REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MINDY CASTO, Interim Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: BURKE FARRAH, Deputy Police Chief
Administrative Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the 2022-2023 Officer Wellness and Mental Health grant program
1. Authorize the Chief of Police to accept $557,453.63 in grant funding for the 2022-2023 Officer Wellness and Mental Health grant awarded to the Fresno Police Department from the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).
2. Authorize the Chief of Police or her designee to execute all related documentation applicable to the 2022-2023 Officer Wellness and Mental Health grant award.
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that Council authorize acceptance of $557,453.63 in grant funding from the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) in accordance with Assembly Bill 178, Chapter 45, Statutes of 2022, Item 5227-121-0001 and authorize the Chief of Police or her designee to execute all related documentation applicable to the 2022-2023 Officer Wellness and Mental Health grant award.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno Police Department has been awarded grant funds of $557,453.63 from the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), in accordance with Assembly Bill 178, Chapter 45, Statutes of 2022, Item 5227-121-0001 to improve and expand peer support and officer wellness programs. This includes providing in-house training to our sworn officers as well as other agencies within the Central Valley on managing stress, burnout, coping, resiliency and crisis intervention and stress management. The grant period is from July 1, 2022, to December 1, 2025. It is recommended the Council accept this grant funding. The funds have been included in the FY 2025 adopted budget. There is no match requirement.
BACKGROUND
Officer wellness is the idea that every officer deserves adequate health and safety measures, and that their physical and mental well-being should be taken care of. Officer wellness is a significant concern for law enforcement on a national level, and the lack of it appears in many ways that can vary from an injury to officer suicide. When looking at fitness and injury, studies from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) show that healthy officers recover from injury and return to work more quickly than those who are unhealthy. In looking at deaths, several different studies rank officer suicide as the number one cause of death. Other studies indicated that suicide was the second highest-ranking cause of death. A 2013 study by the University at Buffalo found that law enforcement officers committed suicide at a rate 69% higher than the general population. Implementing Wellness programs in law enforcement agencies nationwide aims to change that.
The efforts of agencies to identify and prevent police suicides should focus on overall mental and emotional well-being instead of the narrower scope of suicide prevention. The benefits include not only suicide prevention but also reductions in lawsuits and complaints against officers, on and off-job injuries, alcoholism and substance abuse occurrences, criminal or other behaviors, divorces, grievances, resignations, and, in some instances, officer-involved shootings.
First responders overwhelmingly report cultural stigmas that create a barrier to many seeking help for emotional and behavioral issues. The Fresno Police Department (FPD) has long committed to Officer Wellness and to breaking down these stigmas. The three pillars of the wellness program are the Employee Services Unit (ESU), the Companion Officer Program (COP), and the Fresno Police Chaplaincy (FPC). The ESU is department-managed and utilizes trained personnel and the City of Fresno Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to respond to the needs of department employees. The Fresno Police Officer's Association (FPOA) manages the COP, which provides peer support after critical incidents and other traumatic situations. The ESU partners with and refers employees to the FPC to help with their spiritual needs.
Through programs like the EAP and COP, employees can access various resources such as mental health professionals, legal consultation, hotline phone numbers, stress management tools, and critical incident debriefings. FPD employs three full-time Employee Services Coordinators who liaise between the department and its members while coordinating their peer support.
The FPD Employee Services Unit relies on support from the FPD and FPOA to provide mental health support for officers. Both components work together to maintain wellness programs used to support wellness in a traumatic work environment. With the passage of AB 1117, there are now incentives and advantages to having the peer support program as an official program under the department's guidance. These advantages include legal protections for both the department and the peer supporter.
Funding from this grant will enable the FPD to utilize the services of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that will educate members on mental health issues for themselves or their families, providing ways to manage stressor points and resiliency. This grant will also allow FPD to develop, train, manage, and deploy a professional peer support team under the guidance of the ESU. The team will operate in an ancillary capacity, much as the COP has under the guidance of the FPOA.
This grant funding will also facilitate purchasing a subscription wellness application, therapeutic equipment, wellness reading materials, incentives, provisions, wellness-related equipment for the Public Safety Wellness Center and other department facilities, including Automatic External Defibrillators (AED).
This funding will enable the Fresno Police Department to attend wellness conferences to enhance its capabilities, provide employees with new wellness opportunities, and help its peer support program remain a regional leader and mentor in the area of officer wellness and overtime for our Wellness Response Team for training and deployment.
All purchases of equipment, products, or supplies will go through the appropriate procurement process as required by the Fresno Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because accepting grant funds does not include a bid or award of a construction or service contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no net impact to the general fund. The grant provides full cost recovery for all operations, training and supplies for this program during the period of the grant. Funding is up-front and expenditures will be reported on an annual basis to the funding agency. Funds from the grant are appropriated in the FY 2025 adopted budget.
Attachment:
Grant Award Letter