About Responders First

About Us

We help first responders, military, veterans, and the people who love them turn post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth — at no cost and in complete confidence.

Our Mission

To change post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth for the first responders, military, and veterans who serve our communities, and for the families who stand beside them.

Responders First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 on Florida’s Nature Coast. We exist because the people who run toward emergencies are often the last to get help for what those emergencies leave behind. Cost, stigma, and a well-earned distrust of systems that could cost them their careers keep too many of them from care.

So we removed those barriers. Every service we offer is free. Every conversation is confidential and independent of any employer. And every program is built around therapies with real clinical evidence behind them, delivered by people who understand the culture of the job.

What We Do

Four Ways We Help

Every warrior starts with a phone call. From there, care can take several forms, and each one is free.

Flagship
The Five-Day Wellness Program
A residential week of Accelerated Resolution Therapy, iRest, adaptive yoga, and therapeutic music. Lodging, meals, and local transportation are included. Each cohort is kept small: six individuals or three couples.
See the five-day program →
Year-Round
One-on-One Counseling
Individual counseling with a licensed clinician, available year-round to warriors and to their spouses and partners.
Explore our therapies →
Saturdays
Peer-to-Peer Support Group
A Saturday peer group where warriors connect with others who understand the job and what it leaves behind.
Ask about joining →
Families
Care for Spouses and Partners
We treat the strain of living alongside someone managing PTSD as primary, not secondary. Partners can attend a program week together or come on their own.
Read: when the job comes home →

Since February 2024, seven program cohorts have completed the five-day week. See photos from every cohort.

Who We Serve

Every Branch. Every Badge.

Our programs are open to anyone who serves or has served, and to the people who carry the job home with them. You do not need a department referral to take part.

  • Law enforcement: police officers, deputies, detectives, and corrections officers
  • Fire and rescue: firefighters and rescue personnel
  • Emergency medical and dispatch: EMTs, paramedics, and dispatchers
  • Military: active duty, reserve, and National Guard members
  • Veterans of every branch and era
  • Families: spouses, partners, and immediate family members

We are based in Hernando County and serve warriors across Florida’s Nature Coast, including Hernando, Pasco, Citrus, and Hillsborough counties. Find your area.

How We Work

The Promises We Keep

Free, every time

No one is ever billed, invoiced, or asked for insurance. Our work is funded by donors, grants, and community partners.

Confidential and independent

We operate apart from every department, agency, and branch. Nothing about your participation is shared with an employer, chain of command, or insurer.

No paperwork to qualify

You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or anyone’s permission. A short conversation is how every warrior starts.

Faith-friendly, never faith-required

Responders First is Christian-affiliated, but the clinical work is not religious and warriors of every background are welcome.

Jesse Diaz-Franco, LCSW, speaking at a first responder wellness conference
Our Founder

Jesse Diaz-Franco, LCSW

Founder & Executive Director

Jesse is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work and a concentration in Advanced Clinical Practice. He holds the Enhanced Practitioner designation in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, the eye-movement trauma therapy at the center of our program.

He started Responders First in 2019 after years of sitting across from first responders and veterans and watching cost, stigma, and institutional distrust keep them from care that could have helped. He built the program around the culture, language, and real-world experience of the people who serve, and the phone number on this site reaches him directly.

Organization Details

At a Glance

Organization
Responders First Inc.
Status
501(c)(3) public charity, tax-exempt since 2019
EIN
83-4325356
Founder & Executive Director
Jesse Diaz-Franco, LCSW
Office
7461 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa, FL 34446
Service area
Hernando, Pasco, Citrus, and Hillsborough counties, Florida
Phone
352-585-0626
Email
Jesse@RespondersFirst.us
Public record
Candid (GuideStar) nonprofit profile
No Cost. No Barrier.

You've Given Enough.
Now Let Us Give Back.

Every service is free and strictly confidential. No diagnosis, referral, or paperwork required — a brief phone call is all it takes to start.

Call 352-585-0626Email Jesse
Strictly confidential · No employer notification · Open to spouses