The Reef Point Reach program aims to address mental health challenges in first responders to enhance their lives and the communities they serve. It will provide peer-based counseling for conditions like PTSD, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. Services will be free and confidential for all first responders. Outcomes will be measured by monitoring suicide and substance abuse rates, and conducting client surveys to assess improvement in symptoms, job satisfaction, and family life. The program budget and information system are designed to help evaluate these goals and inform service delivery.

1. REEF POINT REACH
A Uniformed Services Program
A 501c3 nonprofit corporation
Presented by Sandra Cunha for HSV405
Due 8/13/2023
Human Services Administration
Post University

2. MISSION STATEMENT:
"The mission of this program is to enhance the
lives of first responders by addressing and
treating the mental health challenges they face
and the consequences for them and their
families."

3. THE FACE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE
COMMUNITY: FIRST RESPONDERS
People Served: Firefighters, Police Officers, Emergency
Medical Technicians and Paramedics, 911 Dispatchers, and
others who serve the public in an emergency capacity
Why First Responders?
Research has indicated that first responders are
at increased risk of developing PSTD, Complex PTSD, SUD,
depression, and suicidality than people in
other professions (Bryant, 2021).
Due to the culture of public safety jobs, first responders
are one of the hardest populations to get into counseling
sessions (Bryant, 2021).
Photo credit: Steven Battle, MFD
Photo of the author,
Sandy Cunha

4. BARRIERS TO MENTAL
HEALTHCARE:
• Fear of having mental health records used in
performance evaluations, preventing promotion, or
being put on desk duty
• Fear of reprisal from coworkers or supervisors
• Belief that only peers can understand traumatic calls and
the cumulative effects of those calls
• Fear of scaring others with stories of experiences, or
gallows humor
• Shame from moral injury from work performance
• Lack of health insurance to cover mental health sessions
for volunteers
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

5. REEF POINT
REACH
MEASURABLE
OBJECTIVES:
• Decreasing the yearly suicide rates in the first
responder population of local communities
• Effectively treating mental health conditions
commonly suffered by first responders such as:
• SUD: less time out of work, negative drug tests
• PTSD & CPTSD: Client improvement, less time
out of work
• Depression: Less use of medications, client
improvement, less time out of work
• Anxiety: Client Improvement, less use of
medications, including self-medicating with alcohol or
other substances

6. REEF POINT REACH
Enhancing the lives of first responders can also be
measured by self-reported client improvement such
as increased resiliency when faced with severe work
or life challenges, improved family life, and feelings
of increased job satisfaction.

7. OUR SYSTEM:
• Using a hybrid organizational theory,
including human relations and open
systems designs, Reef Point Reach's
employees will be involved in planning
and carrying out the mission of the
agency.
• With open system design, outside
resources influence employees, which has
an impact on clients, and the client's
improvement will in turn, positively
impact the community.

8. OUR EMPLOYEES:
• To best address the first responder culture, Reef
Point Reach will hire employees from a peer-driven
perspective, meaning that wherever possible, first
responders will be hired to fill agency positions,
including:
• Professional First Responder Retirees
• Trauma-informed and SUD specialty
counselors experienced working with first responders
• Licensed counselors who are peers in the first
responder field
• Board members drawn from every first responder

9. FIRST RESPONDER CULTURE AND
DIVERSITY IN OUR PROGRAM
• All first responders in this community (Washington County, Maine) will be accepted into
programs run by Reef Point Reach.
• Current workers, retirees, full time career, volunteer, on-call paid and unpaid first responders
are welcome
• Health insurance will not be required to access Reef Point Reach's programs
• Programs are funded by the nonprofit and clients are not charged
• Mental health records will not be accessible to the client's employer, alleviating
employer/employee confidentiality concerns (Mandating reporting concerns will be
addressed during initial consultation)
• Individual and group session offered
• Reef Point Reach is LGBTQ+ friendly and does not discriminate based on religion, gender,
ethnic/racial identity or disability

10. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Horizontal organization of the nonprofit allows for greater collaboration between
program teams, outside resources, and the Board of Directors:
Board of Directors
Program A Program B Program C
Supervisor
Counselors
Supervisor
Counselors
Supervisor
Counselors
Clients
Clients
Clients
Outside Resources

11. BUDGET: FY 2023 SUMMARY

12. BUDGET: INCOME:

13. BUDGET: PERSONNEL EXPENSES:

14. BUDGET: OPERATING EXPENSES:

15. INFORMATION SYSTEM:
The IS Reef Point Reach uses will aid workers in researching and recording statistics for
all first response agencies in Washington County for one year including:
• The number or response calls for each agency
• Type of call (Emergency, non-emergency, routine business)
• Anonymous employee information such as quantity of sick leave use, on-the-job
injury, suicide and SUD employee assistance program use

16. INFORMATION SYSTEM MEASURING
AND EVALUATING PROGRAM
OUTCOMES:
IS collecting data :
• Client self-harm suicide data at intake, program cessation, and one-year mark
• Client-reported substance use at intake, program cessation, and one-year mark
• PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and with LEC-5 and extended criterion (Weathers et al.,
2013)
• Client questionnaire of improvement at program cessation and one-year mark

17. REEF POINT REACH:
HELPING OUR COMMUNITY'S FIRST RESPONDERS MAINTAIN OPTIMAL MENTAL
HEALTH HELPS THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
INVOLVEMENT IN REEF POINT REACH'S PROGRAMS HELPS US FUFILL OUR MISSION:
TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF FIRST RESPONDERS BY ADDRESSING AND TREATING THE
MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THEY FACE AND THE CONSEQUENCES FOR
THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES
AS WE ENGAGE OUR RESOURCES TO HELP THOSE WE DEPEND ON IN OUR TIMES OF
CRISIS, WE HELP THE COMMUNITY STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE

18. REFERENCES:
• Bryant, R.A. (2021). Treating PTSD in first responders, a guide for serving those who
serve. American Psychological Association
• Weathers, F.W., Litz, B.T., Keane, T.M., Palmeiri, P.A., Marx, B.P., & Schnurr, P.P. (2013).
The PTSD checklist for DSM-5, (PCL-5) and LEC-5, and extended criterion-A.
[Measurement Instrument]. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/