Emergency Services Respite Center

Rosey Velez calms down clients at the Emergency Services Respite Center by literally cooling them down. The air conditioned room is only a start to the counseling services emergency workers receive at the San Angelo center.

A psychiatrist, licensed professional counselor and other employees offer counseling and therapy services free of charge to “anyone with a badge.” Velez, who started the center shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks on the U.S., said the staff welcomes police officers, firefighters, paramedics, soldiers and veterans.

Center volunteers listen to personal problems that range from marital difficulties to prolonged post-traumatic stress disorder.

“People forget, when you dial 9-1-1 you want someone to attend to your needs, but who’s attending to their needs?” Velez said.

Everything from the laundry room, children’s play room and stocked kitchen gives the building a feeling of home, said Phillip Neal, program manager. Doctors don’t wear lab coats, and the atmosphere is not clinical.

“They need to talk or need a brotherhood, a family, some place they can walk into and have a sanctity,” Neal said. “We’re more similar to a USO. Some place they go for recreation, not for treatment.”

How long has this group been in San Angelo?

Velez: We opened this section in September. My office, on the other side of the building, has been open since I moved here October 2004.

The center was set up to bring relief to active and retired military, first responders and their families.

Why do these groups need this assistance?

There is no such thing as a firefighter that’s out of control. They’re taught in the academy if you’re out of control you could die. Our police are taught the same thing. How can you be a victim if you’re the police? For a medic, you’re taught how to hold your emotions and decompress later, but you don’t always get that chance. For those guys, you have to be 100 percent right 100 percent of the time. Any mistake you make, another person may die or your partner may die. They’re split, millisecond decision you have to make. And that’s very stressful.

What services does the respite center provide?

We basically run a soup-to-nut workplace. We cover everything from counseling to advocacy. The difficulty I’ve had coming from the New York format to Texas is that Texas is an at-will state. Even though they’re civil service, a lot of them, a fire chief or police chief, can fire with no good reason, and the person really has no recourse. In New York, it’s really hard for a civil servant to be terminated. Usually they’re given more chances. There are unions and organizations and associations that will defend their rights and protect them.

Mental health or moral issues aren’t always a top priority (in Texas). Look at a department’s budget and see how much is dedicated to mental health and moral issues. It’s hard to adopt for someone who works for an agency that sees them as a statistic and not an individual.

There was one county, (where) an officer had (to work) a fatality. We went to talk to them and help out. The county judge was receptive, the county sheriff was receptive two months later the officer comes and talks to me and says they’re firing him. He was still having nightmares, avoiding working nights, and the individual in the accident reminded him of his child. It was really hard for us to deal with the department (when they had an attitude of) ‘I can hire and fire as I please and no questions asked.’

That was my first experience, and wake up call, that these officers aren’t treated like human beings, but are treated like cattle to a degree.

What type of issues do people bring forward?

When it comes to first responders, the major issues is being there so the person can let off steam. They may be angry at their job, their supervisor It could be an MVA (motor vehicle accident) with a fatal, having to draw their service weapon to get someone to comply, and in the middle of all that, family life — kids acting up, kids doing drugs, divorce, infidelity of a spouse. People forget, when you dial 9-1-1 you want someone to attend to your needs, but who’s attending to their needs?

In New York state, there’s a long history of helping the family after (a tragedy). I don’t see a lot of that out here. There’s no one person, it’s handed off to a person who has an interest, but there’s no designated post.

We’re not a cure-all, but we can help.

In New York we have picnics we hold for families. We would have people in neon yellow shirts with dog tags that said ‘chaplain.’ They could go up to a chaplain and make appointments for counseling. For ever 100 people who made appointments, 87 to 92 people would follow up on their third appointment. That’s when you know you’ve truly engaged the family and given them assistance.

In West Texas, I have two things working against us. One is the weather and two is a lack of venues.

How has this office and it’s clientele grown over the years?

It’s grown so much it’s hard to peg one thing. Before it was only me, two volunteers and (another doctor). Now Phil (Neal) being here five days a week by the phone and the care he’s provided, seriously, there is growth by leaps and bounds.

If I can’t answer the phone they turn the (business) card over and call Phil. Where as we could take one to two (emergencies) out in a 24-hour period, should there be 12 (emergencies) at once, we have the manpower to (answer) them all in a 24-hour period. And there’s going to be a greater need. People do not stop calling 9-1-1.
By Jennifer Rios, The San Angelo Standard Times