HEALTHY MIND MATTERS

New App Connects First Responders To Immediate Mental Help

Feb 4, 2021, 6:35 PM | Updated: 10:03 pm

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – COVID-19 is a pressure-cooker for the thousands of first responders in Utah and it’s taken a toll on their mental health. Experts hope a new app will make it easier for those workers to get help.

When you’re a born helper, it’s hard to know where to turn when you’re hurting. Nurse Alisha Barker goes to a park near her Salt Lake City home to heal.

“When I walk through this park and hear the river, or watch the branches sway in the wind or hear the leaves in the wind, it just keeps me in the present moment,” said Barker, who has worked in the intensive care unit at University Hospital for 12 years.

Standing in the hospital hallway wearing her powered air-purifying respirator, Barker tried not to cry. She was only a couple of hours into a 12-hour shift when a patient she’d gotten to know well took a turn for the worse.

“We just had to transfer a patient out of the COVID-19 ICU, down to the medical ICU where he could have visitors,” she said. “We’re withdrawing life support.”

Alisha Barker smiles inside her powered air-purifying respirator in the COVID-19 ICU which can be a stressful and heart-wrenching place, (KSL TV) Alisha Barker goes to a park near her Salt Lake City home to distress when she gets off shift. (KSL TV) Denia-Marie Ollerton with University of Utah Health said a new app will help first responders more easily connect with help. (KSL TV)

Barker treats the sickest of the sick, and on this day, she was the charge nurse in the COVID-19 ICU. She gets attached to patients and mourns each loss.

“He was zooming with his family and they knew what was going on,” Barker said. “They were heartbroken and they were all crying and telling him how much they loved him, and he was trying to be strong for them.”

Then she experiences frustration off shift when people don’t take needed precautions to stop the spread.

“It’s extremely maddening,” Barker said. She’s seen a community shift toward front-line workers: from cheers during the early days of COVID-19, to now being avoided.

“I just saw them all take a step back away from me,” Barker said, remembering a recent experience where she felt excluded. “I understand, but it hurts.”

Officer Kyle Hunt with the Central Utah Correctional Facility has been a first responder for 10 years. “I was diagnosed with PTSD,” said Hunt, who lives with his wife in Gunnison. “I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.”

Hunt has also felt the weight of on-the-job trauma. “Those kinds of things are the ghosts that follow us home,” he said.

“In our culture hero also means strong, silent, doesn’t complain, doesn’t have problems, and so we’re really trying to break that stigma, said Denia-Marie Ollerton, SafeUT clinical supervisor at University of Utah Health.

Experts hope the new Frontline SafeUT app from the University of Utah Health Huntsman Mental Health Institute will help.

Health care providers, law enforcement, firefighters and EMS can get help anytime, day or night, from therapists with specialized training.

“It’s answered by masters-level clinicians, so social workers, mental health counselors,” Ollerton said.

They can help with a myriad of mental health concerns.

“Anything from relationship issues, to work issues, to suicidal thoughts,” she said.

It’s a step in the right direction, according to Hunt, who started a life coaching business called 4F Motivation to try to help others through challenges.

“Just talking about it, getting it off your chest is a huge help for your mental health,” Hunt said. “Especially somebody that can give you the direction that you’re looking for.” Helping the helpers, like Hunt and Barker, destress and recharge.

“This is where I come to let all of that go,” said Barker, sitting in her car in the parking lot of the park she loves. “I will just sit here and just cry.”

While the COVID-19 ICU isn’t as packed as it was just months before, she knows it’s still going to take a long time to recover.

“It’s going to take myself and my colleagues years to heal after what we’ve all experienced,” Barker said.

At the end of her 12-hour shift, exhausted, Barker drove to that little park to feel the feelings she couldn’t really experience during her shift because she had to be strong.

After a while, in the darkness, she said into the camera of her smartphone, “(I’m) ready for another day tomorrow.”

The Frontline SafeUT app is free and available to first responders. You can find it at your app store.

KSL 5 TV Live

Healthy Mind Matters

Dexton Obray was only 14 years old when he took his life in Monroe, Utah in October 2022. Since his...

Aley Davis

7th grade football player spreads mental health awareness after losing teammate to suicide

A 12-year-old boy is working to raise awareness after his football teammate died by suicide in October 2022.

15 days ago

Aron and Joe Tuia'ana (KSL TV)...

Peter Rosen

Utah man’s mission began on an overpass

Men are four times more likely than women to die by suicide. For Joe Tuia'ana that’s more than a statistic.

17 days ago

Branson Callor...

Candice Madsen

Huntsman Mental Health Institute leads world’s largest genetic study of suicide

Researchers at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute are leading the largest genetic study of suicide in the world. Twenty-two countries are participating in the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC).

22 days ago

Studio owner Sterling Brown has created a safe and creative space for artists...

Brittany Tait

How a Cache Valley art studio is using clay to heal

A new art studio in Cache Valley promotes inclusivity, safe spaces, creative learning and it's using clay to heal.

1 month ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Tamara Vaifanua

How to help kids cope with anxiety

The start of a school year can be an exciting time for kids, but some may feel a little anxious about it. Here's how to help.

2 months ago

Dawn Wilson and Lynze Preeze...

Mike Anderson

Family pushes for suicide prevention in face of difficult tragedy

A Cache Valley family is trying to spread the word about help for suicide prevention and bring some positive change from their own horrible tragedy.

2 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Design mockup half in white and half in color of luxury house interior with open plan living room a...

Lighting Design

Lighting Design 101: Learn the Basics

These lighting design basics will help you when designing your home, so you can meet both practical and aesthetic needs.

an antler with large horns int he wilderness...

Three Bear Lodge

Yellowstone in the Fall: A Wildlife Spectacle Worth Witnessing

While most people travel to this park in the summer, late fall in Yellowstone provides a wealth of highlights to make a memorable experience.

a diverse group of students raising their hands in a classroom...

Little Orchard Preschool

6 Benefits of Preschool for Kids

Some of the benefits of preschool for kids include developing independence, curiosity, and learning more about the world.

rodeo contestant on a saddle bronc...

DAYS OF '47 RODEO

Get Ready for the Days of ‘47 Rodeo!

The Days of '47 Rodeo is a series of events everyone in the family can enjoy, with world-class rodeo contestants vying for the gold medal.

Electric LED Lightbulb Change In Light At Home...

Lighting Design

How to Know When to Upgrade Your Lighting

This guide explores indicators that suggest it’s time for a lighting upgrade with tips to make an informed decision when you’re ready to buy. 

Brunette guy in headphones playing games on his desktop computer...

PC Laptops

Looking For a New Computer? Use This Desktop Buying Guide

Choosing a new desktop computer can come with a lot of questions, so we created this desktop buying guide.

New App Connects First Responders To Immediate Mental Help