The Florida Firefighters Health and Safety Collaborative Caregiver Support Network gathers caregiver-based resources to help those providing care to service members living with the wounds, illnesses and/or injuries associated with the job. Below you will find various helpful resources organized by category.
To view past Family/Caregiver Connections, please visit our YouTube Playlist Here.
Education, Training & Webinars
Whiteboard videos which provide patients and caregivers information on what is PTSD, treatment, therapy, prolonged exposure, medications and how PTSD effects the brain.
Website: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/video/index.asp
Phone: PTSD Information Voicemail 1.800.296.6300
PTSD can make somebody hard to be with. Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, and often avoids social situations can take a toll on the most caring family. Early research on PTSD has shown the harmful impact of PTSD on families. Living with someone with PTSD can take a toll on relationships. PTSD doesn’t just affect an individual — it affects everyone around them. He’s what you need to know.
There are several effective PTSD treatments. This means that if you have PTSD, you have options. The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid helps you learn about these options and think about which treatment might be best for you. It also gives you tips on how to work with your provider to decide on a treatment.
Using the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid, you can:
- Learn about effective PTSD treatments
- Watch videos of providers explaining how treatments work
- Build a chart to compare the treatments you like the most
- Print a personalized summary
- How to Use the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid
If you have – or think you have – PTSD, the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is one of the best ways to learn about effective treatment options. You can go through this decision aid in order, or skip around to the sections that interest you. At the end, you can print or save a personalized summary of your symptoms, goals, and preferences. Share this summary with your provider at your next visit.
NOTE: This Decision Aid is not a substitute for medical care or advice from a provider. Only a licensed professional can diagnose PTSD.
Website: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid/
Phone: PTSD Information Voicemail 1.800.296.6300
CRAFT – PTSD is a web-based course for family members and caregivers of anyone working to manage PTSD. This course teaches family members and caregivers how to encourage their loved one to get treatment and support them during care. CRAFT-PTSD also offers tools for family members and caregivers to improve their own quality of life. It is designed to make things better and help anyone facing the effects of PTSD.
A parent’s PTSD symptoms are directly linked to their child’s responses. Caregiver’s PTSD symptoms impact children in many ways, and there are common problems experienced by children of adults with PTSD. Here’s what you need to know.
Website: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/family/effect_parent_ptsd.asp
Trauma survivors with PTSD may have trouble with their close family relationships or friendships. The symptoms of PTSD can cause problems with trust, closeness, communication, and problem solving. These problems may affect the way the survivor acts with others. In turn, the way a loved one responds to him or her affects the trauma survivor. A circular pattern can develop that may sometimes harm relationships. If you are a friend of family member of someone living with PTSD, here what you need to know.
Website: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/family/effect_relationships.asp
Communication is an essential skill for all caregivers. Acquiring this skill will help caregivers advocate for themselves and their loved ones. The goal of this course is to help caregivers become aware of their own needs and challenges as well as provide them with the tools and skills to effectively communicate those needs.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/choosing-your-words/
Children & Youth
CWLA is a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies that since 1920 has worked to serve children and families who are vulnerable. Their expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs, and practices help improve the lives of millions of children across the country. Their impact is felt worldwide. CWLA leads and engages its network of public and private agencies and partners to advance policies, best practices and collaborative strategies that result in better outcomes for children, youth and families that are vulnerable.
Their focus is children and youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect, family disruption, or a range of other factors that jeopardize their safety, permanence, or well-being. CWLA also focuses on the families, caregivers, and the communities that care for and support these children.
Website: https://www.cwla.org
Phone: 202.688.4200
At Childhelp, their goal is to meet the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. They focus our efforts on prevention, intervention, treatment, and community outreach. Childhelp programs and services help children from any situation and let them experience the life they deserve: one filled with love. The principle theme across all of their programs is to provide children we serve with an environment of compassion and kindness.
Website: https://www.childhelp.org
Phone: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, hosts a comprehensive initiative designed to help children cope with traumatic experiences. When a child endures a traumatic experience, the whole family feels the impact. But adults hold the power to help lessen its effects. Several factors can change the course of kids’ lives: feeling seen and heard by a caring adult, being patiently taught coping strategies and resilience-building techniques, and being with adults who know about the effects of such experiences. Here are ways to bring these factors to life.
Website: https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/traumatic-experiences/
Quantum Leap Farm, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000, is nationally recognized equestrian program whose mission it is to improve quality of life and cultivate human potential through equine-assisted therapies. At Quantum Leap Farm, they envision a world where people are accepted unconditionally: warts and all. They recognize that scars and imperfections are an inherent part of every individual, and contribute greatly to our identity, beauty and uniqueness. While we may not be perfect, we can still be excellent. They want every participant who walks, hobbles or rolls through our gates to reach their fullest potential and Spread Their Wings.
