INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — Indianapolis-based ProTeam Tactical Performance has unveiled a platform to support the mental health efforts of police and fire departments. The company, co-founded by former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Sorgi and former St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Joey Vandever, says SHIELD enables departments to take a proactive approach to behavioral health. ProTeam was founded in 2018 to help first responders recover from and prevent injuries similar to those that collegiate and professional athletic teams operate on.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Sorgi said that SHIELD has taken two years to develop.
“You know, it gets to the point where public safety sees so much that their bucket gets too full and overflows,” Sorgi said. “Good, [we said] let’s give them a tool that allows them to empty that bucket throughout their career to hopefully never reach that breaking point.”
ProTeam says the confidential, HIPAA-compliant platform allows users to self-assess for depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress and other issues through questionnaires. Based on the results, users are given access to resources at the departmental, local, and national levels that they can use to seek the support they need anonymously.
“We see depression rates are five times higher among firefighters than the general population, with 37% suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and more than a third reporting struggling with substance abuse,” Vandever said in written comments. . “We want to help departments assess their existing behavioral health efforts, break down stigma in their department, and take a proactive approach to physical and mental health for the betterment of their men and women.”
Sorgi says that while ProTeam focuses on public safety, the SHIELD model could be used in any industry.
“No one knows the other person’s story, whether it’s athletic, industrial, public safety, the pressures of life can get to you,” he said. “We built it for public safety because there are no better people to serve than the people who come to serve you when you are in a time of need. But it is a platform that could reach everyone and provide that tool to self-assess where you are.”
The new platform is the latest component of ProTeam’s growth in the last four years. The company operates out of the Pacers Athletic Center at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield and the Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Local 416 union hall in downtown Indianapolis.
Sorgi says that later this month, the company will start operations from a new location in Merrillville.
“You can tell that the responsiveness of what we’re trying to offer these men and women of public safety is something they’ve needed for a long time. It’s something they’re really thankful for and we’re honored and grateful to be able to provide it to them.”
ProTeam employs about 20 at its various locations, including athletic trainers and physical therapists.
