Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) professionals are in the business of serving, supporting, and caring for others. But who takes care of CRT professionals?

In a new Mobility Management podcast, Patrick Boardman, a long-time ATP, talks about how working in CRT can take a toll on mental health and overall well-being.

“Every single day, we’re exposed to trauma, tragedy, illness, deaths, dying,” Boardman told Mobility Management Editor Laurie Watanabe. “We see things in the field that can be pretty traumatic. For me, it’s certainly a cumulative thing. I think the more you see, the more you go through that, the more important it is to be self aware enough to know if you’re having issues dealing with things.”

Boardman also acknowledged there can be a stigma attached to asking for help.

“I was in the military when I was younger,” he explained, “and there was a bravado that you had to have, where you just walk it off. You’re tough. You don’t have to ask for help.”

Nonetheless, Boardman asserted that significant stressors in the industry exist and should be taken seriously. “There is a tremendous amount of stress right now in the field due to COVID, obviously, and we still have our typical issues,” such as funding challenges and the need to deliver medically necessary seating and wheelchairs to consumers as quickly as possible.

Listen to the podcast “Are You Okay?”: Prioritizing Self Care in CRT, and then check out other Mobility Management podcasts.

If you are currently experiencing a crisis and need to talk to someone, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255, or click here for the Lifeline’s Web site. The Lifeline is a free resource that’s staffed 24 hours a day.

If you’re in Canada, call (833) 456-4566, text 45645, or click here to reach the Canada Suicide Prevention Service’s Web site. In Quebec, call (866) 277-3553.