DOJ Awards $7M in Grants for Police Mental Health and Wellness
The 65 grants announced Thursday under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program, will be used for training, and for developing pilot projects in areas like suicide prevention and peer mentoring.
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The Justice Department will award $7 million in grants to “improve mental health and wellness services” for police officers. The 65 grants announced Thursday under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program, will be used for training, and developing pilot projects in areas like suicide prevention and peer mentoring. “Each day, law enforcement officers across the country put their lives on the line for the communities they serve,” Deputy Attorney General Monaco said in announcing the grants. “This has been especially true since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed hundreds of officers’ lives and added to the stress of an already difficult job. Mental health is as important as physical health.”
More than 460 officers have died as a result of COVID-19, replacing suicide as a leading cause of death for law enforcement. As part of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017, Congress authorized the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to establish peer mentoring mental health and wellness pilot programs within state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies.The full list of awards is available here.
