This month, local agencies launched a program aimed at providing anonymous, easily accessible mental health services for police in North Texas. This is helping start a trend that other law enforcement agencies can follow.
The Texas Blue Chip Program will provide confidential and free mental health services. A creation of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute in collaboration with the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network, the program uses specially designed blue poker chips as tokens that can be redeemed for counseling or mental health services from selected providers. Provider fees are paid by a $50,000 grant from the Support for Allen Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas, created after the outlet mall shooting in Allen in May.
The need is great. Last year, Texas recorded the highest number of law enforcement officer suicides nationally: 16, according to Meadows. And the southeastern region, including Texas, saw more officer suicides than any other region. Earlier this month, Officer Matthew Bacon with Dallas police died by suicide one day after he was involved in a shooting. Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among police officers are five times higher than among civilians, according to the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Last year, the Dallas Police Department created a Wellness Unit that follows up with officers after certain incidents, including shootings. That’s a good thing. The blue chip program expands on that kind of effort to provide anonymous support.
“While officers may have avenues for private mental health care through insurance or peer networks, many still hesitate to seek help, even in the aftermath of traumatic incidents. The Texas Blue Chip Program offers an additional anonymous channel through which officers can obtain assistance on their own terms,” Meadows senior vice president B.J. Wagner said. All visits in the blue chip program are confidential, completely anonymous, and no information is shared with a police department or the reimbursing organization.
This kind of program was pioneered by former Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson, now an assistant vice president with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Program leaders say seven North Texas police departments have already signed on, though they aren’t making the list of participating agencies public. Two more are in the process of joining.
There has never been an easy time to be a police officer, but stresses of the job seem particularly pronounced these days. Police mental health is a topic getting national attention. We hope other states, departments and support agencies will follow this program’s lead to help serve the men and women who serve us.
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