Association News: NAEMT Current Activities Roundup

MIH-CP Tool Kit Helping EMS Agencies Launch Programs

To help EMS agencies develop and operate MIH-CP programs, NAEMT has compiled an online MIH-CP Program Tool Kit. The tool kit contains forms, documents and questionnaires EMS agencies are currently using to run their MIH-CP programs.

This information is being made publicly available in the spirit of collaboration to assist all EMS agencies in establishing MIH-CP programs.
Available resources include patient assessment and evaluation forms, patient satisfaction surveys, patient handouts, tools for talking with stakeholders, and program assessments/measures.
NAEMT would like to thank the following EMS agencies for generously sharing their resources.

• Ada County Paramedics, Boise, ID;
• Cranberry Township EMS, Cranberry Township, PA;
• North Shore–LIJ Health System, Center for EMS, Syosset, NY;
• MedStar Mobile Healthcare, Ft. Worth, TX;
• Tri-County Healthcare, Wadena, MN.

View the tool kit at naemt.org. Under the MIH-CP tab, choose the “MIH-CP Program Tool Kit” link. If you would like to contribute your program’s resources to the tool kit, please e-mail mih-cp@naemt.org.

NAEMT Compiles Online Mental Health Resources to Help Practitioners Cope

NAEMT’s EMS Workforce Committee has compiled a collection of mental health resources that practitioners and agencies can turn to for information about suicide prevention, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

EMS practitioners face challenging and traumatic events that can impact their mental well-being. But many other factors—including family responsibilities, long workdays, physical health and sleep quality—can also contribute to an individual’s sense of wellness.

The resources compiled by NAEMT include information on preventing mental health issues from developing by improving the resiliency of the workforce, as well as recognizing, managing and seeking assistance for mental health issues.

Visit naemt.org. Under the EMS Health & Safety tab, choose the “EMS Mental Health” link.

Position Statement: Violence Against EMS Practitioners

Hardly a day goes by without news of an EMS practitioner being assaulted while responding to a 9-1-1 call, or being put in harm’s way by the dangerous and even criminal behavior of a patient or others on scene. And those are only the incidents the media reports on.

To raise awareness of the risk of violence faced by EMS practitioners, the NAEMT Board of Directors released a “Violence Against EMS Practitioners” position statement in August.
According to the statement, NAEMT believes all EMS practitioners deserve a safe work environment and should have the same legal protection against assaults and other acts of violence as their colleagues in law enforcement and the fire service.

Specifically, “NAEMT encourages all states to pass legislation to protect EMS practitioners against acts of violence while performing their official duties. Further, EMS agencies should ensure they have policies and programs in place for their EMS practitioners that:

• Provide appropriate training in situational awareness;
• Encourage them to report all acts of violence;
• Provide support to help them cope and build resiliency.”

“EMS practitioners face unpredictable and potentially volatile situations in the course of doing their jobs each day,” says NAEMT President Conrad “Chuck” Kearns. “While some level of threat will always be present, concrete steps need to be taken to help ensure EMS practitioners have the same level of legal protection as their colleagues in law enforcement and the fire service, as well as support from their individual EMS agencies to help their employees in preparing for and coping with the threat of violence.”

There is no federal-level tracking of violence against EMS practitioners. A 2005 NAEMT survey found that about half of respondents (52%) reported having been assaulted by a patient.
EMS practitioners are urged to anonymously report assaults and other forms of violence to the EMS Voluntary Event Notification Tool (E.V.E.N.T.), available online at event.clirems.org.

View the position statement at naemt.org. Under the Advocacy tab, choose “NAEMT Positions.”