In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported: “Public safety sector workers including firefighters (structural and wildland), law enforcement officers, emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians, and corrections personnel are at a high risk of occupational exposure to traumatic events and stress.” Approximately 30 percent of first responders develop PTSD and depression, and varying reports indicate the prevalence of alcohol and drug misuse among these professionals is as high as 40 percent.
According to research from the RAND organization, when Veterans return home from deployment, nearly 50 percent experience difficulties with their families, and more than 40 percent struggle to adjust to civilian life. Some face additional battles, too, such as mental health issues, substance and alcohol misuse, and the effects of traumatic brain injuries.
If you’re one of the many brave women and men in these professions, the board-certified medical professionals at Great Oaks Recovery Center want to ensure you and your family have full access to all the resources necessary to get the help you need. Here’s a comprehensive list.
Crisis Lines for First Responders and Vets
You can be strong, but you don’t have to be silent. Please call one of these free, 24/7 confidential service lines to connect with someone right away.
- Copline: Competent and dedicated retired officers engage with callers on the daily stressors that officers and their family members experience. If preferred, callers can remain anonymous. Dial 1-800-COPLINE (267-5463).
- First Responder Hopeline: This specialized resource is available to all first responders, including emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. Call 866-4FL-HERO.
- Lifeline for Vets: Call 888-777-4443 to reach Veteran volunteers who offer support to “Veterans and their families who are enduring a crisis or who have a critical need for help.”
- Military OneSource: This non-medical service provides resources for military members and their families regarding stress reduction, relationship building, and other vital support. Call 800-342-9647, or use chat, OCONUS, or VOP to connect.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: Open to everyone, this organization offers additional support for children and members of the LGBTQAI+2 community. Call 800-799-7233 or use the online chat.
- PTSD Veteran Hotline: Call 877-717-7873 for the trauma hotline, and use the website to find a support group near you.
- Stop Soldier Suicide: Call 844-317-1136 for more help through the ROGER wellness service, which offers counseling, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention that’s totally free for U.S. veterans and service members.
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: This is a national network of local crisis centers that dispenses confidential emotional support for free to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Dial 988 from any phone.
- Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network: This program gives every law enforcement personnel access to specially trained peers to address stressors, trauma, fatigue, and other needs to combat workforce burnout and end police suicide and self-harm. Access through your MyTCole account or call 972-338-1314 for more information.
- The Real Warriors: Call 866-966-1020 or start a live chat online to access different resources for active/retired military members and their families. Also, use the 24/7 live chat feature.
- The Steve Fund: Created for members of the BIPOC community to “support the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color.” Use the crisis text line—Text STEVE to 741741—and visit the online knowledge center.
- Women Veterans Call Center: This specialized division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focuses on helping active and former female military personnel with a variety of services. Call or text the 855-VA-WOMEN (855-829-6636) or use the online chat feature.
- Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 then press 1 or text 838255. This therapeutic resource is open to all current and former service people, as well as family members and friends of military personnel.
More Essential Health Resources for Veterans and First Responders
To learn more about treatment options for alcohol use disorder (AUD), substance use disorder (SUD), dual diagnosis and mental health conditions, and other critical matters, here are some important agencies and organizations.
- 911 At Ease: This international organization provides extensive resources and free assistance to support first responders and their families.
- 988 Help Yourself: A national clearinghouse of resources, shared stories, therapy contacts, and other information to help you cope.
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Find peer communities, connections to specialized therapy options, and more focused assistance by disorder.
- First Responders Children Foundation: Programs include direct financial assistance, mental health support, and bereavement grants.
- Gary Sinise Foundation: An organization that not only honors servicemembers and first responders but also highlights their perseverance and fortitude to overcome obstacles.
- Give an Hour: This program provides access to confidential, no-cost mental health care services to active-duty military, reservists, guards, Veterans, and, in certain cases, spouses and caregivers.
- LGBT National Health Center: A comprehensive link to resources for LGBTQAI+ youth, adults, and seniors that includes peer-supported chat platforms and various helplines, such as the national hotline of 888-843-4564.
- Make the Connection: This organization helps Veterans learn from each other through hundreds of shared experiences and stories of recovery.
- Mental Health America: With a strong peer support program and numerous resource outlets, including a community chat platform and interactive tools, MHA creates many pathways for connection.
- me too.: For survivors of emotional and sexual abuse or sexual assault, this site lists numerous support chats and hotlines.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Spearheads many efforts across the country for broader awareness, support, and education for both individuals and their loved ones. Review the site to find various helplines, local and virtual support groups, family programs, and more.
- National First Responders Fund: An organization that supports peer training, counseling, and community-based partnerships that give back to first responders in their time of need.
- Trauma Informed: This site provides a detailed list of additional hotlines for survivors of domestic abuse, rape, and other tragedies.
- Warmlines: When you just need a kind listener to help you work through a problem or receive support outreach, this peer-based connection is staffed by other people managing mental health.
Additionally, turn to the Texas Veterans Commission for more resources.
Find a Unit of Support at Great Oaks
Asking for help is hard. But the constant struggle is harder. It takes a specialized team of professionals to understand the unique needs of people on the front lines and their family members. As a premier addiction rehabilitation and dual diagnosis treatment center, Great Oaks Recovery Center outside of Houston, Texas has a board-certified medical team and numerous reliable resources to aid and support Veterans and first responders.
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Get the care you deserve. Consult our admissions staff today to learn how we can help.
