Confidential Platform Leverages Proven Model to Connect Dispatch Personnel with Trained Peer Supporters and Licensed Mental Health Clinicians
UCF RESTORES – in its ongoing charge to support public safety first responders’ mental health and well-being – has launched Goldline Rescue, a new, no-cost, mobile peer support system designed specifically for dispatchers. Goldline Rescue joins Blueline RescueTM and Redline RescueTM in UCF RESTORES’ groundbreaking suite of comprehensive peer support platforms tailored to the unique needs of public safety first responders.
Dispatchers play a critical role in crisis situations by directly liaising with callers in distress and coordinating emergency personnel response. Through this line of work, dispatchers can be repeatedly exposed to traumatic events. Goldline Rescue was developed in recognition of the challenging role dispatch personnel undertake with the goal of ensuring access to needed support and resources throughout and following high-pressure situations faced on the job.
“As a traumatologist working closely with those affected by Hurricane Ian, I have seen firsthand the impact that critical incidents can have on the mental health of dispatchers,” said Nicole Navega, Ph.D., Lee County Public Safety Crew Care Specialist. “The support provided by a tool like Goldline Rescue can be instrumental in preventing chronic PTSD and other mental health issues commonly associated with this high-stress occupation. I commend UCF RESTORES for making this platform available to dispatchers so they may continue providing vital services to our communities.”
Goldline Rescue connects dispatch personnel with qualified peer support personnel and licensed mental health clinicians who are specially trained in the cultural intricacies of the dispatch profession. The free, confidential, and trained support provided through this platform can be accessed on-the-go, directly via one’s mobile phone.
“Dispatchers are the unsung heroes of the public safety sector. They work under extreme pressure and stress, often holding the line between life and death. The launch of Goldline Rescue is another step in our vision to provide all public safety first responders with the support they need to thrive,” UCF RESTORES Executive Director Deborah C. Beidel, Ph.D., ABPP, shared. “We are proud to offer this service to help dispatchers access the mental health support they deserve.”
UCF RESTORES is committed to strengthening the resilience and well-being of public safety first responders across the country. To learn more about Goldline Rescue and the suite of comprehensive peer support platforms designed to help first responders overcome the unique challenges of their profession, visit www.GoldlineRescue.org.
ABOUT UCF RESTORES
Established in 2011 with the mission to “restore lives, families, and communities,” UCF RESTORES is dedicated to changing the way PTSD is understood, diagnosed and treated for first responders, active-duty and retired military, survivors of mass shootings, sexual assault and natural disasters, and more. UCF RESTORES – which includes the National Center of Excellence for First Responder Behavioral Health – proudly serves as the leading mental wellness clinic and research center for first responders in Florida and across the U.S.
UCF RESTORES’ first-of-its-kind Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) leverages a multidisciplinary treatment approach, incorporating exposure therapy, group treatment and emerging technologies to reduce the distressing symptoms that often accompany a traumatic event. This evidence-based treatment approach has seen unprecedented success, with 66% of participants with combat-related PTSD and 76% of first responders no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following treatment. In a recent, limited-subject clinical trial of UCF RESTORES’ proprietary Virtual Reality Treatment Tool – which also tested the effectiveness of further condensation of its IOP to just two weeks – 100% of participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following participation.
UCF RESTORES offers proven training programs for peer support across the firefighter and law enforcement service groups – with plans to extend to other service populations in the future – as well as no-cost cultural competency training for licensed mental health clinicians through its Cultural Competency Training programs.
Additionally, the center’s Critical Incident Response Team is often called upon to mobilize and provide support to attending first responders following a critical incident, such as a mass shooting or natural disaster. Over the years, UCF RESTORES has provided onsite “Psychological First Aid” for events such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, and the Champlain Towers South building collapse in 2021.
For more information, visit www.UCFRESTORES.com and follow UCF RESTORES on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.