Mental Health
Our Foundation assists with financial coverage for mental health services including co-pays and unmet insurance deductibles of up to $3,000 per person.
You do not need a referral and can simply schedule with one of the providers listed below. You will just need to identify yourself as a first responder or family member and provide your agency name. All services, from scheduling to billing, are 100% confidential. We will never see your name or any other identifying information about you.
For a list of agencies we currently support, please see our “Who We Are” page.
Recommended Providers
IMPORTANT: some of our therapists are only taking new patients from the first responder community. Please don’t be discouraged by voicemails stating they are full. Instead leave a message stating you are a local first responder and were referred by the Foundation.
To be included on this list, providers are required to hold specific training certifications and to pass a first responder cultural competency screening. To make sure that we are utilizing providers who are competent to work with our particular population, we will only pay for therapy with providers included on this list.
Nicole Nestor-Gray, LMFT
North Idaho Counseling Center
(951) 751-7175
*When calling, please identify yourself as a First Responder to receive priority.
Nicole Nestor-Gray is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Private Practice in Hayden, Idaho. She spent 28 years in private practice and has been involved in the Mental Health field since 1989. Nicole is a Clinical Fellow with American Association of Marriage, Family Therapist. She has worked in both the USA and Canada serving all populations but has specialized in the treatment of trauma since 1997. She has had tremendous success in treating PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and Panic Disorder in adults and children using EMDR and A.R.T. Nicole was Trained in EMDR in 1997 and utilizes EMDR regularly to help her clients reach their therapeutic goals. She is also an EMDR Consultant and an EMDRIA Approved EMDR Training Provider. Nicole has been acknowledged for her work with first responders and military personnel. She Chairs the local First Responders Clinician Support team. She is a trusted therapist with First Responders Wellness Center, Code 4 NW and III-A. She also assists in local debriefings for local law enforcement and fire agencies.
Nicole bills insurance which we appreciate as it often allows a longer and more thorough course of treatment. The Foundation will cover deductibles and co-pays up to the $3,000 per person max.
Ashely Notestine, LCPC
Evergreen Counseling & EMDR Therapy, LLC
(208) 717-1208 (texting works well)
*Don’t be deterred if her message states she is not taking new clients as she is often able to make space in her schedule for first responders. Just let her know you were referred by our Foundation.
Ashely approaches counseling with an open mind, a lack of judgement, a willingness to go where you want to go, and a strong desire to see you achieve your goals. She specializes in the treatment of acute and chronic trauma. Whether you are struggling with breaking the bonds of your past, wrestling with decisions which must be made for the future, or are simply unsure of your direction in the present, she welcomes the opportunity to use her knowledge to assist you.
Ashely sees numerous first responders and veterans in our community. She speaks the language and really goes the extra mile to help move you forward in whatever way works best for you personally. We have received very good feedback from those who have seen her.
Services: couples and individual counseling
Conditions Treated: anxiety, complex trauma (sexual assault, childhood abuse, co-occurring conditions), depression, panic disorders, personality disorders, phase of life/adjustment issues, phobias, post traumatic stress.
Ashely bills insurance which we appreciate as it often allows a longer and more thorough course of treatment. The Foundation will cover deductibles and co-pays up to the $3,000 max.
Lindsey Petrick, LCSW
Flourish Counseling
(208) 755-1641
*Please indicate that you are a first responder, first responder spouse, or seeking care for a first responder’s child as this will help ensure expedited scheduling.
Lindsey has worked with various patient populations including first responders, active-duty military, and emergency department personnel. She comes with a deep understanding of the intricacies and cultural aspects of these professions. She uses a personal approach to help individuals work through challenges and cultivate growth in their lives. Lindsey has a passion for working with women’s health but is happy to serve all individuals throughout their mental health journey. Lindsey utilizes EMDR, IFS, trauma-focused CBT and other somatic interventions within her practice to help clients find relief and healing. She knows from her many years of experience that change is attainable through the therapeutic relationship, and she honors the partnership that occurs during the process. In her spare time, Lindsey loves to spend time outdoors training for marathons, triathlons, and loves all things health-related!
