Give an Hour Partners With #FirstRespondersFirst to Offer Mental Health Services During COVID-19

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2020 (Newswire.com) - For the past 15 years, Give an Hour has provided no-cost mental health services to our nation’s most honored heroes: military service members, veterans, and their loved ones. Now, Give an Hour is adding another group of American heroes - frontline healthcare workers combating COVID-19.

#FirstRespondersFirst, an initiative of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, has launched its new Mental Health Initiative, which includes a partnership with Give an Hour to provide no-cost mental health services to ensure that frontline hospital workers get the care they deserve.

“It is common that healthcare workers focus on taking care of others without regard for their own emotional well-being. But it is vitally important that these professionals take care of themselves as well as taking care of others,” said Randy Phelps, Ph.D., CEO of Give an Hour. “We are honored to partner with #FirstRespondersFirst to lend aid to these brave heroes.”

“Our #FirstRespondersFirst initiative takes a whole-human approach to supporting frontline healthcare workers and their families. From the very beginning, we recognized the urgency to address their mental health needs as well as help provide child care, accommodations, essential protective equipment, and food,” said Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global.

#FirstRespondersFirst will provide no-cost outpatient mental health service through referral to Give an Hour. The program is designed to provide real-time mental health support and resources to healthcare workers through telehealth as well as in-person where available.

About #FirstRespondersFirst

#FirstRespondersFirst, an initiative of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, takes a whole-human approach to support first responder healthcare workers as they serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. #FirstRespondersFirst’s fundraising call to action helps provide essential protective equipment, accommodations, child care, food, mental health support, and other resources to this demographically and socially diverse workforce, ranging from minimum-wage hourly workers in home-care settings to social workers, nurses, physicians, and beyond, through its collaborating partners Americares, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen, and Bright Horizons, with additional support from Cisco, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Modelo, among others. Powered by Thrive Global's behavior change platform, #FirstRespondersFirst also provides access to Harvard Chan School’s evidence-based content, specifically tailored to this critical workforce, to help improve the physical and mental well-being of healthcare workers. Dutch Bros Coffee, the country’s largest privately held drive-thru coffee company, serves as #FirstRespondersFirst’s premiere corporate donor.    

About Give an Hour

Give an Hour®​ is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist. Give an Hour believes that within communities lies the resources to address many of the challenges that face society - challenges that often result in emotional pain and suffering. By harnessing the skills and generosity of citizens across the nation and around the world, Give an Hour provides those in need with help and hope. www.giveanhour.org

Contact
Sally Charney​
[email protected]

Source: Give an Hour