AMerican board of first responder behavioral healthcare (frbh)
Frequently Asked Questions
About FRBH and the National Standard
1. What is FRBH?
The American Board of First Responder Behavioral Healthcare (FRBH) is an independent nonprofit standards-development organization focused on Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection in public safety. FRBH develops and maintains the National Standard for Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection and supports its voluntary implementation.
2. What is Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure?
Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure (OPHE) is exposure to occupational events, incidents, or operational experiences encountered in the course of duty that have foreseeable potential for psychological impact. OPHE describes an occupational exposure. It does not describe an injury, diagnosis, impairment, or individual psychological response.
3. What is Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection?
Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection (OPHP) is the organizational protection provided following qualifying Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure. It establishes a systematic process for governance, recognition and activation, workforce protection coordination, protection from reprisal, organizational accountability, evaluation, and continual improvement.
4. What does the National Standard establish?
The National Standard establishes nationally consistent organizational expectations for protecting personnel following qualifying Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure. It defines what the organization does when qualifying exposure occurs while preserving flexibility in how organizations satisfy its requirements.
5. How do occupational psychological hazards, OPHE, OPHP, the Standard, and FRBH relate?
An occupational psychological hazard is a potential source of psychological harm associated with work. OPHE is exposure to occupational events, incidents, or operational experiences with foreseeable potential for psychological impact. OPHP is the organizational protection provided following qualifying OPHE. The National Standard establishes the organizational requirements for putting OPHP into practice. FRBH develops and maintains the Standard and supports its voluntary implementation.
6. What makes OPHP different from existing approaches?
Many existing workforce support systems become available when personnel seek or accept assistance. OPHP addresses a different organizational question: What does the organization do because a qualifying occupational exposure occurred? Under OPHP, recognition of a qualifying exposure activates a defined organizational process. The organization does not have to wait for symptoms, disclosure, diagnosis, or help-seeking before fulfilling its organizational responsibilities.
7. Does OPHP replace EAP, peer support, behavioral health, chaplaincy, or CISM?
No. OPHP coordinates with existing workforce protection capabilities rather than replacing them. EAP, peer support, behavioral health services, chaplaincy, CISM, occupational health, and similar resources continue to provide their respective forms of support and expertise. OPHP establishes organizational structure around those capabilities—when qualifying exposure activates organizational protection, who is responsible, how capabilities are coordinated, what organizational actions are documented, and how the system is evaluated.
8. Are personnel required to participate?
No. Qualifying exposure triggers the organizational process; the individual retains the choice whether to participate in offered support, except where otherwise required by applicable law or agreement. Organizational responsibilities such as recognition, activation, coordination, documentation, and oversight do not depend on an individual requesting assistance.
9. Is FRBH a clinical organization?
No. FRBH does not provide clinical care, diagnose or treat individuals, prescribe treatment, assess an individual's psychological condition, or establish standards of medical practice. OPHP establishes organizational protection following qualifying occupational exposure. It is not a clinical standard.
10. Does the Standard assess or control occupational exposure?
No. The Standard begins at the point of exposure. It does not assess hazards or work environments, determine how work should be designed or staffed, evaluate assignment practices, or establish measures intended to prevent or reduce occupational exposure. The Standard addresses what the organization does following qualifying exposure.
11. Does the National Standard claim to prevent PTSD?
No. The National Standard does not claim to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other psychological or medical condition. It establishes organizational expectations for protecting personnel following qualifying occupational psychological exposure and evaluates whether the organization carried out those responsibilities.
12. Is the National Standard mandatory?
No. FRBH is independent and non-regulatory, and adoption of the National Standard is voluntary. The Standard does not replace applicable law, regulation, licensing requirements, employment obligations, contracts, or collective bargaining agreements.
13. What is the current status of the National Standard?
Version 3.1 is currently published as a Provisional Field-Test Edition and is available for voluntary implementation. FRBH is continuing field validation, stakeholder participation, public comment, and standards development toward an open multi-stakeholder consensus process. Requirements may be revised before publication of the first Consensus Edition.
