Before making it as a Country music artist, Frank Ray served as a Police Officer in Las Cruces, NM. Now, as his music platform grows, he’s bringing awareness to first responders and their needs surrounding mental health.
LISTEN NOW: Frank Ray details FRAY Campaign
Ray has launched a campaign he’s named the FRAY campaign which, according to the website, “serves to save the lives of our self-sacrificing first responders” by “making sure they have proper resources to maintain a positive mental health space.”
Ray recently sat down with Audacy to talk more about FRAY’s mission and how he hopes the campaign will help first-responders and their families.
“The campaign in called FRAY and it’s a campaign that we started to raise awareness for the mental well-being of Police Officers and first responders everywhere,” he said. “The website — it’s kind of like a hub —pointing them to the right direction towards organizations that already exist, like SAMHSA or COPS [CopLine], different suicide prevention hotlines.”
Ray knows first-hand the stigma that can come with conversations surrounding mental health in the force, and that’s exactly what he’s trying to break.
“Police officers, we’re kind of notorious for compartmentalizing the trauma that we deal with on a daily basis and you also have to have this kind of assertiveness about you… so talking about your feelings isn’t necessarily rolled into that whole bit.”
He continued, “We’re trying to break down those walls, change the conversation, normalize mental health and get rid of that negative stigma so that we can talk about it as an organization, as a community and help deal with that trauma.”
Find out more information about Frank Ray’s FRAY campaign at Frayoc.org.
Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.