Developer of first-responder treatment hired at Sprout Health Group

Mark Lamplugh, a fourth-generation firefighter who has been instrumental in establishing addiction and mental health programming for first responders, has been named vice president of business development at Sprout Health Group, a provider agency with intensive outpatient facilities in California and New Jersey.

“Mark brings a unique and much-needed perspective to our team,” Sprout Health Group managing partner Asher Meister-Aldama said in a news release this month. “Responder treatment has yet to become what it needs to become to heal the wounds these heroes suffer daily.”

“We have law enforcement succumbing to hyper-vigilance, overworked trauma teams, and firefighters that are handling everything from fires to terrorist attacks,” Lamplugh said. “Add in the natural disasters we have experienced, and you can see why the numbers are rising.”

In 2015, Lamplugh authored an Addiction Professional article discussing the treatment needs of firefighters and other first responders, questioning the wisdom of segregating these individuals into all-responder programs.