Consider a hypothetical household. A firefighter has worked a heavy shift schedule for a month, and his 15-year-old son has stopped talking at dinner. The firefighter’s wife doesn’t know whether to address it now or wait, and she doesn’t want to add to her husband’s stress by going to him first. She needs someone outside the family to talk to. Provident’s First Responder Assistance Program (FRAP), included with accident and health (A&H) insurance, gives her that option because it serves members’ families as well as members.
For agents, FRAP’s reach into the household changes how you can present A&H coverage to a department. The policy provides financial protection for members, and FRAP extends support to the people they live with.
Can Firefighters’ Families Use FRAP?
FRAP serves the entire household. The spouse in the example can call on her own, without going through her husband or the department. Members call the same number for their own mental wellness support.
Each feature of the program removes a reason a family member might hesitate to call. Support is free so that cost won’t keep a spouse off the phone. It’s available 24/7 by phone or text at (855) 207-1747, so she can reach out after the kids are asleep. And FRAP can’t release information about a caller’s problem without the caller’s written permission. A spouse can ask for help without the department learning about it.
Agents should also know where FRAP sits in the coverage. FRAP is not insurance. When you present FRAP to a department, describe it as a support service included with Provident’s A&H coverage. Families then know what to expect: FRAP connects them with help, and it doesn’t pay claims.
What Happens When a Family Member Calls?
When the spouse calls or texts, a Care Coordinator answers. Care Coordinators are master’s-level clinicians. The Care Coordinator confidentially assesses the problem, helps with any emergency, and connects the caller with the right resources.
The assessment leads to one of three outcomes. First, the Care Coordinator may resolve the need during that first call. Second, if the problem is a short-term issue, the Care Coordinator refers the caller to a counselor within the program’s available sessions. A teenager withdrawing during a stressful stretch at home could fit that path, and the spouse would end her first call with a referral to a counselor.
Third, if the Care Coordinator determines that long-term care is needed, the Care Coordinator helps the caller connect with a community resource or a treatment provider available through the family’s health insurance plan. Long-term treatment can carry costs, and the family’s health plan may cover them. The consequence for your clients: FRAP itself costs families nothing, but FRAP doesn’t pay for long-term treatment after a referral. Tell departments upfront, so families aren’t surprised by a bill later.
Which Household Problems Can FRAP Help With?
FRAP’s common reasons to call reach well beyond the job. The program groups them into four areas:
- Relationships: Spouse and kids, friends, a boss or coworker, and customers
- Life events: A birth or death, health or illness, marriage or divorce, and a promotion or retirement
- Challenges: Parenting, financial or legal problems, stress or conflict, and daily responsibilities
- Risks: Burnout or anger, depression or anxiety, substance misuse, and suicidal thoughts
Families don’t need a job-related crisis or an emergency to call. A divorce, a parent’s death, or a household budget problem all appear on the list. When a client asks how their firefighter benefits reach the people at home, you can point to those specific examples.
Because the risks category includes suicidal thoughts, families should also know their emergency options. Care Coordinators assist with emergencies, and anyone in immediate danger should call 911. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline also answers calls and texts at 988.
Helping Families Know FRAP Is There
FRAP can help spouses only if they know the number. The wife in the example could call because she had it. A family that never sees the number can’t use the service, and the department loses the household support it already has through its coverage.
When you review A&H insurance with a department, encourage leaders to share the FRAP number directly with members’ households. A department can add the number, a short note on who can call, and the 911 and 988 options to new-member packets and household mailings. Contact Provident today!
About Provident
Founded in 1902, our rich history involves the creation of custom firefighter insurance benefits in 1928. Today, Provident continues to be a pioneer in developing insurance programs for firefighters, EMS providers, municipal entities, and law enforcement. In addition, we provide Special Risks insurance for various volunteer and nonprofit groups. Give us a call today at (412) 963-1200 to speak with one of our representatives.