Website: https://www.quantumleapfarm.org/
Phone: 813.920.9250
Parenting2Go helps service members reconnect with their children and provides convenient tools to strengthen parenting skills. It can be used alone or in combination with the online Parenting for Servicemembers & Veterans course. Parents can find quick parenting advice; relaxation tools to use when frustrated or stressed; tools to improve their relationship with their children through positive communication; and strategies to switch gears between military life and home. The app addresses challenges that come with parenting children of all ages and backgrounds. The app also offers guidance for seeking professional help and access to additional resources. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense with a development team of leading parenting experts, researchers, and therapists developed Parenting2GO.
The National Federation, a national family-run organization serves to:
- Provide advocacy at the national level for the rights of children and youth with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges and their families
- Provide leadership and technical assistance to a nation-wide network of family run organizations
- Collaborate with family run and other child serving organizations to transform mental health care in America
Website: https://www.ffcmh.org/
Provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities. They are committed to listening to and learning from families, and encouraging full participation in community life by all people, especially those with disabilities. The Federation places a tremendous value on parents because of the contributions they make as the leaders of families toward supporting the health, education, and development of their children at home and in society. The Federation promotes the active and informed participation of parents of children with disabilities in shaping, implementing, and evaluating public policy that affects them. The Federation believes in the power of parents helping parents and has infused a proven model of peer support throughout all its work. Most Federation staff members are parents or family members of children with disabilities and people with disabilities.
Website: https://fcsn.org/
Champions Kids Camp, a 501(c)(3), mission is to nurture children who have survived a traumatic injury, illness, or personal loss, such as the loss of a parent or sibling. Through a week-long camp, children between the ages of 8 and 12 are able to heal from the “emotional scarring” they have experienced in their young lives. Over the years, CKC has helped thousands of children to move past their trauma, which gives them improved self-esteem & social skills, reduced fear and anxiety, higher grades in school, and the tools to become a productive part of our community.
Website: https://www.championskidscamp.org/
Phone: 832.449.3743
Benefits & Compensation
What’s financial wellness? It’s the peace of mind you feel when you’ve balanced saving and spending … living well today and planning for tomorrow. How do you achieve it? That’s what the Financial Wellness Center is for. Wondering how your finances stack up? Visit the Financial Wellness Center and try the Self-Assessment tool. Answer just 20 simple questions on key financial behaviors, and you’ll get a visual assessment that gives you manageable steps and suggests areas of focus to improve your financial wellness. The tool is just part of what the Center offers. It also contains engaging articles, short videos, and additional interactive tools that can help you achieve your financial wellness goals.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/financial-tools-overview/
Safety & Abuse
They make finding the right shelter and information about domestic violence easier. Instead of searching the Internet, it is all right here. They’ve painstakingly verified information on shelters in LA to shelters in NY, and every domestic violence program in between. If you or a friend is suffering from physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse or verbal abuse, this free service can help. Select domestic violence programs based on location, service and language needs. Find 24-hour hotlines in your area, service listings, and helpful articles on domestic violence statistics, signs and cycles of abuse, housing services, emergency services, legal and financial services, support groups for women, children and families, and more.
Website: https://www.domesticshelters.org
Phone: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) -or- TTY: 800.787.3224
NRCDV’s mission is to strengthen and transform efforts to end domestic violence. Their vision is to strive to be a trusted national leader and sustainable organization, renowned for innovation, multi-disciplinary approaches and a commitment to ensuring that policy, practice and research is grounded in and guided by the voices and experiences of domestic violence survivors and advocates.
Website: https://nrcdv.org
Phone: 1.800.799.7233
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)’s mission is to lead, mobilize and raise our voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence such as patriarchy, privilege, racism, sexism, and classism. They are dedicated to supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable and supporting advocates. They envision a national culture in which we are all safe, empowered and free from domestic violence.
Website: https://ncadv.org
Phone: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) or live chat by visiting: https://www.thehotline.org/what-is-live-chat/
The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health provides training, support, and consultation to advocates, mental health and substance abuse providers, legal professionals, and policymakers as they work to improve agency and systems-level responses to survivors and their children. Their work is survivor defined and rooted in principles of social justice.
Website: http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org
Phone: 312.726.7020
Their mission is to increase access to justice for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking by mobilizing the legal profession.
Website: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/
Phone: 1.800.285.2221
Break the Cycle inspires and supports young people 12 – 24 to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse. They are a culturally affirming organization that centers young people, caring adults, and communities in our prevention and intervention efforts. Their dynamic and diverse team believes that all young people deserve to live in a world where they can thrive.
