AUGUSTA — A Maine legislative committee signed off Monday on a proposal to try to help emergency responders better access mental health support.
The proposal establishes a presumption that firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police officers, emergency dispatchers and others who are diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder have the condition because of “extraordinary and unusual work stress,” a bill before the Maine Legislature states. The Legislature’s Labor and Housing Committee unanimously approved the proposal on Monday.
Professional Firefighters of Maine backed the change. The organization said the bill would shift the burden of proof to the employer to prove the condition is not related to work. The organization’s president, Michael Crouse, said providing worker’s compensation coverage for the responders is “critical to ensuring they can access the care they need to recover from this condition.”
The full Maine Legislature must still vote on the proposal. The rule is currently on the books but is due to end in October. The bill before the Legislature would make it permanent.
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