Cohen Veterans Clinic in Torrance offers mental health services to LA firefighters

The Gary Sinise Foundation, a nonprofit established by the famous actor that serves veterans and first responders, has provided a $250,000 grant to Cohen Veterans Network to provide mental health services to Los Angeles Fire Department personnel and their families.

These services will be available at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD Los Angeles, which is in Torrance.

“Our first responders are on the front lines of our communities, often putting their own lives on the line to protect and serve others,” Jim Ravella, executive vice president of the Gary Sinise Foundation, said in a written statement. “Through this partnership with Cohen Veterans Network and on behalf of our founder Gary Sinise, we are proud to extend critical mental health services to the courageous men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department, as well as their families. Together, we are ensuring they have the support they need to thrive, both on and off duty, and help their communities heal and recover together.”

Mental health services are “vital” for firefighters in order for them to cope with the traumatic events they see on a day-to-day basis,” said LAFD Battalion Chief Aaron Guggenheim.

“We work in the second largest city in the country,” Guggenheim said. “It’s a large urban metropolis with a high volume of calls, a lot of violent trauma. Things that most people shouldn’t be seeing, we see. It’s not a normal job.”

Most Americans experience three traumatic events in their lifetime, but according to a 2021 study published in a medical journal titled, “Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,” firefighters experience nine traumatic events — every year.

These types of events, Guggenheim said, can include a high-risk catastrophic event, watching an individual be killed, watching a coworker be killed, seeing an injured child or having their own life-threatening experience. Because of this, firefighters are at a higher risk for severe and even life-threatening mental health struggles.

Firefighters, in fact, experience myriad mental health issues at a higher rate than the general population, according to statistics compiled by the International Association of Fire Fighters.

“22% of fire service members will meet criteria for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) at some point during their career,” the fact sheet said, “compared to 11-30% military veterans and 6% general population.”

And PTSD, Guggenheim said, can bleed into an individual’s personal life.

“I’ve had some experiences with post-traumatic stress where you either are on edge or you might feel angry or just the exhaustion makes everything harder,” he said. “It took me 18 years to actually realize that some of the challenges I was having in my personal life were possibly attributed to experiences that I had at work.”

When left untreated, PTSD can lead to divorce, substance abuse, self harm and even suicide – all of which firefighters experience at an exponentially higher rate than the general public.

An estimated 100 firefighters die by suicide each year, according to the Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders. Additionally, almost half of the firefighter population has suicidal ideation, 19.2% create suicide plans and 15.5% attempt suicide.

“The PTS is real for them when they’re seeing the carnage and devastation surrounding loss of life,” said Gib Bosworth, vice president of programs with the Gary Sinise Foundation. “The images that none of us would want to see, they see that, and they are not always able to process it.”

Bosworth said he views firefighters as an “underserved community” when it comes to mental health services, noting that first responders in general don’t have a national resource that can provide mental health resources, in comparison to veterans, who have access to government-funded Veteran Affairs services.

Guggenheim, meanwhile, was put into the position of “wellness section commander” in 2024 and has since overseen the physical and mental health of the firefighters within the department. While he has seen increased visibility surrounding mental health issues in this position, Guggenheim said, there are not nearly enough resources.

“We have three psychologists on staff for 3,300 sworn firefighters, which isn’t nearly enough,” he said. “Nationwide, there aren’t enough mental health services to support the general population and the fire department is no different. One of the big things is awareness. We have more people that need services than are willing to admit it and having more resources would help fill that gap because if everyone sought care that either needs it or benefits (from) it, we’d be inundated.”

The services that will now be offered at the Cohen Clinic in Torrance, Guggenheim said, are filling a much-needed gap when it comes to not only access to care, but also access to the right kind of care.

All of the staff at the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Los Angeles, have undergone “specialized cultural competence training” provided by IAFF in order to best meet the needs of firefighters. This training focused on the unique stressors and experiences of firefighters, enabling care providers to offer more effective and relatable mental health support, according to a press release from the Cohen Veterans Network.

“We’re really happy to partner and expand our services to be able to open access for mental health care for LAFD personnel and their family members,” said Jolene Balancio, director of the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Los Angeles, in Torrance. “We also wanted to honor the firefighters who have been out there for the community and trying to keep the community safe. We understand the toll that can take on individuals and the family.”

The clinic offers both in person and telehealth appointments for one-on-one treatment, family or couples therapy, and group therapy. These services are not only available for the eligible individual, but also for their families – something Bosworth said is essential.

“When a first responder or a veteran serves, their whole family serves,” he said, noting that oftentimes, firefighters will take these issues home, which can have an impact on their families.

“You may be in Downtown LA in Skid Row where you’re constantly seeing all kinds of traumatic things – going to fires or car accidents – and then you’re supposed to go home to your family and potentially young kids,” Guggenheim said. “It can be hard to transition and balance our occupational stressors with our life stressors.”

Balancio said she wants LAFD firefighters and all those struggling to know that there are resources for them when they are ready to ask for help.

“It can be really challenging to ask for help or know when to seek help,” she said. “Oftentimes, with mental health there is some stigma around it, so I think it could be a challenge for anyone to feel ready, but our clinic is a safe space to be able to access care.”

The Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Los Angeles, is at 20800 Madrona Ave, Suite C-100, in Torrance. For more information on the services offered, call the clinic at 213-642-4611 or visit vvsd.net/cohencliniclosangeles. For more information on programs offered by the Gary Sinise Foundation, visit garysinisefoundation.org.