San Diego Seeks to Provide Confidential Mental Health Care to First Responders

A proposed new program would enable currently serving as well as retired first responders in San Diego to get confidential mental health services.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune , Supervisor Nathan Fletcher has put the idea before the Board of Supervisors, which is expected to vote on the proposal next week.

"If we expect folks to run into harm’s way to protect us, the least we can do is come up with innovative and creative ways to help them," Fletcher said.

The program is intended to enable traumatized first responders to get mental health treatment without the stigma currently attached to doing so.

If approved, Fletcher said the estimated cost of the program would be $450,000 in the 2019-20 budget year and $650,000 in 2020-21.