A fight for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder coverage years in the making has ended with a win for Cleveland paramedics, EMTs and dispatchers.
A union contract for Cleveland EMS just passed, including about $3.7 million in back pay for employees and mental health language, addressing PTSD.
CARE has been negotiating their contract since March of 2016.
CARE Union president Paul Melhuish credits continued coverage of the issue from 19 Investigates with helping them achieve the new mental health and PTSD policy.
In one of our stories, we profiled paramedics struggling with PTSD and mental health.
Melhuish said Cleveland EMS may be among the first in the nation to have an outlined policy regarding mental health coverage specific to PTSD in their contract with the city.
It is called “mental health trauma” in the contract.