Website: http://www.breakthecycle.org
Phone: 202.849. 6289 or text “loveis” to 22522 to chat with a peer advocate 24/7
The Online Hotline provides confidential, one-on-one, crisis support 24/7. You can chat with a trained staff member who will provide you with information and referrals through a secure instant-messaging format, or simply offer a safe place to talk about what happened. To ensure your safety, RAINN has partnered with the country’s top technology and online security companies to build a hotline that is as safe and secure as current technology allows.
Website: https://rainn.org
Phone: 1.800.656.4673 or visit their website for Online Hotline, the nation’s first online crisis hotline and provides free, anonymous, confidential support services online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
CWLA is a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies that since 1920 has worked to serve children and families who are vulnerable. Their expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs, and practices help improve the lives of millions of children across the country. Their impact is felt worldwide. Their vision is that every child will grow up in a safe, loving, and stable family. Their focus is children and youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect, family disruption, or a range of other factors that jeopardize their safety, permanence, or well-being. CWLA also focuses on the families, caregivers, and the communities that care for and support these children.
Website: https://www.cwla.org/
Phone: 202.688.4200
The National Domestic Violence Hotline envisions a world where all relationships are positive, healthy, and free from violence. They answer the call to support and shift power back to people affected by relationship abuse.
Reaching out for help can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never spoken to anyone about the abuse before. Sometimes it’s hard to describe how you’re feeling out loud. If you’re ready to seek help but don’t feel comfortable talking with an advocate on the phone, or if it’s not safe for you to call, now there’s another option. The Hotline’s live chat service (IM-style) is a safe, private way to connect with a Hotline advocate. You get the same one-on-one, real-time, confidential information from a trained advocate as you do if you contact The Hotline by phone.
Website: https://www.thehotline.org/
Phone: 1.800.799.7233
IPV refers specifically to violence and aggression between intimate partners. IPV can include physical, sexual or psychological abuse or stalking. Acts of IPV range in how often they occur or how violent they are. It can happen to women or men who have intimate relationships with women, men or both. It can happen no matter your age, income, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability.
Website: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/types/violence_ipv.asp
Phone: 1.800.273.8255
Crisis Information
The following phone numbers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It may be helpful to memorize them in case of an emergency.
For immediate help call 9-1-1
For Help 24/7/365 Contact: 1.800.273.8255, chat, or text 838255
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We’re committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.
For Help 24/7/365 Contact: 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or visit their website for confidential chat (IM) services
The National Domestic Violence Hotline envisions a world where all relationships are positive, healthy, and free from violence. They answer the call to support and shift power back to people affected by relationship abuse.
Reaching out for help can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never spoken to anyone about the abuse before. Sometimes it’s hard to describe how you’re feeling out loud. If you’re ready to seek help but don’t feel comfortable talking with an advocate on the phone, or if it’s not safe for you to call, now there’s another option. The Hotline’s live chat service (IM-style) is a safe, private way to connect with a Hotline advocate. You get the same one-on-one, real-time, confidential information from a trained advocate as you do if you contact The Hotline by phone.
Their chat service is:
- A confidential, one-on-one chat session with a Hotline advocate
- NOT a public chat room
- An internal messaging system used specifically for chatters to The Hotline — it is NOT a general chat messenger such as MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Live Chat, Gchat or iChat
- Available by clicking on the “Chat” button found on each page of our website — you do NOT have to download anything to use it
- Every day we speak with survivors, friends, family, coworkers, those who identify as abusive and others affected by domestic violence and abuse. Anyone seeking help or questioning something going on in their relationship is welcome to chat.
For Help 24/7/365 Contact: 1. 800.656.4673 or visit their website for Online Hotline, the nation’s first online crisis hotline and provides free, anonymous, confidential support services online.
The Online Hotline provides confidential, one-on-one, crisis support 24/7. You can chat with a trained staff member who will provide you with information and referrals through a secure instant-messaging format, or simply offer a safe place to talk about what happened. To ensure your safety, RAINN has partnered with the country’s top technology and online security companies to build a hotline that is as safe and secure as current technology allows.
Website: https://rainn.org
Self-Care
This course teaches caregivers about the importance of self-care. Being a caregiver is extremely stressful and they often neglect themselves while caring for a loved one. The goal of this course is to provide caregivers with strategies on how to identify signs of stress as well as demonstrate ways to restore balance and vitality to their lives.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/focusing-on-the-forgotten-me/
Caregivers faces unique challenges when caring for a loved one with an illness or injury which makes it difficult to leave the home. Caring for a loved one at home can impact the caregiver’s well-being and adds additional stress to their daily tasks, such as shopping or making their own appointments. This course discusses how caregivers can create a space for themselves at home that allows them to focus on their own health and well-being.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/creating-a-space-for-you/
The topic of intimacy and caregiving is a very critical one to the quality of life for caregivers care recipients and the family unit. This course on intimacy and caregiving will provide both caregivers and care recipient an introduction on how intimacy can be affected by providing care to someone with a serious injury or illness. This course will also share ways to improve intimacy after an injury and/or illness.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/intimacy-issues-caregivers/
This course is designed for Service member or Veteran caregivers and provides information to help caregivers identify destructive behaviors in relationships, promote healthy behaviors through communication, and stress reduction skills. The goal of this course is to help a family member or caregiver recognize conflicts and differences within their interactions and use practical skills to help build, restore, and maintain a loving relationship.
