OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – When it comes to mental health, cops need help too. But they don’t always have quick access to the resources they need.
A new app is providing law enforcement a free resource to find mental health services at the touch of a button.
“The app is going to bring mental health resources together for law enforcement so it’s at their fingertips and the resources are going to be vetted and put into place by other professionals who work in law enforcement, so they’re trusted,” says UW-Oshkosh Police Captain Chris Tarmann, “If we can build this resource and give them information at their fingertips 24/7, maybe they’ll get connected quicker.”
The app is a joint effort between Tarmann and the state’s Law Enforcement Death Response Team (LEDR).
“Cops are a little higher risk, because they’re usually responding in the worst moment of somebody’s life to manage a situation – and they’re doing it over and over and over again, so they need something to help balance that situation,” Tarmann tells WTAQ News, “They feel like they have to have this facade of ‘I’m tough, I can’t be hurt, I’m not going to feel these feelings.’ So we need to be able to break through the trust aspect of that and help them understand that you do need some resources and they are at your fingertips.”
Law enforcement personnel work around the clock and it’s often difficult to schedule appointments with wellness providers because they are working during the week or on third shift, when it’s nearly impossible to get connected to a resource. According to bluehelp.org there have been 819 law enforcement suicides since 2016 with 2019 being the highest year at 228 deaths.
One of the keys behind the app will be the process required for services to be included.
“Other professionals who have either gotten those resources or know the people who give those resources have vetted them and ensured that you can be confident the fact that they’re going to help you,” Tarmann says, “They understand what you’re going through. They understand experiences you’re dealing with. And it’s hopefully in more real time.”
Many smaller agencies may not have the funding to provide such resources to their officers. That’s why Tarmann says it’s important to develop an app that will provide that help for significantly less cost to each individual agency.
“Unless somebody really makes it a priority, it’s not usually there. If you’re a Milwaukee Police Department, or maybe Appleton Police Department, but even then I would say it still has to be of great value to the leadership of that agency,” Tarmann explains, “If we can roll out an app that doesn’t cost any agency any money because we find it on the front end, then everybody gets resources, regardless of the size of the agency that you work at.”
However, it still costs money to develop the app and support system behind it. Anyone looking to help fund the program should contact LEDR.
The app is still in production, but Tarmann hopes to roll it out this fall and make it available by an October 1st deadline. Information will be sent to law enforcement agencies in the next few months to teach them what it is – and how to download it.
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