14. How does an organization determine conformity?
Organizations currently determine their own conformity through evidence-based self-assessment in accordance with Chapter 3 of the National Standard. The Standard establishes evidence requirements, review intervals, determination provisions, and requirements for addressing identified nonconformities.
15. Does FRBH accredit or certify organizations?
No. FRBH does not perform conformity assessment, certification, or accreditation against the National Standard and does not determine whether an organization conforms. The institution that establishes the requirements does not determine which organizations have met them.
16. Is there a cost?
No. The National Standard and general implementation support are available without charge. Organizations may implement the Standard and determine their own conformity without purchasing a service, product, technology, membership, or proprietary instrument from FRBH or any other party.
17. How does an organization begin?
Begin with the Executive Overview and the National Standard. The Organizational Self-Evaluation can then be used to understand the organization's current implementation position, and the Implementation Guidance provides structured support for putting the Standard into practice. Organizations may also use the National Technical Assistance Center for general implementation support.
18. What implementation support is available?
The FRBH National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) provides general implementation guidance, Ask FRBH™ AI-assisted support, educational resources, implementation tools, organizational learning, and general technical assistance. Support is provided without charge and on the same terms to organizations.
19. Does FRBH evaluate an organization's implementation?
No. FRBH does not conduct readiness reviews, gap analyses, or organization-specific implementation assessments. It does not review or approve organizational policies or evidence and does not determine whether an organization conforms. NTAC implementation support remains separate from an organization's self-assessment and conformity determination.
20. Does FRBH provide organization-specific consulting?
No. FRBH and the NTAC provide general support for understanding and implementing the National Standard. They do not provide organization-specific consulting, assess hazards or work environments, recommend exposure controls, or perform implementation work on an organization's behalf.
21. Who is the Standard for?
The National Standard applies to public safety organizations whose personnel encounter Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure as a foreseeable condition of their work. This includes fire service, EMS, law enforcement, public safety communications and dispatch, corrections, wildland fire, emergency management, federal public safety organizations, and other covered public safety settings. The Standard applies to personnel who encounter OPHE in the course of duty regardless of sworn status, licensure, employment classification, or whether their role is field-based.
1. What is FRBH?
The American Board of First Responder Behavioral Healthcare (FRBH) is an independent nonprofit standards-development organization focused on Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection in public safety. FRBH develops and maintains the National Standard for Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection and supports its voluntary implementation.
2. What is Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure?
Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure (OPHE) is exposure to occupational events, incidents, or operational experiences encountered in the course of duty that have foreseeable potential for psychological impact. OPHE describes an occupational exposure. It does not describe an injury, diagnosis, impairment, or individual psychological response.
3. What is Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection?
Occupational Psychological Hazard Protection (OPHP) is the organizational protection provided following qualifying Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure. It establishes a systematic process for governance, recognition and activation, workforce protection coordination, protection from reprisal, organizational accountability, evaluation, and continual improvement.
4. What does the National Standard establish?
The National Standard establishes nationally consistent organizational expectations for protecting personnel following qualifying Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure. It defines what the organization does when qualifying exposure occurs while preserving flexibility in how organizations satisfy its requirements.
5. How do occupational psychological hazards, OPHE, OPHP, the Standard, and FRBH relate?
An occupational psychological hazard is a potential source of psychological harm associated with work. OPHE is exposure to occupational events, incidents, or operational experiences with foreseeable potential for psychological impact. OPHP is the organizational protection provided following qualifying OPHE. The National Standard establishes the organizational requirements for putting OPHP into practice. FRBH develops and maintains the Standard and supports its voluntary implementation.
6. What makes OPHP different from existing approaches?
Many existing workforce support systems become available when personnel seek or accept assistance. OPHP addresses a different organizational question: What does the organization do because a qualifying occupational exposure occurred? Under OPHP, recognition of a qualifying exposure activates a defined organizational process. The organization does not have to wait for symptoms, disclosure, diagnosis, or help-seeking before fulfilling its organizational responsibilities.