Website: https://psycharmor.org/courses/leaning-investing-challenging-relationship/
Spirituality & Faith
Soul Injury is dedicated to creating a movement that acknowledges and responds to the Soul Injury that often occurs with trauma, as well as the weariness of the soul that sometimes occurs in caring for those who have been traumatized. Through our development of ceremonial workshops, resource materials, and facilitator training they are able to help traumatized people and their families re-own and re-home scattered pieces of themselves so wholeness can be restored. Their goal is to help traumatized people love, forgive, and trust themselves to navigate in the world again by disarming their heart while cultivating personal intimacy with fractured aspects of their own self. The Soul Injury program focuses on traumatized populations; the Soul Restoration program focuses on self-care for caregivers.
Soul Injury and Soul Restoration ceremonial workshops respond to wounds generated by unmourned grief and unforgiven guilt that occurs during trauma, abuse, and neglect. The goal of the workshop is to help traumatized people learn how to love, forgive, and trust themselves to navigate in the world again by disarming their heart while cultivating personal intimacy with scattered aspects of their own self. The Soul Injury program focuses on traumatized populations; the Soul Restoration program focuses on self-care for caregivers. Both ceremonial workshops are 3-dimensional providing education for the mind, safety for the heart, and courage to develop a new relationship with the pain in their soul. Children receive “Soul Buddy” dolls to help them give voice to the pain and anger they might experience due to the soul injury in the family.
Website: www.soulinjury.org
Phone: 727.755.4265
Being a caregiver can be tiring and stressful, making self-care especially important. There are four condensed sessions that will help you learn a set of portable and spiritually based skills that can assist you in managing negative thoughts and feelings. Using a mantram can help you manage life’s daily hassles and live in the present. These meditation based tools for emotional regulation are easy to implement in a busy routine and should be exercised frequently. Removing doubt about mantram is the first step for this self-care practice.
Helpful Apps
AIMS can be used by anyone coping with anger problems. The AIMS app is based on the Anger and Irritability Management Skills online self-help course. The app provides users with education about anger, opportunities for finding support, the ability to create an anger management plan, anger tracking, and tools to help manage angry reactions. Users can also create custom tools based on their preferences, and can integrate their own contacts, photos, and music. The AIMS app may be used alone, or in combination with the online course or in-person therapy.
Website: https://mobile.va.gov/app/anger-and-irritability-management-skills-aims
Mindfulness means noticing and paying attention to what is going on in the present moment, without passing judgment on it. Mindfulness has been shown to be effective for reducing stress, improving emotional balance, increasing self-awareness, helping with anxiety and depression, and coping more effectively with chronic pain.
The app provides a gradual, self-guided training program designed to help you understand and adopt a simple mindfulness practice. Mindfulness Coach also offers a library of information about mindfulness, 12 audio-guided mindfulness exercises, a growing catalog of additional exercises available for free download, goal-setting and tracking, a mindfulness mastery assessment to help you track your progress over time, customizable reminders, and access to other support and crisis resources.
Mood Coach is an app to learn and practice Behavioral Activation. This app is designed to help you boost your mood through participation in positive activities. You can make a plan with positive activities and track your progress.
This app provides
- Scheduling of positive activities for your selected values
- An activity log for tracking your progress
- A daily mood rating tool
- Education about depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and Behavioral Activation
- The PHQ-9 assessment for tracking symptoms of depression
Mood Coach can be used on its own by those who would like mood management tools, or to augment face-to-face care with a healthcare professional. It is not intended to replace therapy for those who need it.
Website: https://mobile.va.gov/app/mood-coach
Moving Forward provides on-the-go tools and teaches problem solving skills to overcome obstacles and deal with stress. The app is useful for anyone with stressful problems. It is especially helpful in managing challenges such as: balancing school and family life, financial difficulties, relationship problems, difficult career decisions, and coping with physical injuries.
Parenting2Go helps Service members reconnect with their children and provides convenient tools to strengthen parenting skills. Parents can find quick parenting advice; relaxation tools to use when frustrated or stressed; tools to improve their relationship with their children through positive communication; and strategies to switch gears between military life and home. The app addresses challenges that come with parenting children of all ages and backgrounds. The app also offers guidance for seeking professional help and access to additional resources.