Shielding the Frontline: A free counseling service for police, fire and others
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – With suicide all too common among first responders it’s critical that resources are available to meet their specific mental health needs and challenges – and a handful of such resources are right here in Kern County.
Virtually all Kern County first responders – from police and sheriff, to fire and EMT – have mental health services available to them, whether through in-house programs, county affiliated programs, private referrals or nonprofit organizations.
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That doesn’t mean every first responder is familiar with, or comfortable with, services like this – which is why it’s important that the general public be aware of some of them.
Once such program is Shielding the Frontline Kern County Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to serving emergency first responders and their families with free, confidential counseling services.
Shielding the Frontline’s board includes current and former police officers, firefighters, health care clinicians and others.
Trever Martinusen, a retired deputy city fire chief, is the executive director.
“(It’s) definitely a needed resource here in Kern County and throughout the nation,” Martinusen said. “So, what we do is we provide free mental health counseling. We have 24 clinicians on contract and we’re able to help first responders through work stress, trauma, marriage issues, help support their kids, so (it’s) definitely a resource that’s needed within the first responder community.”
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Martinusen leaves the counseling of law enforcement professionals to clinicians and other law enforcement professionals; his expertise is elsewhere.
But he’s aware that law enforcement faces challenges unique to law enforcement.
In 2022, some 22 U.S. law enforcement agencies were touched by suicide – a total of 32 suicides, in fact, as well as 9 attempted suicides. Most of those suicides involved a firearm in a residence, and most were active duty, sworn law enforcement officers. All were men.
There’s much more to learn, of course. Ask your HR person and union rep about available counseling services, just in case.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, resources are available to help.
Call 9-8-8 to reach the nationwide mental health crisis hotline.
In Kern County, email info@ShieldingTheFrontline.org.
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