Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
SFFD behavioral health unit asks commissioners for three more navigators as overtime, trauma rise
Summary
San Francisco Fire Department leaders told the Fire Commission that workforce stress, rising call volume and mandatory overtime are straining employee wellness services and asked the commission to support hiring three additional Behavioral Health Unit navigators to expand peer, CERT and chaplaincy supports.
Battalion Chief Matthew Alba, who oversees the San Francisco Fire Department's Health, Safety and Wellness program, told the Fire Commission on Feb. 8 that the department faces heavy demand for behavioral-health services as call volume has grown and overtime has become routine. "Now we respond to approximately 145,000" emergency calls annually, Alba said, and the BHU needs more staff to meet members’ needs.
Acting Captain Heather Buren described the BHU’s five components—BHU navigators, peer support, the Critical Incident Response Team (CERT), facility dogs and a…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
