More help is now available for first responders struggling with post traumatic stress.
Governor Ned Lamont has signed a law expanding workers compensation to front line workers. It's an expansion of the 2019 law that allowed police and firefighters who witness certain traumatic events in the line of duty to apply for workers comp.
The bill, which was signed Wednesday, now includes paramedics, EMTs, correction officers and emergency dispatchers.
“A lot of times I think we try to balance it out, take the good with the bad. but there’s a heavy effect when we see some of these things that we weren’t really designed to see and it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety at times," said Robert Glaspy of the CT Association of Paramedics and EMTs.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Previously, mental health was only covered by workman's comp if the employee also suffered a physical injury.