String of first responder suicides highlights growing need for mental health support

Almost every day, the Invisible Wounds Project is doing suicide crisis intervention for current or former first responders and veterans.

“Last year we were doing about three-and-a-half suicide crisis interventions a week. Now we're doing eight, and it's just continuing to snowball,” said Russ Hanes, founder and executive director of Invisible Wounds Project.

The nonprofit based in Forest Lake is focused on supporting the mental health of law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, 911 dispatchers, frontline medical staff and veterans. They have four full-time staff and a 12,000-square-foot facility with a gym, art studio, wood shop and a therapy office.

Through outreach and word of mouth, the organization has grown to be a space frontline workers feel they can walk into and be heard, understood and find belonging.

In the last two weeks, it has become an important place for people to process the suicides of at least three former and current first responders.

One has been identified by the nonprofit Heroes Helping Heroes MN as a former Minneapolis Police officer who had been struggling with PTSD. Hanes says another suicide was a law enforcement officer in the Arrowhead region and the third was an EMT in western Wisconsin.

Hanes says the organization tends to get busier when there is a string of deaths like this, but they want to be busy and supporting people. In fact, one person was at Invisible Wounds Project taking a class when they found out about the passing of one of the first responders, who was a friend.

Studies have found that first responders are at a higher risk for mental health issues and suicide due to the trauma they face on the job. One study found law enforcement and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.

Hanes believes there are likely first responders in the region that have died by suicide that his organization doesn’t know about, partially because of the stigma that exists in the community around mental health.

“It tends to be a thing where we deal with so much crisis because people wait until it is absolutely crisis point,” said Hanes.

But Hanes hopes to keep breaking down barriers for people to ask for help. Invisible Wounds Project is currently creating a mobile wood shop that they can take all across Minnesota and western Wisconsin to act as a support space. They hope to launch next spring.

“We want to help people with an upstream approach. Give them safe, healthy, welcoming space to to connect with their people,” said Hanes.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988 to get connected with the trained counselors who can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7.

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