Contributed by MnFIRE Mental Health Director Melinda Coscarelli, PhD, LPCC, LADC As firefighters, you’re taught to always be prepared. Your department spends hours practicing and preparing for that moment when someone calls for help. But how do you answer the call from one of your own? Mental health problems can come in all sizes, from...Read More

To Our Minnesota Fire Service Sisters and Brothers: Everyone at MnFIRE joins the entire state as we mourn the loss of Burnsville firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth and police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge in yesterday’s tragedy. During this difficult time, please remember that the full resources of the MnFIRE Assistance Program are available to all...Read More

Mental health conditions affect people of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles in all kinds of ways. In fact, about one in five people globally live with a mental health condition. For firefighters, the rates are even higher than the general population – particularly in the areas of sleep disorders, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress injury...Read More

From the anticipation of beginning a new year to adjusting to whatever else life throws at you, the holiday season can be stressful for many people, but for firefighters and first responders especially so thanks to icy road conditions; increased cooking, heating and electrical hazards; and more. As you’re celebrating the season with fellow first...Read More

Five tips for dealing with a new diagnosis Life can bring many stressors, which can deteriorate both physical and mental health. Many people know how to care for their bodies when they are dealing with a physical ailment, but if you are diagnosed with a mental health condition, what happens next? You may feel a...Read More

Firefighting is no easy task. The mental struggles that come with the job run as deep as the physical ones. Firefighters experience traumatic stress at high rates, which can weigh on someone day after day in this vital yet demanding job. Those in the fire service experience much higher rates of mental health challenges than...Read More

Firefighters experience loss more frequently than most. And with loss comes grief, survivor’s guilt and other feelings that can be difficult to manage and hard to carry. Whether that loss is related to a lethal fire, responding to a difficult 911 call, or a fellow firefighter dying in the line of duty, loved ones and...Read More

A major health diagnosis, especially cancer, can be a lot to process. There are likely medications, hospital stays or ongoing doctor appointments to manage. This can mean a disruption of daily routines and usually a halt in work schedules. Plus, it’s mentally taxing on everyone – the individual, family members, friends and loved ones included....Read More

The MnFIRE team is gearing up for the 2022 MnFORE Golf Tournament on Monday, July 25 – and we hope you’ll join us! The golf tournament will be held at the Bearpath Golf & Country Club in Eden Prairie on the luxurious Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. All proceeds benefit MnFIRE, which provides Minnesota’s firefighters with...Read More

By MnFIRE Assistance Program partner, Optum As the world at large wrestles with the pandemic, systemic racism and social injustices, among other complexities and difficulties, one thing you can control is how you treat yourself. It’s so important to support your own health and well-being. Whatever you’re going through — good, bad or neutral —...Read More