Texas had more suicides among law enforcement than any other state last year, and a program that aims to help officers confront mental health concerns is growing. Last year, 16 officers in the state committed suicide.
"Officers are responding to high stress situations, getting in the patrol car and then just going to the next one," says Dustin Schellenger, director of the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network.
The network has been connecting members of law enforcement anonymously with fellow officers to talk about issues they may be having. Now, they are providing departments with blue chips, similar to a poker chip, that officers can take and use for a free session with a counselor or therapist.
TLEPN worked with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to develop the program.
"It's preventive medicine," says Frisco Police Chief David Shilson. "We say that all the time. If you break your arm, you get treatment for your broken arm. You don't wait for it to get infected or become life-threatening."
Shilson says officers across North Texas can download the chip, or many departments keep them in places officers can grab one privately like in a locker room or briefing room.
"A lot of times officers have a fear of seeking help because of backlash, implications it might have on their job or judgment from other officers," he says.
The peer network's Schellenger says the group's goal is to intervene as early as possible to prevent something that might be having a smaller effect on an officer from becoming a crisis.
"Our goal is to always try to intervene as early as possible and be able to offer peer support and mental health support as early as possible as they're going through this," he says.
Each chip covers the cost of one session, and officers can take more than one if needed. The officers return the chip to the clinician who then bills the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network.
TLEPN then pays for the visit using a grant from Communities Foundation of Texas' Support for Allen Fund. The organization says visits with the clinicians are kept confidential and no information is shared with TLEPN or the officer's police department.
More information is available HERE.
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