guidance

Co-Responder Contact Information

Southeast Missouri

Cape Girardeau Police Department Co-Responder Program: Co-Responder Unit (CRU)

Corporal Will Rogers, DSN 333
2530 Maria Louise Ln.
Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701
Office: (573) 339-6621 Ext. 1333

Dr. Shannon Farris, DSN 605
(573) 335-6621, Ext. 1033

Rachel Alcantara, LMSW, DSN 606
Office: (573) 339-6621 Ext. 1033

Kansas City Area

ReDiscover Co-Responder Programs

Heather Mason, LCSW, LSCSW
Program Manager
1535 NE Rice Rd.
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
Office: (816) 965-1612

Hotlines

988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline
99 is the three digit number for anyone going through a mental health, drug or alcohol crisis. The goal of 988 is to connect people to a Crisis Specialist 24/7 through call, chat or text.

Disaster Distress Hotline
The Disaster Distress Helpline is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.