First Responders Wellness Act

The "First Responders Wellness Act" aims to enhance mental health and substance use support for first responders and their families. It mandates the creation of a national first responders emergency hotline within two years, offering 24/7 toll-free, real-time, live assistance via voice and text. This hotline will provide peer and emotional support, information, brief intervention, and referrals for mental, behavioral health, and substance use disorders. The hotline must be staffed by culturally competent first responder peer specialists or mental health providers with specific knowledge of first responder duties and stressors. It requires coordination with existing hotlines like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, including bidirectional transfer options and appropriate referrals for public safety personnel. The bill also directs the development of trauma-informed training for 988 staff regarding the unique concerns of first responders. Furthermore, the legislation amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to extend crisis counseling assistance to qualified emergency response providers during major disasters. It also requires a report on best practices for establishing mobile health care delivery sites. These sites would offer integrated, short-term, culturally appropriate, and trauma-informed crisis services directly to emergency responders in major disaster areas.