Emergency Service Provider Wellness Commission

The Emergency Service Provider Wellness Commission was established in May 2021 when Governor Scott signed S.42 into law as Act 37. The main focus of the Commission is to identify and make available pre-incident behavioral health training and post-incident support/aid to all of Vermont’s emergency service providers. This includes full access to these programs for all responders, whether they are from a large city department or a small rural volunteer organization.

The 24-person Wellness Commission has representation from many related disciplines and is supported by the Vermont Department of Health. The focus of the Wellness Commission's work, which began in September 2021, is to create a report that identifies the gaps in service and systems of care throughout Vermont’s emergency responder community and to recommend how peer support services and qualified clinician services can be delivered statewide.

The Commission will also identify any needs to increase the number of qualified clinicians. Equally important is the need to create an education plan for emergency service providers, state, and local governments regarding best practices, available resources, and strategies for the prevention and intervention of the effects of trauma experienced by emergency service personnel.

This page will be updated with meeting minutes and reports as they become available.