FRBH FAQs
This page provides general information about the American Board of First Responder Behavioral Healthcare (FRBH). Detailed requirements are set forth in the FRBH National Standard and Accreditation Framework.
1. What is FRBH?
FRBH is an independent national standards-setting and accreditation body for responder behavioral health systems.
FRBH defines how organizational behavioral health systems are designed, governed, and sustained. It does not provide services or deliver care.
2. Why was FRBH created?
Public safety work involves predictable, cumulative exposure to stress and trauma. While many organizations offer support resources, there has historically been no consistent national standard defining how responder behavioral health systems should function over time.
FRBH was established to bring consistency, clarity, and accountability to the organizational systems responsible for responder behavioral health.
3. What makes FRBH different?
Unlike wellness programs or service providers, FRBH independently evaluates whether public safety organizations are structurally designed to protect their workforce from psychological injury caused by predictable line-of-duty trauma exposure.
4. Who does FRBH serve?
FRBH serves:
Public safety agencies and organizations responsible for responder behavioral health systems
Leaders, policymakers, and oversight bodies seeking consistent, system-level benchmarks
Communities benefit indirectly through resilient, well-governed public safety workforces.
5. What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a formal process used to verify that an organization’s systems meet defined national standards.
FRBH accreditation confirms that responder behavioral health systems are governed, structured, and designed to function reliably over time, rather than relying on informal, temporary, or ad hoc practices.
6. What does FRBH accredit?
FRBH accredits organizational systems, not individual people, programs, or vendors.
Accreditation evaluates whether an organization has:
Clear governance and accountability
Defined system-level processes
Safeguards for confidentiality
Structures that support sustained behavioral health protection over time
7. Why focus on trauma-exposed workforces?
In public safety, exposure to stress and trauma is inherent to the work.
Because this exposure is expected across a career, behavioral health systems must be designed to function proactively and consistently, rather than relying on individual recognition of distress or voluntary help-seeking.
8. How does accreditation help protect responders?
Accreditation helps ensure behavioral health protection is embedded into organizational systems rather than dependent on individual action.
A useful analogy is a sprinkler system: it is installed because fire is a known risk and functions automatically to reduce harm. FRBH accreditation applies the same logic to behavioral health systems—requiring advance system design rather than reactive response.
9. Does FRBH replace EAP, counseling, or peer support?
No.
Many organizations maintain EAPs, counseling services, peer support, or related resources. FRBH does not replace these elements.
Accreditation evaluates whether such components are governed, coordinated, and sustained as part of a coherent system rather than operating independently.
10. Is FRBH a service provider or vendor?
No.
FRBH does not provide services, training, consulting, or implementation support. Its role is limited to establishing national standards and accrediting organizational systems.
11. Does FRBH provide clinical care or training?
No.
FRBH does not direct clinical care, treatment decisions, or professional training. Organizations and licensed professionals retain full authority over how care is delivered.
12. Is FRBH a government agency or regulator?
No.
FRBH is an independent, non-governmental organization. It is not a regulator and does not replace statutory, regulatory, labor, or licensing requirements.
13. Is FRBH accreditation required?
No.
FRBH accreditation is voluntary. Organizations pursue accreditation to demonstrate system-level accountability and alignment with nationally defined standards for responder behavioral health.
14. Who oversees FRBH?
FRBH operates under an independent governance structure that includes a national Board of Directors, standing committees, and advisory bodies to ensure accountability, integrity, and public trust.
15. How does FRBH maintain independence and objectivity?
FRBH maintains independence through formal conflict-of-interest safeguards, separation of governance and operational functions, and transparent standards review and accreditation processes.
16. How does accreditation support public trust?
Accreditation provides a clear, transparent method for demonstrating how responder behavioral health systems are structured, governed, and protected—supporting trust among responders, families, organizational leaders, and the public.
Learn More
Explore how FRBH accreditation supports consistent, accountable responder behavioral health systems.