Lindsey bills a number of insurance plans which we appreciate as it often allows a more thorough course of treatment. The Foundation will cover deductibles and co-pays up to the $3,000 max.
Susan Beglinger, MS, LMFT
(702) 521-3222
(208) 777-5510
*Video/Telehealth only.
Coeur d’Alene, ID. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I work with individuals, couples, parents, college students, families and groups. My specialties include communication and relationship issues, secrets, conflict, separation or divorce, trauma, life transitions, anger, depression, anxiety, singleness, self esteem, body image, disordered eating, and chronic illness. Previously worked 7 years in a general hospital medical center, trained in EMDR therapy, and rape crisis intervention.
My role as your therapist is to support, direct, encourage and challenge you in gaining clarity, understanding, insight, courage and peace of mind. My style is strength based as I help you to identify and utilize resources within yourself and within your life. We work together to help you understand the positive and negative impact of the systems in your life such as the relational, medical, financial, cultural, spiritual and physical components.
Therapy should help you find answers to questions and experience strength, confidence and the life you wish to live. bills insurance which we appreciate as it often allows a longer and more thorough treatment plan for those who treat with them.
Susan bills a number of insurance plans which we appreciate as it often allows a more thorough course of treatment. The Foundation will cover deductibles and co-pays up to the $3,000 max.
Christine specializes in working with client suffering from trauma related issues and has extensive experience working with first responders and their families. She was raised in a first responder family, so is very familiar with the related culture, challenges, and traumas the family may experience. She utilizes EMDR as well as Accelerated Resolution Therapy as part of her practice. Her goal is to offer a safe, empathic and compassionate environment; guiding conversations toward hope and healing, and collaborating on possible solutions to help you achieve authenticity and joy.
Amanda Olson, LCSW
208-783-1454
*For priority when scheduling, call and request Amanda and state you are a first responder.
Amanda is a Silver Valley native and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a trauma therapist who specializes in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Brainspotting, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to support her clients in reaching their identified goals for treatment. Amanda believes that everyone has the capacity to heal and hopes to provide competent and caring support to first responders and her community members along the way. Amanda comes from a First Responder Family. Her office is located at Heritage Health in Kellogg.
Amanda is a newly added provider (spring 2024), but we are so excited to have someone with her history and expertise added as a provider for those in the Silver Valley area.
Jessica Carter, MSC, LPC
JCarter Counseling, PLLC
https://www.jcartercounseling.com/
(480) 269-1413
*Phone/video counseling only.
Jess Carter is a licensed and nationally certified counselor who specializes in working with first responders and veterans. Jess has over a decade of experience in the field of Behavioral Health. She started her career in Army intelligence. Since then, she has had a variety of experiences, including Clinical Counseling, Psychiatric Assessment in hospitals and Emergency Departments, Crisis Intervention, and CISM/Peer support. Jess’ approach is straightforward, combining support and practical skills to help first responders be resilient, at work and at home. In counseling, Jess incorporates resilience training, Mindfulness Based Stress Management, and trauma-informed therapies to provide a custom fit treatment for each client. Outside of her role as a mental health professional, Jess is married to a Marine veteran and they share their home with two rambunctious dogs. She keeps busy with anything that will get her out of the house – gardening, backpacking, archery/shooting, and rock climbing. Her favorite vacation spot is her family’s cabin in Pine, Idaho. She is also a huge foodie and loves to cook.
Riverside Therapy Center, PLLC
www.riversidetherapycenter.com
(509) 903-6551
*Recommended provider: Victoria Vacciola PhD C, LMHC, LCPS-S
Telehealth and in-person sessions are available in Spokane Valley. Our group has many therapist to choose from and is owned by an active duty service member and his wife. A number of our therapists have prior lived experience as first responders and have lived with first responders and therefore understand many of the unique challenges that you face daily. We have also worked directly with military members and members of crisis response teams. Our team is trauma-informed and equipped to work with those with PTSD, depression, anxiety, addiction, complex trauma, sleep issues, stress, emotional dysregulation, family and marriage issues, anger, domestic violence, and chronic pain. We understand how difficult it can be to reach out for help. We hope to gain your trust, build a relationship, and utilize scientifically proven/evidence based approaches in your care.
