Behavioral Health
Over the past year, PCF has dedicated time to expanding and progressing the growth of our behavioral health programs and services for former players and their families.
It was an instrumental year of strategy and development, which has paved paths for new programming and a more thoughtful and intentional delivery of services. PCF’s newest program, The Sober Living Fund (SLF), was created for former players who are suffering from substance use and co-occurring disorders by providing sober housing while they continue to participate in treatment.
"The SLF complements existing programs by assisting former players in accessing primary treatment such as detox and inpatient treatment. It is our hope that sober living assistance will afford former players more time to participate in rehabilitation services which will foster a more positive recovery experience and achievement of sobriety.
During Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2022, we planned and hosted the 2022 NFL Spring Behavioral Health Forum.
Our Forum included participants from the NFL, NFLPA, CIGNA, The NFL Lifeline, and stakeholders who work within the former player behavioral health space. The goal of the forum was to discuss the behavioral health implications of topics like race-based violence, racism, trauma, and Covid’s effect on the well-being of former players. The forum was unique in that it included frontline crisis workers and executive leadership to discuss trends and needs while evaluating what we are doing well. We unpacked several key behavioral health topics from suicide to self-care, as well as the unique lens we must prioritize while advocating on behalf of a group mostly comprised of men of color.
As we move into 2023, PCF will maintain the momentum from 2022. We have invested in data analytics, which will better inform us of service and program needs of former players, as well as lead to future developments of service and educational programs. We will also reignite the behavioral health screening program at the Healthy Body & Mind screenings, providing screenings for depression, anxiety, substance use and chronic pain.