The Omaha Police Department received a grant to expand support services to its officers. The department will now be able to send 250 staff to counseling sessions. They collaborate with doctors from the First Responders Foundation. Assistance is provided through the Mental Health and Welfare Act Legal Program. Two years ago, retired Omaha Police Officer Keith Thompson took his own life. He left his family and colleagues stunned. taking care of ourselves, everybody wants to make it seem like we’re robots but we’re not,” Martin said. suicides more than the general public. Omaha Police Staff Sgt. Mandee Kampbell said shared his thoughts on why that is. “We are dealing with the infection, and it is ongoing, and we have the necessary procedures,” Kampbell said answered a few recently, including the fiery crash at 10th and Douglas, where three children were killed, the shooting between classmates at Northwest High School and the accidental shooting of a 6-year-old child.” It’s difficult; I was a part. of one of the most pressing incidents in recent memory where a child died,” Martin said. He talked about it with others who responded to the incident, and they exchanged views.” But also deal with the intensity of what we’ve just been through,” Martin said. He said Omaha police have taken a strong mental health approach.” A lot of times, you have to wait for an officer to call for help if we know the officer is involved in a serious incident,” Martin said. The department’s peer support group has also expanded to include staff 100 people.” I think it really saved the lives of the officers,” Martin said. “It helps us to help the community, it really helps; if we’re broken or hurt, we’re going to have a hard time helping those who call 911.” Now in its fourth year, OPD is receiving a grant through the Department of Justice’s COPS Office that will pay for a new peer support specialist to lead the team.”Having someone whose goal is just peer support so that he can monitor the calls of the officers to continue with life experiences and just have time. for that, while I share my time with FMLA, work-related injuries and other things, so I lead a peer support group, but it’s not just me that I’m focused on,” Kampbell said. In the past, only traffic, homicide, adult and forensic teams attended. Now peer support staff and a uniformed patrol sergeant will be included to help to reduce the stigma because it has to,” Kampbell said that although the stigma in the mental health sector has decreased, the more it’s talked about, the more officers will open up to it.
The Omaha Police Department received a grant to expand support services to its officers.
The department will now be able to send 250 staff to counseling sessions. They partner with doctors from the First Responders Foundation.
Assistance is provided through the Mental Health and Welfare Act Enforcement Program.
Two years ago, retired Omaha Police Officer Keith Thompson took his own life.
He left his family and colleagues stunned.
Omaha Police Association Vice President Dan Martin said it’s a reminder to other officers.
“We humans have to take care of ourselves, everybody wants to make it seem like we’re robots but we’re not,” Martin said.
According to Boston University, law enforcement officers are 54% more likely to commit suicide than the general public.
Omaha Police Staff Sgt. Mandee Kampbell shared her thoughts on why.
“We’re dealing with the infection, and it’s ongoing, and we have the necessary procedures in place,” Kampbell said.
He said that pictures involving children can affect the respondents a lot.
OPD has responded to several recently, including a fiery crash at 10th and Douglas, where three children were killed, a shooting between classmates at Northwest High School and an accidental shooting at a 6-year-old child.
“It’s tough; I’ve been a part of some of the most talked about cases where a child has died,” Martin said.
He talked about it with others who responded to the incident, and they exchanged ideas.
“But also deal with the intensity of what we just went through,” Martin said.
He said Omaha police have taken a strong mental health approach.
“A lot of times, you have to wait for the officer to call for help. We only give it if we know the officer is involved in a serious incident,” Martin said.
The department’s peer support team has also grown to nearly 100 employees.
“I think it saved the officers’ lives,” Martin said. “It helps us help the community, it really does; if we’re broken or hurt, we’re going to have a hard time helping them call 911.”
Now in its fourth year, OPD has received assistance through the Department of Justice’s COPS Office.
It will pay for a new peer support specialist to lead the team.
“Having someone whose goal is just peer support so that they can monitor the officers’ calls to continue with life experiences and have time for just that, while I’m sharing my time with FMLA, injuries at work and other things, so I led a peer support group, but it’s not just me that I’m looking at,” Kampbell said.
It would also extend mandatory confidential counseling sessions to 250 officers.
In the past, only the traffic, homicide, adult and juvenile and forensic teams attended the meetings.
Peer support workers and a uniformed patrol sergeant will now be included.
“What it does is help reduce the stigma because it’s mandatory,” Kampbell said.
He said that although the stigma in the department regarding mental health has decreased, the more it is discussed, the more officers will be open to it.
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