F.A.M. Supporting Firefighters' Beyond The Call
F.A.M. was established by a career firefighter/paramedic/RN with more than 27 years in the fire service, whose own struggles with occupational mental health led him to search for solutions beyond simply “pensioning out” or leaving the fire service.
Frustrated with countless hours of talk therapy and what he felt was an overemphasis on SSRIs by traditional clinicians, he kept searching for answers. After being evaluated by UCF RESTORES and told that his PTSD was “complex” and did not fit their treatment model, he was left feeling almost untreatable.
Still determined to find a solution, he began looking beyond traditional treatment. Many options were expensive, unavailable locally, or not covered by insurance. In some cases, he was cautioned about using insurance because of concerns surrounding permanent documentation of mental-health treatment in his medical record.
Eventually, he sought financial assistance from an independent organization run by fellow firefighters whose stated purpose includes supporting firefighters during hardship. He asked for help accessing a state-regulated program in Colorado involving an emerging treatment approach focused on trauma, neuroplasticity, and mental health.
His request was denied.
Being turned away by an organization made up of the very firefighters he worked beside left him feeling even more isolated. He hoped the decision came from caution or unfamiliarity with emerging treatment options rather than anything more.
Not wanting other firefighters seeking help to experience those same barriers, he decided to turn that frustration into something positive.
That experience became the catalyst for Firefighters Advancing Minds.
F.A.M. exists because firefighters should not have to fight this hard just to get help.
Our mission is to break down the financial, geographic, institutional, and cultural barriers that prevent firefighters from accessing meaningful mental-health treatment.
We believe firefighters deserve options. We believe they deserve transparency. And when traditional approaches are not working, they deserve the opportunity to explore legitimate treatment options without being dismissed, stigmatized, or left to figure it out alone.