7. Does OPHP replace EAP, peer support, behavioral health, chaplaincy, or CISM?
No. OPHP coordinates with existing workforce protection capabilities rather than replacing them. EAP, peer support, behavioral health services, chaplaincy, CISM, occupational health, and similar resources continue to provide their respective forms of support and expertise. OPHP establishes organizational structure around those capabilities—when qualifying exposure activates organizational protection, who is responsible, how capabilities are coordinated, what organizational actions are documented, and how the system is evaluated.
8. Are personnel required to participate?
No. Qualifying exposure triggers the organizational process; the individual retains the choice whether to participate in offered support, except where otherwise required by applicable law or agreement. Organizational responsibilities such as recognition, activation, coordination, documentation, and oversight do not depend on an individual requesting assistance.
9. Is FRBH a clinical organization?
No. FRBH does not provide clinical care, diagnose or treat individuals, prescribe treatment, assess an individual's psychological condition, or establish standards of medical practice. OPHP establishes organizational protection following qualifying occupational exposure. It is not a clinical standard.
10. Does the Standard assess or control occupational exposure?
No. The Standard begins at the point of exposure. It does not assess hazards or work environments, determine how work should be designed or staffed, evaluate assignment practices, or establish measures intended to prevent or reduce occupational exposure. The Standard addresses what the organization does following qualifying exposure.
11. Does the National Standard claim to prevent PTSD?
No. The National Standard does not claim to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other psychological or medical condition. It establishes organizational expectations for protecting personnel following qualifying occupational psychological exposure and evaluates whether the organization carried out those responsibilities.
12. Is the National Standard mandatory?
No. FRBH is independent and non-regulatory, and adoption of the National Standard is voluntary. The Standard does not replace applicable law, regulation, licensing requirements, employment obligations, contracts, or collective bargaining agreements.
13. What is the current status of the National Standard?
Version 3.1 is currently published as a Provisional Field-Test Edition and is available for voluntary implementation. FRBH is continuing field validation, stakeholder participation, public comment, and standards development toward an open multi-stakeholder consensus process. Requirements may be revised before publication of the first Consensus Edition.
14. How does an organization determine conformity?
Organizations currently determine their own conformity through evidence-based self-assessment in accordance with Chapter 3 of the National Standard. The Standard establishes evidence requirements, review intervals, determination provisions, and requirements for addressing identified nonconformities.
15. Does FRBH accredit or certify organizations?
No. FRBH does not perform conformity assessment, certification, or accreditation against the National Standard and does not determine whether an organization conforms. The institution that establishes the requirements does not determine which organizations have met them.
16. Is there a cost?
No. The National Standard and general implementation support are available without charge. Organizations may implement the Standard and determine their own conformity without purchasing a service, product, technology, membership, or proprietary instrument from FRBH or any other party.
17. How does an organization begin?
Begin with the Executive Overview and the National Standard. The Organizational Self-Evaluation can then be used to understand the organization's current implementation position, and the Implementation Guidance provides structured support for putting the Standard into practice. Organizations may also use the National Technical Assistance Center for general implementation support.
18. What implementation support is available?
The FRBH National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) provides general implementation guidance, Ask FRBH™ AI-assisted support, educational resources, implementation tools, organizational learning, and general technical assistance. Support is provided without charge and on the same terms to organizations.
19. Does FRBH evaluate an organization's implementation?
No. FRBH does not conduct readiness reviews, gap analyses, or organization-specific implementation assessments. It does not review or approve organizational policies or evidence and does not determine whether an organization conforms. NTAC implementation support remains separate from an organization's self-assessment and conformity determination.
20. Does FRBH provide organization-specific consulting?
No. FRBH and the NTAC provide general support for understanding and implementing the National Standard. They do not provide organization-specific consulting, assess hazards or work environments, recommend exposure controls, or perform implementation work on an organization's behalf.
21. Who is the Standard for?
The National Standard applies to public safety organizations whose personnel encounter Occupational Psychological Hazard Exposure as a foreseeable condition of their work. This includes fire service, EMS, law enforcement, public safety communications and dispatch, corrections, wildland fire, emergency management, federal public safety organizations, and other covered public safety settings. The Standard applies to personnel who encounter OPHE in the course of duty regardless of sworn status, licensure, employment classification, or whether their role is field-based.