An independent, volunteer-led community wellness resource
Supporting those who serve Mississippi.
Health, wellness, mental health, and practical resources for law enforcement, EMS, fire, dispatch, corrections, healthcare professionals, and the families who stand beside them.
Find support after a difficult shift, explore preventive health resources, or connect your department with wellness information.
Find practical starting points for the job you do and the people who support you. These resources are for Mississippi responders across agencies, not one employer.
For officers, deputies, investigators and law enforcement personnel navigating cumulative stress, sleep disruption, cardiac risk, injury recovery and family life.
For EMTs, paramedics, ambulance crews and field EMS leadership. Recovery and mental wellness matter as much as clinical readiness.
For career and volunteer firefighters. Focus on occupational exposures, cancer awareness, cardiovascular wellness, sleep and stress.
For dispatchers, call takers and communications personnel who carry emergencies through voices and headsets, often without seeing the outcome.
For correctional officers, detention personnel, jail staff, probation/parole and other professionals facing prolonged vigilance and workplace stress.
For spouses, partners, children and loved ones. Your wellness matters too—especially through long shifts, hard calls, deployment and recovery.
Anyone can use resources across professions. Peer-support services may have specific eligibility or confidentiality practices; check with the organization directly. For immediate danger call 911, and for a mental health crisis call or text 988.
Physical readiness, recovery, mental health and family life all connect. Start with the question that's most relevant to you right now.
Talk with your clinician about blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, cancer screening, tobacco use, immunizations and any occupational exposures.
Prostate health information ↗Protect your sleep window, discuss persistent fatigue or possible sleep apnea, and make a plan for returning to duty after an injury or illness.
NIOSH sleep guidance ↗Primary care and behavioral health services may offer virtual visits that work around shift schedules. Check availability, insurance coverage, and appointment options directly with a licensed provider.
Find mental health treatment options ↗You can be good at your job and still need support. A conversation with a peer or professional is a reasonable next step, even when things haven't reached a crisis.
Changes in sleep, irritability, repeated memories, feeling detached, increased drinking, or a sense that you can never fully come off alert may be signs it's time to talk to someone.
Find trauma & stress toolsYou don't need a diagnosis or the perfect words. Ask what experience a counselor has with responders, whether appointments are confidential, and what information—if any—is disclosed to employers.
Peer support is valuable but is not a replacement for urgent medical or mental health treatment.
An ImageTrend discussion about responder PTSD, peer support, treatment options and reducing stigma.
Watch on demand ↗Explore VA mobile apps, including tools designed to help manage symptoms and support care.
View official VA apps ↗Repeated exposure to others' distress can affect helpers. Learn about compassion satisfaction, secondary trauma and professional quality of life.
Explore ProQOL ↗Use these verified public contact points to ask about available services. Services, eligibility, fees and hours can change.
Mississippi Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support connects officers, deputies and dispatchers with trained peer support. Visit their website for confidential contact options and availability.
Contact Mississippi LEAPS ↗Confidential support hotline staffed by trained retired law enforcement personnel, for current and former officers and their families.
COPLINE website ↗For emotional distress or suicidal crisis. If there is immediate danger or an emergency, call 911.
Chat with 988 ↗Responder wellness, behavioral health, training and family support. Contact them directly to ask about help or eligibility.
info@firstrespondersofms.com758 Rankin Road, Canton, MS 39046
Contact organization ↗24-hour information and referrals; statewide Mobile Crisis Response Teams can connect you with community-based crisis services.
Find your regional crisis team ↗24/7 mobile crisis support for Madison, Rankin, Copiah, Lincoln and Simpson counties.
Region 8 crisis services ↗Search for mental health and substance use treatment services. Confirm current availability, accepted insurance, and telehealth options with individual providers.
Veterans and their loved ones can access dedicated crisis support. For nonurgent veteran resources, explore VA coping and support information.
VA support resources ↗Articles, tools, webinars and professional references from the organizations you shared. Filter by profession or topic, or search the collection.
No resources match your search. Try a different keyword or choose All topics.
External resources are provided for education and navigation; inclusion does not imply endorsement of a provider or organization. Some sites request registration or provide content aimed at healthcare professionals. Sources reviewed November 2026; check the linked organization for current details.
The VA's PC-PTSD-5 can identify when a conversation with a clinician may be useful. It is not a diagnosis or fitness-for-duty determination.
Your privacy: Answers are processed only in this page while it is open. They are not transmitted, saved or attached to an email. Reloading the page clears them.
