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THE UNITED STATES FIRE DEPARTMENT RESERVE CORPS
NATIONAL COMMAND

THE UNITED STATESFIRE DEPARTMENT RESERVE CORPS
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES COMMAND

THE UNITED STATES FIRE DEPARTMENT RESERVE CORPS
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES COMMAND

Become a Mental Health Volunteer Reservist Member

Are you passionate about strengthening mental health awareness, resilience, and education among first responders, support personnel, their families, and the communities they protect?

The United States Fire Department Reserve Corps (USFDRC) welcomes qualified, licensed mental health professionals to serve as Mental Health Volunteer Reservist Members within our Mental Health Services Command (MHSC).

Volunteer Reservist Members may contribute their knowledge and experience through educational, preventive, supportive, and disaster-related activities. All services must remain within the volunteer’s professional qualifications, training, active license, and legally authorized scope of practice.

Two men talking in therapy session

Educational and Awareness Services

Volunteer Reservist Members may assist with:

  • Mental health awareness presentations for first responders and their families.
  • Stress-management and resilience education.
  • Education about occupational stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, grief, and cumulative trauma.
  • Suicide-prevention awareness and recognition of warning signs.
  • Education about anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, substance-use concerns, and sleep difficulties.
  • Family wellness and communication education.
  • Healthy coping-skills and self-care workshops.
  • Mental health stigma-reduction campaigns.
  • Educational webinars, seminars, workshops, and community presentations.
  • Development or review of mental health articles, resource guides, training materials, and public-awareness content.
  • Education for supervisors and organizational leaders on recognizing behavioral health concerns and connecting personnel with appropriate resources.
  • Guidance on building psychologically supportive and trauma-informed organizational environments.

Emotional Support and Resource Navigation

Within their authorized roles, Volunteer Reservist Members may provide:

  • Compassionate listening and nonjudgmental emotional support.
  • Psychological First Aid when properly trained.
  • General coping information following stressful or potentially traumatic events.
  • Supportive wellness check-ins that are not represented as psychotherapy or clinical treatment.
  • Information about community mental health services, employee assistance programs, crisis resources, peer-support programs, chaplaincy services, and healthcare providers.
  • Referral to appropriately licensed professionals when evaluation, diagnosis, psychotherapy, medication management, or continuing treatment may be needed.
  • Support and education for families affected by the occupational demands of emergency service.
  • Assistance with wellness events, resource fairs, outreach activities, and mental health awareness campaigns.
People in a group therapy session

Disaster Mental Health Services

Members who have the appropriate credentials, disaster-response training, assignment, and jurisdictional authorization may support:

  • Psychological First Aid for survivors, responders, support personnel, and affected families.
  • Immediate emotional stabilization and practical support.
  • Behavioral health needs identification and appropriate referral.
  • Disaster-related stress and coping education.
  • Support for displaced individuals and families.
  • Responder resilience and fatigue-management education.
  • Community outreach and distribution of behavioral health information.
  • Identification and referral of individuals who may require crisis intervention or a higher level of care.
  • Behavioral health support at shelters, assistance centers, staging areas, responder rehabilitation locations, or other authorized disaster operations.
  • Consultation with incident leadership concerning general responder wellness and behavioral health needs.
  • Recovery-oriented education and resource coordination following natural disasters, mass-casualty incidents, acts of violence, or other critical events.

 

All disaster assignments must be performed within the established incident command structure and under the direction of the USFDRC or the agency having joint command
jurisdiction.

Professional Scope and Service Limitations

Volunteer status does not expand, replace, or override a professional license. Each Volunteer Reservist Member is personally responsible for understanding and complying with the laws, regulations, ethical standards, supervision requirements, and licensing restrictions applicable to the location and method through which services are provided.

Unless specifically authorized by law, the applicable licensing authority, and the USFDRC, volunteers shall not:

  • Diagnose or independently treat a mental health or substance-use disorder.
  • Establish a therapist-client or other clinical treatment relationship.
  • Provide psychotherapy, formal counseling, or continuing clinical care.
  • Conduct psychological testing or formal clinical assessments.
  • Prescribe, recommend, administer, or manage medication.
  • Represent educational or supportive services as emergency psychiatric care.
  • Practice in a state or jurisdiction where they are not legally authorized to provide the applicable professional service.
  • Provide telehealth services across state lines without confirming legal authorization.
  • Maintain private clinical records or use USFDRC participation to solicit clients.
  • Provide services beyond their education, training, experience, credentials, assignment, or demonstrated competency.

 

When a person presents an immediate danger to themselves or others, experiences a medical emergency, or requires services beyond the volunteer’s authorized role, the member must follow USFDRC emergency procedures and promptly connect the individual with 911, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, local emergency services, or another appropriate licensed provider.

Membership Expectations

Applicants may be required to provide evidence of current professional licensure, good standing, relevant education, professional liability coverage when applicable, background screening, disaster-response training, and continuing competency.

Volunteer Reservist Members must comply with USFDRC policies concerning confidentiality, informed consent, professional conduct, documentation, safeguarding, mandatory reporting, incident command, conflicts of interest, and referral procedures.

Join the Mental Health Services Command and help advance mental wellness, resilience, awareness, and education for the people who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities.

NOTE: FEMA also identifies Psychological First Aid, outreach, information, screening, and referral as disaster behavioral health functions. FEMA Behavioral Health Specialist qualification, SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center