UCF RESTORES receives $1.4 million grant to help first responders in need

A special program at the University of Central Florida is capitalizing on its mission to help first responders in need with the help of a new $1.4 million grant. 

UCF RESTORES, which includes the National Center of Excellence for First Responder Behavioral Health, is "a nonprofit clinical research center and treatment clinic established to change the way Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma-related concerns are understood, diagnosed and treated," according to the organization's website. 

The nonprofit is now expanding its nationally recognized peer support and suicide prevention training for first responders in 12 Central Florida counties with the First Responder Regional Support Grant from the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Dr. David Rozek, assistant professor at UCF RESTORES and director of the National Center of Excellence for First Responder Behavioral Health who serves as the principal investigator on the grant, said the organization has a proud history of providing support to Florida’s first responders.  

"Serving as the regional support center will allow us to reach even more first responders and their families in need,” Rozek said. 

The award establishes the nonprofit as one of only five regional support centers in Florida offering free resources to first responders in need.

In addition, UCF RESTORES was awarded an extra $270,000 to work with the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to build a statewide mental health wellness tool kit for first responders.

The tool kit will include policies and procedures that support the development of mental health and wellness programs for departments across the state. The resources will be provided at no cost and spread across the state through all regional support centers.

Across Central Florida, UCF RESTORES will provide three essential resources to enhance the behavioral health of first responders and their families, according to the nonprofit. 

The organization will provide peer-support training focused on mental health and suicide prevention, develop a large network of clinicians in the region and providing free training on first responder culture and treatments that work for treating PTSD, and host three strategic summits with first responder agencies across the region to assist in the development of comprehensive and local behavioral health services for first responders and their families.

“Firefighters protect themselves with the necessary gear and equipment; they train to be able to handle the physical requirements of the job, but they don’t have enough training and education for their mental health,” Chief Doug Riley, from the Lakeland Fire Department and president of the Florida Fire Chief’s Association, said. “UCF RESTORES has been an incredible resource and partner over the years to help our firefighters with resiliency training, peer support training and education about trauma treatment options, and we’re so grateful to see these training programs grow.”

First responders, peers, family members or clinicians interested in learning more about trauma therapy and training can click here or call UCF RESTORES at (407) 823-3910.