Our Projects

Wildland Firefighter Mental Health Access Initiative

Making the first step easier

When a wildland firefighter reaches out for help, finding care should feel manageable.

We’re developing a community-supported pathway to connect wildland firefighters and their families with compassionate mental health care—quickly, personally, and with fewer barriers.

How it began

Following the loss of four members of Rifle Helitack, we experienced how much a simple, personal connection could matter.

A neighbor offered to help connect a member of our fire family with a therapist experienced in supporting first responders. Within thirty minutes, there was a name and a phone number. Within the week, there was an appointment.

Someone helped open the door.

That experience helped shape our Mental Health Access Initiative: making it easier to reach someone who understands, at a time when finding help can feel overwhelming.

The gap we’re working to bridge

Fire service programs, employee assistance programs, and insurance remain important options for care. But having a resource available and being able to use it quickly can be different experiences.

Finding an available therapist, making multiple calls, understanding costs, and explaining the realities of wildland firefighting can add to an already heavy load. For someone navigating grief, trauma, or exhaustion, those steps can make it harder to begin.

Our initiative offers an additional, community-based bridge to care—helping people connect while they navigate existing resources or determine what ongoing support will look like.

What we’re building

A personal connection
Help connecting with a provider, so the person seeking support has someone alongside them in taking the first step.

Timely access
A goal of connecting participants with care within three to seven days, depending on provider availability.

Providers who understand
Connections with therapists experienced in supporting wildland firefighters, first responders, trauma, and grief.

Financial support
Fundraising to help reduce the cost of counseling and make starting care more accessible.

Working together

Our collaboration with Pathfinders anchors this initiative, combining their counseling expertise with 4 O’Chocolate’s funding and connection to the wildland fire community. Pathfinders provides clinical care; we help fund access and connect people with support.

We’re also developing opportunities with RIDE in Silt to offer equine-assisted support as another avenue for connection and healing.

The initiative is in development. We’ll share enrollment information as funding and provider capacity are in place.

Interested in Support?

If you’re a wildland firefighter or family member interested in our Mental Health Access Initiative, please reach out to 4ocwildland@gmail.com. We’d welcome the chance to connect, learn what support you’re looking for, and share information about the program.

Education, Advocacy & Innovation

Supporting change beyond the immediate need

Helping someone access care today goes hand in hand with improving the systems that support wildland firefighters over time.

We’re identifying opportunities to contribute to nonpartisan education, policy discussions, and collaborative efforts focused on firefighter safety and well-being.

Board member Julia Barry brings legislative experience and established relationships to this work, helping us connect lived experience with opportunities for meaningful change.

Our approach starts with listening—to wildland firefighters, their families, and organizations already doing this work—then identifying where our relationships, resources, and voice can make a useful contribution.

Help Move This Work Forward

Donations and merchandise purchases help us build access to care and advance our mission. Providers, businesses, and community organizations can also contribute expertise, connections, and resources.

Together, we can help bring more wildland firefighters home safely.