First responders' mental health is rising priority as overdoses increase

ELYRIA — First responders have been called to an increasing number of drug overdoses in recent months as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, Lorain County commissioners heard Wednesday from Lt. Deena Baker of the Elyria Police Department. From May to July alone, she reported the city of Elyria responded to three times the number of overdoses compared with those same months in 2019. The exact numbers weren't immediately available Wednesday. "I am acutely aware of the increase in overdoses during the COVID pandemic," Baker said. The impact those overdoses have on first responders will not be overlooked, according to Elaine Georgas, interim executive director of the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County. Next week, Sept. 20-26, is being planned as a statewide "Week of Appreciation" for those working directly with people struggling with substance use, Georgas told the commissioners. Tokens of appreciation and thank-you notes from people in recovery will be delivered to police, firefighters, EMTs, children's services workers, emergency department staffs, mental health and substance use personnel, and "anyone else who may experience burnout or secondary trauma as a result of their work with individuals with addiction," Georgas said. The possible burnout and secondhand trauma from witnessing grim scenes like drug overdoses is a real threat, Baker said. "I know for a fact it has effects. We're working harder every day to try to bring more of a wellness program to law enforcement," she said. "I think it's definitely becoming more apparent that it is so needed. We do tend to just shut it off and I think over time, officers learn not to talk about it, and that takes its toll." Overdoses aren't just on the rise in Elyria. LifeCare Ambulance President and CEO David Richards said he has also seen an uptick in calls related to overdoses. "EMS and LifeCare, in general, who do the lion's share of 911 calls in Lorain County, certainly has seen the pressures of COVID, and lockdowns, and people not going back to work and families having kids home from school," Richards said. "They have seen those pressures build up into an increased use of alcohol and addictive substances, definitely." LifeCare is in the beginning stages of a collaboration with the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board and the Nord Center to put together a program where first responders can have a space to talk about their emotions and what they've seen on the job. Not only will LifeCare employees be able to participate in the program, but Richards said he is hoping police and firefighters also will get involved and work through the "horrificness of what society is offering right now." "There is a lot of stress in the world right now, and it is more talked about now than it ever has been, which is great," Richards said. This follows "resiliency groups" for essential workers and first responders that were established toward the beginning of the pandemic in collaboration between the Nord Center and the MHARS Board. "It was an opportunity for our first responders and essential workers to go to a place where they can debrief or seek support in the setting of the new stress that was thrust upon everyone in this pandemic," said Don Schiffbauer, Nord Center CEO. The new program with LifeCare could provide an opportunity to enhance a space the ambulance provider already uses as a station at the Nord Center, allowing an environment more conducive to coping with stress and regaining resilience. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.