Free Depression and PTSD Treatment for First Responders

A firefighter once told us he wasn’t afraid of running into burning buildings.

What terrified him most was what came after.

The nightmares. The flashbacks. The weight of what he couldn’t unsee.

That’s the cruel irony of being a first responder in Colorado today: You’re trained to save others, but left to navigate your breakdowns alone.

In the wake of three Denver police officer suicides and the city’s decision to cut mental health services, we knew we had two choices:

1. Wait and Watch
2. Step Up 

We chose to act.

At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we’ve expanded our pro bono depression treatment program to offer Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)—free of charge—to Colorado’s first responders.

Because depression isn’t just something to survive. It’s something you deserve to heal from.

Why This Matters?

• 266,000 Coloradans experience serious thoughts of suicide every year
• Colorado ranks 48th in the country for mental health access
• First responders are 5X more likely to attempt suicide than civilians
• 1 in 3 firefighters and 1 in 4 police officers suffer from depression or PTSD
• In just three months, 3 officer suicides

These are the people who answer our worst 911 calls.

So why aren’t we answering theirs?

What Is TMS and Why It Works When Nothing Else Has?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is like a defibrillator for the brain.

It’s an FDA-approved, drug-free treatment that uses magnetic pulses to reset the areas of your brain affected by major depression and PTSD.

It’s especially effective for people who’ve already tried medications with little or no relief.

• No sedation
• No side effects like weight gain or brain fog
• No hospital stays
• And now: no cost for eligible first responders

If traditional treatment hasn’t worked for you, TMS might.

First Responders Deserve Better Than Burnout

We’ve seen it too many times:

• The paramedic who hasn’t slept through the night in 2 years
• The officer who smiles through the shift but cries on the drive home
• The firefighter who never talks about “that one call”—but relives it daily

And yet, mental health services are hard to find, harder to afford, and even harder to ask for.

That’s what this program is about: removing every barrier we can.

Who’s Eligible and Where to Go?

This free depression treatment program is now available for:

• Police Officers

• Firefighters

• EMTs and Paramedics

• Active or retired first responders based in Colorado

You can receive treatment at any of our three clinic locations:

• Aurora, Colorado

• Westminster, Colorado

• Louisville, Colorado

You’re Not Alone. We’re in This Together.

We’re proud to stand with other Colorado changemakers who are answering this crisis with compassion:

• Peace of Mind 5280 donated $5,000 in free therapy
• Griffith Centers, Elevate Coaching, and Better Life are offering free sessions
• Axis has already given $400,000+ in no-cost care to underserved communities since 2020

This isn’t charity.

This is what community looks like.

FAQs

1. What is Axis Mental Health’s free depression treatment program?

Axis offers free TMS treatment for first responders in Colorado struggling with depression or PTSD. This includes police, fire, EMT, and paramedics.

2. How do I know if I qualify?

You qualify if you're a Colorado-based first responder experiencing depression, trauma, or burnout. Check eligibility here.

3. What is TMS, and does it work?

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) is an FDA-approved, non-drug treatment for depression and PTSD-proven effective, especially for those who haven't responded to medications.

We’ve seen what happens when the system fails. This program exists so you never have to reach that point.