CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville Police Department has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that will be used to hire a full-time wellness counselor.
The grant was awarded under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program, which awards funds to be used for mental health and wellness services for law enforcement.
The Clarksville Police Department said in a news release that they recognize that physical and emotional well-being are cornerstones of an employee’s overall health. CPD stated that access to mental health resources is vital to their mission of maintaining a professional and efficient work force.
“The City of Clarksville prides itself on being a premier community for families of all ages to live and work. Part of what makes our community one of the best in the country is our community-focused policing programs. With a staff of over 400 personnel, our police department leads the way in community-minded efforts to promote safety and security for all,” said Chief of Police David Crockarell.
In January 2022, the Clarksville Police Department created a wellness program designed to assist employees and their families who may be experiencing professional or personal distress. The program is a peer-to-peer program with a coordinator to oversee things and act as a liaison with outside agencies and various groups.
“In December of 2021, the Clarksville Police Department established a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The CIT received specialized training that assists officers to deal with citizens they come into contact with, who are experiencing emotional issues or suffering from a mental crisis. They use this training to help these individuals get the support they need,” Crockarell said.
“In January of 2022, we placed emphasis on a wellness program to help CPD employees obtain assistance when they experience emotional reactions that have the potential to interfere with the employee’s ability to function optimally in their personal or professional life, but it required us to rely on outside agencies. With the addition of a wellness counselor on staff, this will allow us to have in-person counseling sessions with all CPD employees and/or family members seeking self-improvement in the areas of physical and emotional well-being.”
Crockarell went on to say that the counselor will be able to train employees in identifying and recognizing indicators of distress or trauma in their peers and other employees who may be in need of mental health services.
“When our officers arrive on the scene, they often go from being first responders to crisis counselors in an instant, I believe a wellness counselor will be beneficial to our officers, especially when it comes to decompression after traumatizing scenes,” said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts.
The Clarksville Police Department is working with the city’s Human Resources Department to determine when the job will be posted and the requirements for the hiring process. The plan is to have a wellness counselor on staff in January 2023.