WHO WE ARE
At the American Board of First Responder Behavioral Healthcare (FRBH), we exist to fix what the current mental health care system gets wrong.
It Wasn’t Built for First Responders. We Are.
Firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, and dispatchers don’t just encounter trauma—they operate within it. The job demands constant vigilance, rapid decision-making, and repeated exposure to human suffering. That’s not occasional stress—it’s occupational trauma, and it requires specialized care.
Yet most mental health providers are trained using models designed for civilians, assuming clients can step away from what causes their distress. First responders don’t have that luxury. Their trauma doesn’t end when the shift does.
This is the gap FRBH was built to close.
We are establishing first responder behavioral health as a recognized clinical specialty—grounded in neuroscience, occupational health psychology, and the lived realities of high-risk professions.
FRBH credentials both healthcare professionals and organizations through a nationally recognized certification process that emphasizes:
Clinical education
Experience in responder-specific care
Ongoing continuing education. Our goal is to formalize first responder behavioral health as a recognized clinical specialty.
Our goal is simple: to formalize first responder behavioral health as a certified, evidence-informed field of practice.
Our Vision:
To set the national standard for excellence in first responder behavioral health by building a network of certified professionals and organizations equipped to deliver trauma-informed, culturally competent care.
We Envision a Future Where Every First Responder—Regardless of Where They Serve—Has Access to Providers Who Truly Understand the Psychological Toll of the Job and Are Trained to Support Their Healing.
FRBH certification will be the gold standard—the benchmark for readiness, resilience, and responsible care across public safety and health systems.
Our Values:
Integrity: Upholding the highest ethical standards in all we do.
Excellence: Advancing clinical rigor and setting the benchmark for care.
Collaboration: Building cross-sector partnerships that strengthen outcomes.
Respect: Honoring the service, sacrifice, and humanity of every first responder.
Get Involved:
Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a public safety leader, or simply someone who believes our heroes deserve better—there’s a place for you at FRBH.
Together, we deliver: