FIRE CAPTAIN RYAN J. MITCHELL'S FIRST RESPONDER
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM
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ABOUT US
In November 2017, Fire Captain Ryan J. Mitchell lost his life to suicide. During this year, Captain Mitchell was 1 of at least 243 Firefighters and Police Officers in the United States who died by suicide according to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders. First Responders are at a greater risk for experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, substance use disorders and suicidal ideation. Many First Responders are reluctant to seek behavioral health services due to the stigma and shame associated with mental illness.
The Fire Captain Ryan J. Mitchell’s First Responders Behavioral Health Support Program was created in September 2019 and launched on November 10, 2020 to provide First Responders in San Diego County a free and confidential space to seek behavioral health services 24/7 365 days a year.
This program aims to increase awareness about local mental health resources and decrease the stigma and barriers associated with First Responders seeking behavioral health support services.
Fire Captain
Ryan J. Mitchell
OUR SERVICES
We are a free confidential 24/7 peer supported referral helpline staffed by active and retired First Responders here to listen, support, and assist First Responders in San Diego County. Our team will:
Provide a listening and supportive environment for every caller
Connect First Responders to local mental health and substance use disorder resources
Provide in-service trainings to First Responders and First Responder organizations to increase awareness about mental health resources and decrease the stigma and barriers associated with seeking treatment.
We serve all retired and current First Responders located in San Diego County
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Emergency Medical Services/Paramedics
Firefighters, Law Enforcement, Lifeguards
Probation Officers, 911 Dispatchers
CONTACT US
You can contact us by calling our 24/7 helpline, or send us a message and one of our Peer Navigators will respond to you within 24 hours
Call Our 24/7
Helpline
1-833-YU-FIRST
(1-833-983-4778)
Press 1
"I just want to thank you and everyone else involved in Fire Captain Ryan J. Mitchell First Responders Behavioral Health Support Program. Thanks to your help with the stressful financial aspect of this, counseling has really helped me get to a better emotional state. Home and work life have improved and I will continue to attend counseling regularly. I can’t express enough gratitude for being there in my time of need without asking a ton of details on what I needed help with."
– First Responder
OUR ADVISORY COMMITEE
Our Advisory Committee are leaders in the industry that help us work smarter and faster by providing provocative insights, actionable strategies, and practical tools to support our First Responders
Chief Ray Chaney, CAL FIRE, Retired
Director of Emergency Services, 2-1-1 San Diego
Ray Chaney is the liaison for 2-1-1 San Diego's First Responder community, guiding the organization's emergency information dissemination during large-scale incidents. As Director of Emergency Services, he integrates 2-1-1 San Diego into the San Diego Operational Area response system, overseeing coordination, training, and response for Disaster Response Team volunteers. Ray retired from CAL FIRE after 30 years, serving as Division Chief and commanding Incident Command Teams for the Western Division and San Miguel Fire Protection District, as well as overseeing CAL FIRE Air Operations in San Diego.
Deanna L. Lewis
Advisory Council Member
Fire Captain Ryan J. Mitchell’s First Responders Behavioral Health Support Program
Dr. Deanna L. Lewis is a trailblazer in public health and a former firefighter who made history as the first woman in the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) in 1984, earning Firefighter of the Year in 1990. With over 20 years of service, she is committed to primary prevention and harm reduction.
A Stanford-trained physician assistant, Deanna has over two decades of experience in Arizona and California, alongside six years as a U.S. Navy Reserve Hospital Corpsman and humanitarian relief work at the U.S./Mexico Border.
She holds an MBA from the University of Arizona and a Doctor of Public Health degree, focusing on improving health outcomes and first responders' mental well-being. As an advisory council member for Fire Captain Ryan J. Mitchell’s First Responders Behavioral Health Support Program, Dr. Lewis continues to advocate for those who serve our communities.
William Mitchell, (Father of Ryan J. Mitchell)
CHAPLAIN #84, CAL FIRE Chaplain Assoc. (CFCA)
William Mitchell, father of Fire Captain Ryan Mitchell, has been a California-licensed General Contractor for over 30 years, managing a successful business with his wife, Leslie. He served as the Ironmen Ministry Coordinator at the Rock Church from 2009 to 2014 and was licensed as a minister in 2018 with East Valley Christian Fellowship, where he now serves as an Outreach Pastor.
In 2019, William became Chaplain #84 with the California Fire Chaplains Association, supporting Cal Fire MVU and San Diego County Fire. His training includes certifications in crisis intervention, trauma grief, and chaplaincy. As a Fire Chaplain, William provides spiritual comfort and support to first responders, their teams, and families during times of need.
Captain Dan Willis, LMPD, Retired
Author of Bulletproof Spirit
Captain Dan Willis (ret) served at the La Mesa Police Department for nearly 30 years, in part as a crimes of violence, child molest, sexual assault, and homicide detective, SWAT Commander, and Wellness Unit Coordinator. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy where he studied emotional survival and wellness, as well as San Diego State University.
Capt. Willis is an international instructor on Trauma, PTSD, and the Process of Healing, having taught in 32 states and in Canada, as well as the National Command College and the FBI National Academy. He is the author of the emotional survival and wellness guidebook Bulletproof Spirit: The First Responders Essential Resource for Protecting and Healing Mind and Heart, which is required reading at the FBI National Academy. He is the founder of FirstResponderWellness.com and is the President and founder of a private charity foundation that works to alleviate human suffering around the world.