For departments, unions, EAPs and peer support
Helping a member get care
If you support police officers, firefighters, EMS crews, dispatchers or corrections officers, this page is for you. It explains how to connect someone with FHE Health, what we can share with you, and what we cannot.
Who this page is for
This page is for department leaders, union representatives, employee and member assistance programs (EAPs and MAPs), peer support team members and chaplains who want to help someone get care.
FHE Health works with EAPs and MAPs, union representatives, case managers, interventionists and referring clinicians. The member makes their own decisions about care and about who can see their information.
How to connect someone with care
Calls are answered by FHE Health admissions staff, 24 hours a day, at (833) 596-3502.
Step 1
The member calls, or you call together
The simplest path is for the member to call. You can also sit with them while they call, or call first yourself to ask questions and talk through the situation.
Step 2
Screening and benefits check
An admissions counselor asks about substance use, mental health, medical history and home life, then checks the member's benefits. Checking benefits does not commit anyone to treatment.
Step 3
Assessment and admission
FHE Health's clinical team recommends a level of care, and admissions coordinates the admission directly with the member.
Step 4
Updates only with written consent
If the member signs a consent form naming you, FHE Health can update you on their progress and coordinate continuing care. Without it, we will not share information about the member with you, except where the law requires it.
What we can and cannot share
- Without written consent. FHE Health does not share a member's treatment details with a department, union, EAP or anyone outside the care team, except where the law requires it. That includes whether the person is a patient.
- With written consent. The member decides who can receive information and for what purpose. With consent in place, the team can coordinate with a union about treatment, benefits and time away from work.
- Consent can be taken back. Under federal rules, a member has the right to take back (revoke) a consent in writing. This stops future sharing, but it cannot undo sharing that already happened while the consent was in place.
- Extra protection for substance use records. A federal rule, 42 CFR Part 2, gives records from federally assisted substance use treatment programs extra privacy protection. These records cannot be used to investigate or prosecute a patient without the patient's written consent or a court order.
- Members who come through an EAP or union. FHE Health takes extra care that a member's situation is not shared with their employer or union leadership.
What the member's treatment can look like
A first responder track
FHE Health's first responder program serves police officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers and corrections officers. Many of its clinicians and counselors have first responder or military backgrounds.
Care for first responders →Levels of care that can fit the job
Residential treatment, with medically supervised detox when needed, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient care. IOP can suit members who are still working.
Compare levels of care →Trauma and substance use together
Trauma, PTSD, substance use and other mental health concerns are treated together in one plan. Intensive EMDR is offered to patients who are evaluated and meet clinical criteria.
Trauma and PTSD care →Veterans and service members
A dedicated branch of the first responder program. Veterans using VA Community Care need approval from their VA health care team before care begins.
Care for veterans →Support after treatment
Graduates can join FHE Health's alumni program, get referrals to first responder support groups in their home area, and work with case managers who set up therapy and psychiatric referrals.
Support for families
Stronger Together is a support group for spouses and partners of first responders. Family members can take part in treatment when the member agrees.
Support for families →Common questions
Can I call on a member's behalf?
Yes. You can call admissions to ask questions, or call together with the member. Going into treatment is the member's own decision, and FHE Health shares information about the member with you only with the member's written consent, except where the law requires it.
Will you tell us if the member is admitted?
Only if the member signs a consent that allows it. Without that consent, FHE Health will not share whether someone is a patient, except where the law requires it.
Does FHE Health work with unions and EAPs?
Yes. FHE Health works with EAPs, MAPs and union representatives. With the member's consent, the team can coordinate about treatment, benefits and time away from work.
What about workers' compensation for PTSD?
Under Florida law (Fla. Stat. 112.1815), PTSD can be covered by workers' compensation in certain cases, even without a physical injury. The law covers law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics working for state or local government, including volunteers, and only after specific events, so not every role or case qualifies. The rules and deadlines are strict, so the member should talk with their union or a workers' compensation attorney.
Talk with FHE Health admissions
Call to ask a question or to help a member connect with care. Calls are answered by FHE Health admissions staff, 24 hours a day, and they are confidential.
Sources
- HHS: Fact sheet, 42 CFR Part 2 final rule
- 42 CFR 2.31, Consent requirements (eCFR)
- Florida Statutes s. 112.1815, First responders: employment, workers' compensation and PTSD
- Florida Statutes s. 817.505, Patient brokering prohibited (2026)
- HHS Office of Inspector General: Fraud and abuse laws (Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b))
- 18 U.S.C. 220, Illegal remunerations for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories
- SAMHSA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Veterans Crisis Line