Telehealth Solutions to Improve Access and Quality of Care for Firefighters

Sponsor/Type: Dept. of Homeland Security/Federal emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Project Period: 09/01/2021 – 08/31/2023

Abstract:

For more than a decade, our team has launched freely available online training resources to improve firefighter behavioral health and mitigate symptoms of PTSD and other related disorders affecting occupational functioning and well-being. However, mental health service delivery is highly variable in community practice settings which can negatively impact firefighter mental health.

This project seeks to improve the quality of treatment delivery and increase firefighter engagement in treatment. We will accomplish this by creating a mobile resource to assist providers in real-time to deliver best practice mental health services that will:

1. Host interactive activities to be used in session to reinforce treatment
2. Allow providers to assign and track between-session practice activities
3. Include provider assistance tools to guide treatment delivery, promote therapeutic alliance via telehealth platforms, and address trauma-related barriers when delivering treatment via telehealth.

For more information contact
Tatiana M. Davidson
Ph.D.
davidst@musc.edu