Grapevine to expand mental health program for police officers through TX grant
Grapevine plans to expand a grand-funded program that helps police officers and other first-responders cope with the traumas and stresses they experience on the job.
Grapevine started the First Responder Mental Health Grant Program last year, using grant money from the state. The city will expand the program this year by hiring a resource coordinator who will be able to point officers in the right direction depending on the services they request.
Police Chief Mike Hamlin said the grant will reimburse the department for costs related to carrying out “structured mental health and wellness initiatives.”
“One need not look far for research that says that law enforcement officers, that there is a need for mental health assistance and so our position is to create as many opportunities as we reasonably can to provide those services,” Hamlin told the Star-Telegram.
The new resource coordinator will help develop a peer support team, Hamlin recently told the City Council.
“They’ll connect our personnel with outside resources and then facilitate with this contract service provider.”
City Council member Duff O’Dell said over the last few months, officers have been talking about this issue on social media platforms.
“They have gotten more, I think, open about coming out with the need for intervention and help from a mental health perspective, for the jobs that they have from our police and fire,” O’Dell said. “I know we’ve had some of our officers and firefighters who have talked about, openly, about being on the verge of suicide. So this is so critical and so important.”