Riverside Therapy Center bills insurance which we appreciate as it often allows a longer and more thorough treatment plan for those who treat with them. The Foundation will cover deductibles and co-pays up to the $3,000 max.
I am Diana Kelsey, owner and operator of Transformations Counseling LLC, located in beautiful downtown Coeur d’ Alene. I graduated from the University of Idaho in 2007 with a Masters degree in Counseling and Human Services. As a Mental Health Therapist, I bring more than 17 years experience to counseling individuals of various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. I am a compassionate, solutions-oriented helper, dedicated to providing exceptional care and devising creative treatment plans for children and adults dealing with a variety of mental health and substance abuse disorders.
I began my counseling career with Children’s Village as the Program Director and later worked for Innercept Residential Treatment Center as a Clinical Supervisor and therapist. Through my work with these esteemed institutions, I realized my larger purpose of serving my community by specializing in the individualized treatment of trauma. I opened my private practice in 2019 and most recently I have been honored to work more exclusively with First Responders and their families. I am a licensed Clinical Trauma Therapist with an additional EMDR Certification. In my spare time, I love exploring the great outdoors with my husband, spending time with our six children, and attending birthday parties throughout the year for all thirteen of our grandchildren. I am an avid hiker and runner and I am always refreshed after a trek around my favorite hiking spot, Tubbs Hill.
Behavioral Health – Telephone, Text, and App Resources
Copline 1-800-267-5463 https://www.copline.org/ “Cops understand Cops. We’ve been exposed to similar situations in our careers. Whether you’re active duty or retired and feel like no one understands what you’re going through, we want to answer your CALL.” CopLine has earned the trust of the Law Enforcement community by providing peer listening through a hotline by maintaining complete confidentiality as well as anonymity if the caller chooses. We train competent, confident, committed, and compassionate retired officers to engage with callers on the daily stressors officers and their family members experience.
National Volunteer Fire Council NVFC Fire/EMS Helpline 1-888-731-FIRE (3473) Confidential and 24-hour, the Fire/EMS Helpline was created for first responders by members of the fire service. This program is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of firefighters, EMTs, rescue personnel and their families.
Warriors Heart https://www.warriorsheart.com/ Offers numerous treatment options for those seeking inpatient treatment for chemical dependency, alcohol abuse, and co-occurring psychological disorders relating to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or the psychological effects of MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury). For those who have fought battles to defend our country and our citizens, fighting the battle against addiction and depression doesn’t need to be done alone. This group serves First Responders as well as active military and veterans.
National Veteran Hotline https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat or call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, or text 838255. We are including this resource as so many of our first responders are also military veterans.
Code4 Northwest https://code4nw.org/ 425.243.5092 Available for Washington residents (and agencies). Code 4 Northwest is an entirely volunteer-run, free and confidential crisis response and referral network for Washington State active and retired first responders, EMS, corrections, civilian support personnel, and their families.
All Clear Foundation https://allclearfoundation.org/about/ and https://responderstrong.org/. Their website provide links to numerous types of wellness resources for the First Responder community.
Responder REL8 (This resource is undergoing maintenance) https://responderrel8.com/ From the All Clear Foundation, this confidential app provides Emergency Workers a safe place to connect and chat anonymously with each other. It is available 24/7. This resource is available to all responders including law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch, frontline medical workers, ski patrol, disaster responders, crisis counselors, corrections, coroner’s personnel, wildland firefighters and other responders.
Crisis Text line If you or a loved one is in crisis, you can text BADGE to 741-741 to connect confidentially with a trained crisis counselor.
CONTACT NOW
If you would like to speak to someone about the program, please email Heather Schmitz at [email protected], call her at (509) 994-0526, or speak with one of the following:
Taylor Beach – Coeur d’Alene PD – (208) 930-9522 – [email protected], Ben Hector – Coeur d’Alene Fire Department
Justin Anderson – Post Falls PD, Justin Klitch – ISP, Kassi Allen – Anchored Coffee Company