Dedication and selflessness presented themselves in so many ways during COVID-19; however, none were as obvious as that of our Texas frontline workers. While these heroes were putting their own lives and families at risk taking care of the communities, conversations began about how we Texans could support them.  The purpose of these conversations was to identify resources and support that would keep our Texas FrontLine strong throughout the pandemic... and beyond. Hoping that we wouldn't be the only community members wanting to help, a partnership quickly formed between Patterson Law Group (a prominent personal injury firm) and Readiness Group (a resiliency education and trauma response consulting firm).

In 2020, Mental Health for Heroes became a Texas state 501c3. It is a volunteer-operated referral management program that connects frontline workers to culturally aware trauma counselors and provides resources to those who cannot afford assistance.  As the program grew, we recognized that there was a significant need for resiliency education as well. In 2022, we launched MH4H 1.0, an 8-hour workshop to build individual resiliency.  In 2024, we followed up with MH4H 2.0, an 8-hour primer on peer support within high-stress/trauma organizations.  These workshops have been presented to hundreds of frontline workers throughout the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding communities.