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

Since it was passed in July 2021, the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP) has supported hundreds of peer support calls and visits with mental health providers, trained the majority of the state’s firefighters on their occupational health risks, and has paid out nearly $800,000 in critical illness claims – all at no cost to firefighters,...Read More

Since Day 1, William Ewald has fully supported MnFIRE and its mission, especially the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program (HHAP). “But I was the absolute last one who thought I would need it because I felt so good,” said William, who is a captain for the St. Bonifacius Fire Department. When William faced health challenges, the 59-year-old...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