First Responder Community Impact Award

To apply or to nominate an agency or department, you must submit the below application form, including a short description — tell the story! — of how the agency/department has been making a positive mental health impact in its community.

Anyone can apply on behalf of their agency or department, by submitting the below application.

Any member of the public can nominate an agency/department of their choosing, by submitting the same application (below).

 Any first responder agency or department that is doing mental health-related work in their community is eligible for this award. Eligible “first responders” include police, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and corrections officers.

Any first responder agency or department can apply or be nominated for this award if they fulfill one or more of the below criteria:

• have a mental health-informed initiative or program that seeks to improve first responses to emergencies; some examples might be a co-responder program or a crisis intervention team
• have an initiative or program that is addressing the mental health and/or overdose and addiction epidemic; examples might be a mental health outreach service, school-based or community trainings in mental health and substance abuse, or harm reduction initiatives like distributing Narcan
• have an initiative or program that is working to improve the mental health of the community through services and training; examples might be a mobile crisis unit that deploys EMTs alongside mental health professionals to provide mental health and other health services or a community paramedicine program that provides home health visits by paramedics trained in mental health
• have an initiative or program that is helping a community rebuild in the aftermath of disaster; an example might be trainings in trauma recovery and resilience
• one or more members is very active in community service, and both their level of involvement and the cause speak to the positive impact of their service on the overall wellbeing of the community; an example might be volunteering with an inner-city sports league that is improving young people’s self-esteem, relationships, and mind-body health, and keeping them off the streets

If in doubt about whether an initiative or program meets the above criteria, consider evaluating whether its primary focus is more “external” (concerned first with the community and community mental health and wellbeing) or “internal” (a peer support program that is concerned first with first responders and first responder mental health). If the focus of the program/initiative is largely external, we hope you’ll apply.

If the focus of the program/initiative is more internal (concerned first with the mental health of first responders such as a peer support program), thank you for your good work! Though it does not meet the application/nomination requirements of this award, here are two ways that we are providing support in this area and would love to support you:

• Shatterproof at FHE Health – Our specialized treatment program for first responders, Shatterproof at FHE Health, is nationally recognized for its excellence in care and regularly resources peer support teams around the country with trusted information about the latest innovations and best practices for mental health issues affecting first responders. For more information about our Shatterproof program or treatment resources for your department, email us: FRCIA@fhehealth.com.
• First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award – As part of our commitment to first responder mental health, we are campaigning for more first responder therapy dogs nationwide and have helped a growing number of agencies and departments to train and acquire therapy dogs. This award recognizes therapy dogs that are making significant contributions to first responder mental health or embodying similar ideals of public service. If you or your agency/department has a favorite therapy dog or two, we invite you to apply for one of the multiple awards that we are offering here!

Applications will be vetted by a small committee from FHE Health to ensure they meet the application requirements mentioned above and can proceed to the next phase of the process: an open public vote.

After 10 finalists have been determined by public vote, a small committee from FHE Health, including experts from our Shatterproof at FHE Health program, will choose which agency/department will receive the Community Impact Award.

“Contestants” (in this case, applying/nominated agencies or departments) will have a profile that includes the name of their agency/department and brief highlights from their application.

Anyone who wishes to vote can vote by clicking on the profile of the agency/department that they wish to support.

Everyone is allowed one vote. Your email address is required to vote but will not be retained or used to contact you for any other purpose.

We are careful to ensure a fair and accurate vote count, by taking measures to prevent vote tampering and manipulation (such as multiple or spammy emails) and implementing a stringent system that protects the integrity of the process.

FHE Health does not discriminate on any basis, whether by age, race, sex, religion, disability status or sexual orientation. All qualified applicants are given equal consideration and are assessed strictly based on the strength of their application and essay. It is at the sole discretion of our team to select the dog we feel is most deserving of this award. By applying for the Community Impact Award, you agree to FHE Health’s privacy policy and disclaimer.