UCF program offering mental health support of Surfside rescue workers

ORLANDO, Fla. - As first responders continue recovery efforts at the condo building collapse in Surfside, psychologists from the non-profit trauma support group UCF RESTORES mobilized to provide mental health support to rescue workers at the scene.

"When I first got there and looked at it, it reminded me in some way of 9/11," said Dr. Deborah Beidel, UCF RESTORES, Executive Director. 

She and two of her colleagues spent four days in Surfside working 15-hour shifts to check-in with rescue workers.

"Having to pick through piece by piece to look for people really is going to take a toll… [First responders started to recover personal belongings, jewelry, wedding rings… and all of that it's difficult for our first responders knowing that they belonged to someone."

Dr. Beidel said her team was focused on psychological first aid, not formal therapy, and they would meet with search and rescue teams when they stopped for lunch or took a break.

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"You start out the conversations, I’ve got some water… then you just start to talk to people how you doing, is there anything you need, how can I help you." 

She said some first responders were fine while others wanted to talk, but she said potential Post Traumatic Stress may not settle in until recovery efforts are over.

"They might find themselves thinking about the event a lot. They might find themselves having a tough time sleeping because they're still thinking about it. They could have nightmares."

Dr. Beidel said their main was making sure first responders know UCF Restore’s offers no-cost therapy sessions to support them in the long-run if they need help to process what they experienced in Surfside.

"The biggest message we got out down there was it's okay to be okay, it's okay to not be okay, and it's okay to be okay now, and not be okay later. There's no one reaction to trauma."

UCF RESTORES offers a single session consultation line where first responders can speak to a therapist for an hour. 

"We help these very resilient first responders figure out the stress that they're under, remind them of the strengths that they have and give them and help them develop a personalized plan so that they have some specific goals to do," Dr. Beidel said.

UCF RESTORES Psychologist Dr. David Rozek worked the overnight shift while in Surfside and said he was surprised at how welcoming and grateful the first responders were to them.

"We had groups from different areas of Florida. We had people from out of state and kind of this idea that we're all a team, including us mental health clinicians and our team, and the peer support team, we're all one team working on different areas of this event."

Dr. Rozek also said the team spirit during a grave time also stood out to him. "As the days go on and on, people are starting to lose hope, but the first responders are saying we got to keep moving we got to keep trying.

RESTORES launched in 2011 with a focus of treating veterans and active duty personnel with PTSD. The clinic is best known for its unique three-week program that combines virtual reality and group therapy sessions and has found that 66 percent of veterans and 76 percent of first responders – which is above the average success rate of standard PSTD treatments – no longer have PTSD. 

The state legislature this past session awarded RESTORES $1 million to continue their research, education and delivery of no-cost PTSD treatment. 

For more information on UCF RESTORES, go HERE.