The Local 152 Peer Support Team was formed in 2017 as a collaboration between area Fire Administrations and Local 152 Leadership. The goal of the team was to provide a resource for members and their families to reach out to during a challenging time. The Peer Team helps to lead those members and their families through those challenging times with the help of our team of Mental Health Professionals.

 

A career in the fire service is full of highs and lows. All those highs and lows stem from traumatic events, someone else’s worst day. Overtime those traumatic events can take a toll on our mental health. All those traumatic events can have a negative effect on both our professional and personal lives. The Peer Team strives to bring awareness of the physical and mental effects of not adequately coping with those traumatic events. As well as the importance of building a strong resiliency to the negative impact they can have on our 30+ year careers. 

 

The need for our service is great. In 2023 our team was contacted by 280 individuals that were experiencing some type of mental health crisis from all over southern Missouri. Sometimes all those individuals need is to be able to talk with a someone they can trust and that has been in their shoes. When their need exceeds the scope of the Peer Support Team, we turn to a small group of Mental Health Professionals that are trusted within our organization.

 

All the proceeds of this golf tournament are used to send our members to those trusted Mental Health Professionals. In 2023 alone, with your help, we have paid for 200+ visits. The ability for us to be able to pay for those visits is a huge asset to the team. Often the cost to receive the necessary mental health care is a burden to our members and their families. We want to remove all the possible roadblocks that often prevent care and simply let the individual concentrate on their own wellness.

 

Thank you on behalf of the Local 152 Peer Support Team and the entire membership of Southern Missouri Professional Firefighters Local 152. Your continued support of our worthy cause does not go unnoticed.