January 3, 2024
Trans Am Ambulance, a proud member of the Priority Ambulance family of companies, is pleased to announce its selection as a recipient of a CARES-UP Grant by the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center. This prestigious grant, totaling $30,000 over two years, signifies the company’s unwavering commitment to enhancing its employees’ mental health and well-being and the communities it serves.
CARES-UP, an acronym for “Changing the Conversation, Awareness, Resilience, Empower Peers, Skill Building/Suicide Prevention for Uniformed Personnel,” is an initiative designed to foster a culture of mental health support and resilience among uniformed personnel across the state of New York.
The demanding nature of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) profession places EMTs at an elevated risk of developing psychological disorders. According to CARES UP, at least 37 percent of surveyed EMS workers have contemplated suicide, with nearly seven percent having attempted it.
The CARES-UP Grant will provide funding to facilitate critical initiatives such as specialized training, implementation of resilience plans, and launching an impactful awareness campaign centered around “Changing the Conversation.”
Todd Reisner, Director of Operations at Trans Am Ambulance and Chairman of the Southern Tier Health Care System Board, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We are immensely honored to have been chosen as a CARES-UP Grant recipient. This grant enables us to further invest our personnel’s mental health and resilience, equipping them with the necessary tools and support to excel both personally and professionally. It marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention within our field.”