Police Officers & Mental Health

This week on Behind the Blue Curtain we’ll discuss the lack of mental health services for Police Officers.  This is an area of the Police Reform discussion that’s often ignored or left off the table.  Is it because the Police culture is a macho culture?  Is it because city governments are afraid of costs or is it because Officers don’t trust the current mental health providers some major police departments have in place?  With the never ending stream of videos that show Police in a questionable light or flat-out wrong in their actions, one can only wonder why mental health in policing hasn’t been brought to the forefront. No human being can absorb the mental overload that being a Police Officer brings without healthy coping mechanisms or help.  I believe the lack of mental health services to police officers is one of the driving factors behind the explosive reactions we are seeing in many of the recorded encounters all over the country. i DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE CITY OF WACO, THE WACO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICERS CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OR CITIZENS OF WACO.   My comments are my opinions based on my professional and personal experiences.  COPLINE: 1-800-COPLINE http://copline.org/index.asp COPLINE is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving law enforcement officers and their families by providing 24/7 trained peer support for crisis intervention along with referrals to specifically skilled mental health professionals for follow up and continued assistance. COPLINE offers a CONFIDENTIAL 24-hour hotline answered by retired law enforcement officers who have access to continuous critical clinical support in order to help callers through the initial crisis as well as provide ongoing assistance with the successful management of various psychosocial stressors that impact a significant number of law enforcement officers and families throughout the U.S.”