BREWER — Northern Light Health is recognizing National EMS Week, May 17-23, and Mental Health Awareness Month, observed all month long, by shining a light on the importance of mental health support for EMTs and paramedics, first responders who face traumatic events, high stress situations and long working hours.
“The types of calls and the weight of those calls means that we carry them with us even after we’ve gone home for the day,” sCrystal Bagley, A.A.S, a paramedic and manager of education and training with Northern Light Medical Transport, said. “In addition, a lot of people in public safety end up working many hours and sometimes several jobs. Add all of that up, and it can feel overwhelming.”
Bagley notes that earlier in her career responding to trauma calls took the most significant toll on her well-being. These days, the calls that stick with her are more varied: children, patients that need CPR and more recently, the hospice patients that Northern Light paramedics are caring for through a collaboration with Northern Light Home Care & Hospice.
“Even though we anticipate the hospice patients dying, that’s still a lot of emotional weight to carry because you really connect to the patients and their families,” she said.
“We must pay close attention to EMS workers’ mental health not only because they deserve the same compassion they extend to others every day, but because their ability to continue serving our communities depends on it,” sTed Logan, MD, medical director, Outpatient Services, Northern Light Acadia Hospital, said. “By normalizing mental health support and building cultures where seeking help is standard rather than a last resort, we can reduce trauma, improve retention and ensure that those who show up for us in our darkest hours receive the care they need to remain resilient.”
Fortunately attitudes about mental health and EMS have been changing, and there are more resources available to support first responders.
“Back in the day, you just went to the call and dealt with the effects,” Bagley said. “It weighed on us more than we realized. We weren’t apt to talk about things as much. Now there is a push to make sure that you’re decompressing and having those conversations. It’s much better. Hopefully we’ll increase the longevity of some people’s careers.”
As part of its commitment to empower EMS staff, Northern Light Medical Transport recently started a peer-to-peer support group in the Bangor Division. Any staff member is welcome to attend the peer-led meetings and to reach out to colleagues in the group who are on call and ready to lend an ear at any time.
“If anyone has a bad call or just needs someone to talk to, they can reach out to a peer,” Bagley said. “The staff who are on call have been trained in peer support, and they can listen, share experiences, and if helpful, point their peer to resources. It is really making a difference.”
Northern Light Medical Transport staff are also encouraged to use free, confidential one to one coaching sessions and stress management and wellness tools through the employee assistance program, which is also available 24 hours a day.
“Community resources are becoming more well known, and we encourage our team to consider those as well,” Bagley said. “We’re working really hard to have open conversations and prioritize mental wellness. EMS providers are there for people on some of their worst days and we need to keep building a culture where mental health support is the standard.”