Based on the VA PC-PTSD-5. A score of 3 or greater is a commonly used positive threshold in some settings; interpretation may differ by clinical population. If you have symptoms or concerns, contact a qualified clinician regardless of score. If you are in danger, call 911; for urgent emotional support, call or text 988.
Whether you serve in fire, EMS, law enforcement, dispatch, corrections, or healthcare, you can use these resources to start a practical wellness conversation in your organization.
Explore preventive health education, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, exposure awareness, sleep and fatigue, and appropriate follow-up after medical evaluations.
Browse prevention resources ↗Share confidential support pathways, critical incident resources, fatigue education and mental health information. Encourage voluntary early help-seeking.
Explore mental health support ↗Find educational references for departmental wellness efforts, staff communication, training and access to appropriate screening or referral services.
Explore professional resources ↗Explore education, screening information, and connections with existing resources. This independent website does not schedule, provide, or guarantee medical or occupational services.
Email is for nonurgent general inquiries. Do not send personal health information.
For general questions about wellness information, occupational health resources, physical preparation, and department wellness opportunities.
Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate — Board Certification Pending
Founder | Volunteer Wellness Resource Coordinator
Founder and Volunteer Wellness Resource Coordinator for Mississippi First Responder Wellness. This independently maintained website shares educational resources and community support pathways; it is separate from my employment and is not a clinical practice or patient contact channel.
msresponderwellness@outlook.com
Opens your email application; nothing is sent until you press Send. For general resource questions only. Replies are voluntary and not continuously monitored. Do not email symptoms, medical records, patient information, screening answers, or other sensitive health information.
Bring your current medication list, relevant specialist records, any requested clearance documents, and glasses or hearing devices if used.
Confirm whether fasting labs, forms or follow-up visits are required. Occupational medical clearance and routine preventive care are not the same evaluation.
Follow the reviewing clinician's instructions. Ask whether repeat measurements, treatment or specialist evaluation are needed and who should receive results. This website cannot interpret individual findings or clear you for duty.
Confirm what document is needed, the due date, and who is responsible for giving final clearance. Contact your coordinator for nonurgent navigation.
Mississippi First Responder Wellness is a personal, independently operated, volunteer-led educational initiative. It is not operated, sponsored, affiliated with, or endorsed by the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), any employer, healthcare institution, or public safety agency. It is not presently an incorporated nonprofit or a tax-exempt charity.
Third-party organizations and external links are provided as general resources. They have not necessarily been individually evaluated, verified, approved, or endorsed. Availability, eligibility, fees, content, and privacy practices are determined by the external organization; visitors should verify these independently.
This website is not a medical practice, appointment or referral system, patient portal, confidential messaging service, or emergency response service. It does not provide individualized medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, occupational clearance, or establish a clinician-patient relationship. Do not send personal health information through the website or by ordinary email.
Emergencies: For immediate danger or medical emergencies call 911 or seek emergency department care. For mental health crisis support in the U.S., call or text 988. The contact email is not continuously monitored.
Caring for those who care for others.
Mississippi First Responder Wellness began as a personal volunteer initiative with a simple belief: those who protect and care for our communities—and the families who stand beside them—deserve practical, accessible wellness information and supportive connections.
Our mission: To support the health, wellness, and resilience of Mississippi first responders, public safety professionals, and their families through education, prevention awareness, resource navigation, and connections to community support.
We aim to bridge the gap between recognizing a wellness need and locating appropriate resources. This project is currently independently maintained and volunteer-led. Community partnerships and a formal nonprofit structure may be explored in the future, but no nonprofit or tax-exempt status is claimed today.
Tiffany I. Garrett, MSN, RN, CWHS
Family Nurse Practitioner Graduate — Board Certification Pending | Founder & Volunteer Wellness Resource Coordinator
For nearly 23 years, Tiffany has been a military wife, and she is also the wife of a first responder. She knows that a life of service affects not only those who answer the call, but also the families who stand beside them.
Drawing on nursing and occupational health experience working with first responders across Mississippi, Tiffany independently maintains this volunteer project to make preventive health education, mental health information, and community resources easier to find. The project is separate from her employer and does not provide clinical care.
“Supporting those who protect our communities means caring for their health, their well-being, and the people who support them at home.”
Professional experience is described as background only and does not indicate employer affiliation, approval, or sponsorship. This volunteer initiative is not currently an incorporated nonprofit or tax-exempt charitable organization.