CRITICAL, Ireland’s leading voluntary emergency medical response charity, is making specialised counselling and online support available to its volunteers affected by traumatic incidents.
The charity has teamed up with the mental health and wellbeing company Kara Connect to provide access to psychotherapists and other trained professionals, who are specialised in supporting front line workers.
CRITICAL has a network of more than 300 responders active across Ireland who are alerted to life-threatening emergencies by the National Ambulance Service. Their volunteers include doctors and consultants equipped with emergency response vehicles and high-tech equipment; community first responder groups; in addition to off-duty paramedics and EMTs.
David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL said, “Our volunteers give up their time to help people in their darkest moments and regularly attend cardiac arrests, strokes, choking incidents and trauma calls. They’re often first to arrive at the scene and although our volunteers undergo extensive training it can sometimes be very distressing. We already have an in-house Critical Incident Stress Management programme however the partnership with Kara Connect builds upon this and ensures any volunteer who is struggling after a traumatic incident can speak to a trained professional within 24 hours.”
Tobba Vigfusdottir, CEO and founder of Kara Connect said, “Emergency responders carry an enormous responsibility and are often exposed to traumatic situations while helping others. Through our partnership with CRITICAL, we want to ensure that every volunteer has quick, confidential access to professional support when they need it. By making it easier to connect with qualified therapists online, we hope to help protect the wellbeing of those who dedicate their time and skills to saving lives.”
For more information about CRITICAL or to make a donation visit www.criticalcharity.ie
For more information about Kara Connect visit https://karaconnect.com/
