Skip to content First Responders of California provides specialized outpatient mental health treatment for the heroes who serve Los Angeles every day. Firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, dispatchers, and healthcare professionals face extraordinary pressures that can impact emotional wellbeing, relationships, and job performance. Our virtual treatment model allows you to access professional care while staying on duty and connected to your community. Compassionate, confidential, and effective care is available wherever you are in Los Angeles County.
While treatment is delivered virtually, our care is coordinated through two established California facilities that support admissions and clinical services. This ensures every client benefits from professional oversight, streamlined communication, and consistent care. Los Angeles first responders receive the same quality treatment as those receiving care at our physical locations.
Los Angeles presents complex challenges for first responders, from high call volumes to fast paced urban emergencies. Our treatment programs are built to address trauma, anxiety, depression, sleep struggles, and burnout often experienced by those on the front lines. Each individual receives a customized care plan developed by clinicians experienced in first responder mental health. Support is flexible, confidential, and designed to work around demanding schedules.
At First Responders of California, your care is centered on respect, understanding, and professionalism. Our team recognizes the emotional toll that comes with serving large and diverse communities like Los Angeles. We combine clinical expertise with a supportive environment that prioritizes privacy and connection.
Specialized clinicians trained in first responder mental health
Convenient outpatient care without career disruption
Inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly treatment programs
Our comprehensive range of services is designed to support mental wellness and emotional resilience. Each program is evidence informed and adapted for the unique demands of first responder life. Care is individualized, structured, and reviewed regularly to ensure progress.
Support for mood stabilization through therapy and coordinated medication care.
Trauma focused care that reduces symptom severity and restores daily functioning.
Treatment plans target emotional fatigue, low mood, and loss of motivation.
Learn techniques to manage worry, physical tension, and panic symptoms.
Comprehensive care addressing overall emotional wellbeing and co occurring conditions.
Skills based therapy focused on emotional control and healthy communication.
Compassionate guidance for both personal loss and career related grief.
Medication options are combined with therapy for balanced care.
Every care plan is built around symptoms, goals, and daily demands.
Strategies for restorative sleep and adaptation to shift work schedules.
Treatment for ongoing emotional changes that impact daily performance.
Reduce intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors through proven methods.
Focused sessions help process cumulative stress and critical incidents.
A practical approach for changing unhelpful thought patterns.
Build skills for emotional balance, stress tolerance, and relationships.
Therapies proven through research to improve psychological health.
Strengthen relationships and communication through guided family sessions.
Care considers emotional, physical, and lifestyle factors.
Shared experiences with peers in a structured therapeutic setting.
Goal oriented counseling emphasizing strengths and progress.
Specialized therapy that helps reduce trauma responses.
Build resilience through mindfulness and value driven action.
Structured treatment that allows you to remain active in your career.
Finding calm in a busy city is possible with intentional self care and leisure activities. Los Angeles offers a variety of options for recharging outside of therapy sessions. These activities can help reinforce progress and encourage balance.
Walks along the Santa Monica Pier
Hiking in Runyon Canyon or Griffith Park
Community yoga and fitness classes
Visiting museums and cultural centers
Relaxing time at local beaches or parks
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Immediate help is critical in mental health emergencies. While our program focuses on outpatient care, urgent support may be necessary in crisis situations. Los Angeles first responders and their families have access to comprehensive 24/7 crisis services through the nation’s largest police-mental health co-response program, specialized unarmed crisis teams, county-wide psychiatric mobile response, and major emergency facilities with psychiatric care.
Dial 988 for immediate, confidential support 24/7. This national lifeline provides free crisis counseling for suicidal, mental health, and substance use-related crises. Trained counselors offer compassionate, judgment-free assistance and can deploy Sycamores Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOT) for in-person response when needed throughout Los Angeles County. The service is available to first responders experiencing crisis or to loved ones calling on their behalf. Text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for additional support options. Veterans can call 988 and press 1 for specialized support from the Veterans Crisis Line.
Call (800) 854-7771 for round-the-clock behavioral health support and emergency services. This comprehensive ACCESS Center serves as the primary entry point for mental health services across all eight Los Angeles County Service Areas, providing crisis assessments and screening, deployment of Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams (PMRT) within sixty minutes of referral, gatekeeping of acute inpatient psychiatric beds countywide, interpreter services and coordination with LAPD SMART teams and other law enforcement mental health units, and substance abuse service referrals. The Help Line also includes a dedicated Emotional Support Warm Line (available 10:30 AM to 9 PM daily) and a Veterans Line for specialized mental health support (available 9 AM to 6 PM daily).
The Los Angeles Police Department operates one of the nation’s first and largest law enforcement-mental health co-response programs through its Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU), established in 1992. Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Teams (SMART) consist of specially trained LAPD officers paired with licensed mental health clinicians from LA County Department of Mental Health. Currently 12-14 SMART units are deployed 24/7 across the city to assist patrol officers with mental health-related calls. Officers in the field can request SMART unit deployment through the MEU Triage Desk. SMART teams provide crisis intervention, psychiatric evaluations, transportation to mental health facilities when appropriate, and connections to ongoing mental health services. For non-urgent mental health support for unhoused individuals, the CIRCLE program (Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement) offers 24/7 unarmed response teams of mental health professionals—call (877) 275-5273 or (877) ASK-LAPD and choose the non-emergency dispatch option.
Located at 2051 Marengo Street, Los Angeles, call (323) 409-7085 for psychiatric emergency admitting or (323) 226-5577 for psychiatric emergency services. Formerly known as LAC+USC Medical Center, this 600-bed public teaching hospital in partnership with USC Keck School of Medicine is one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States. As LA County’s largest single healthcare provider and a Level I trauma center, LA General provides comprehensive psychiatric emergency services 24/7 through a dedicated Psychiatric Emergency Unit staffed by attending psychiatrists around the clock, crisis intervention and stabilization, psychiatric hospitalization for adults, adolescents, and children, and full spectrum of mental health assessments and treatment for the region’s most vulnerable populations. The hospital treats over 28% of the region’s trauma patients and serves as a primary training site for more than 1,000 medical residents.
Our care team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed therapists, nurses, and support staff who share one mission — to help every client achieve long-term stability and wellness. Together, they create a nurturing environment where healing truly happens.
Our outpatient mental health program is designed to fit your life without uprooting it. Treatment is flexible, confidential, and accessible across California through virtual care. You can receive high-quality therapy while continuing work and family routines. This approach allows first responders to prioritize mental health without pausing professional duties.
Understanding your treatment options is the first step toward recovery. Below are answers to common questions from Los Angeles first responders.
It offers structured mental health care while letting you continue working and living at home.
If you value flexibility and privacy, virtual care can be an effective solution after an initial evaluation.
We accept many major insurance providers. Contact us to confirm your coverage.
Yes. Our program is welcoming and inclusive.
Call or visit our website to speak directly with a care coordinator.
We operate through two California facilities and serve clients virtually statewide.
Our virtual programs allow us to meet you where you are, making it possible to receive the compassionate, individualized care you deserve regardless of your location. Through secure and convenient online services, you can stay connected to experienced professionals without sacrificing comfort, flexibility, or quality of care.
Dedicated to the mental health of California’s bravest – firefighters, police officers, nurses, EMTs, and emergency service personnel.
Your courage saves lives; let us save yours. Contact First Responders of California today to begin your journey to mental wellness.
All calls are 100% free and confidential