Code Green Campaign — Free First Responder Mental Health Peer Support

The Code Green Campaign is a first-responder-led mental health advocacy and peer support organization founded in 2014 by paramedic Ann Marie Farina after the suicide of a colleague. The Campaign serves all types of first responders — firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, police, corrections officers, air medical, and search-and-rescue — through peer support outreach, a vetted resource database, financial assistance for mental health care, education and trainings, and a growing peer-led support group program. The name combines green for mental health awareness with the code alerts of emergency services: Code Green is calling a code on first responder mental health.

What to Expect

Code Green’s offerings include the first-of-its-kind first-responder-oriented mental health resource database — searchable by state, by responder type, and by need — plus peer support and crisis referrals coordinated with hundreds of trained providers. The Campaign offers financial assistance grants to first responders who need help paying for mental health care, and a two-hour education course that builds peer-recognition skills for spotting mental health crisis among colleagues. Code Green’s peer-led support group program, run by trained first-responder facilitators, gives responders a place to gather and speak honestly about their experiences in community.

Who This Group Is For

Code Green serves all current and former first responders: firefighters (career and volunteer), EMTs and paramedics, police and law enforcement, corrections officers, dispatchers (often the most overlooked first responders), air medical crews, and search-and-rescue. Family members of first responders can also access resources and education. The Campaign is intentional about including all responder types — recognizing that mental health needs are shared across services but often siloed by department.

Why Peer Support Works

First responders face occupational rates of PTSD, depression, suicide, and substance use that exceed the general population significantly — and often face cultural barriers to seeking help that civilians don’t. Code Green’s peer-driven model — built by first responders, run by first responders, vetted for responder-specific competence — addresses both the substance of the need and the culture. Responders consistently report that peer-to-peer connection with someone who understands the job and the culture from the inside is the precondition for the help itself working.

How to Join

Code Green resources are free. Visit codegreencampaign.org to search the responder mental health database, request peer support or crisis referral, apply for financial assistance, register for trainings, and find current peer-led support groups. The organization can also be reached for departmental trainings and consulting.