Iowa high court reverses, finding PTSD suffered by dispatcher compensable

 

A divided Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ruled the post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by a 911 dispatcher who answered a phone call from a mother screaming after her infant was killed with a claw hammer is compensable under the state’s workers compensation code. 

On appeal, the court was asked to determine whether state law places on emergency responders a different, higher bar to be eligible for benefits for trauma-induced mental injuries suffered on the job than workers in other roles with identical injuries, according to No. 21–0841, filed in Des Moines.  

Bakersfield’s first-ever 911 dispatcher tasked with providing mental health care

Delphina Rojo never imagined going into mental health care recovery.

But after gaining years of experience in Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from CSUB, Rojo now occupies Bakersfield’s inaugural position as a recovery specialist tasked with fielding 911 calls that meet certain criteria. She provides mental health services for the Bakersfield Police Department’s Communications Center. READ FULL ARTICLE