This confidential, free service is available for all active volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time Minnesota firefighters. Phone lines are answered 24/7 and provide confidential support, guidance and mental health resources.
Firefighters are exposed to traumatic stress at particularly high rates and getting help from someone who has lived similar experiences can make all the difference. MnFIRE peer supporters are here to provide confidential support to those experiencing personal, emotional or work-related problems, while acting as a bridge to outside professional services.
Through the MnFIRE Assistance Program, we match firefighters with a trained peer supporter who has a similar background and knows firsthand the difficulties firefighters face. They are well-equipped to walk alongside firefighters as they navigate their situation – from coping with difficult calls or critical incidents, to talking through life problems like divorce or a death in the family. MnFIRE Peer Support is a safe, confidential space to share what you’re going through.
By providing emotional support outside of the traditional medical system, peer support directly reduces the culture of silence in the fire service that has all too often resulted in worsening mental health and suicide.
Call our 24-hour hotline at 888-784-6634. All calls are answered live, 24/7, by experienced mental health professionals, and they can match you with a peer supporter who has had similar life experiences.
You can also get connected with a peer supporter using the new MnFIRE PeerConnect app – here’s how:
Without the help of MnFIRE I believe I would not be here today. Words can never express the gratitude I have for helping me regain my life and understand I am okay and will only get better.
Provide confidential support to your fire service brothers and sisters experiencing personal, emotional or work-related problems. We’re recruiting:
Join us for our next Peer Support training
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The MnFIRE Peer Support program is managed by PRO Network, a highly qualified and credentialed team of mental health experts with ample experience working directly with first responders. For details about the recent change in MnFIRE Peer Support partners, see these FAQs.
Dr. Coscarelli is an experienced psychotherapist who owns and operates PRO Network where she specializes in working with firefighters, first responders and health care professionals. She is known for her evidence-based neuroscience therapies for treating addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma and confidence-related issues. In her practice, Dr. Coscarelli takes a humanistic approach, focusing on the whole person, and her goal is to continue helping those who selflessly help others every day.
In addition to her work with MnFIRE Peer Support, Rochelle is a dedicated MnFIRE trainer and full-time firefighter/paramedic for the Maplewood Fire Department. Rochelle started her career in the fire service in 2008, became a paramedic in 2010, and holds master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling and public and nonprofit administration. She is a member of Maplewood’s community mental health outreach team and serves as a tactical medic for Ramsey County SWAT. She has extensive training and experience in providing Critical Incident Stress Debriefings and as a first responder herself, Rochelle is passionate about working with firefighters and public safety personnel in her therapy practice.