TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Fiscal Year 2024 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects in the Amount of $200,000, and Authorize the City Manager or the Mayor, as Applicable Under the City Charter, to Execute all Funding Documents After Legal Review, Should the Grant be Awarded to the City.
Recommended Action
Approve the application to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Fiscal Year 2024 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Implementation Projects in the amount of $200,000, and authorize the City Manager or the Mayor, as applicable under the City Charter, to execute all funding documents after legal review, should the grant be awarded to the City.
Background Information
LEMHWA funds are used to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for Law Enforcement Officers through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention, and other promising practices of wellness programs.
To be effective in keeping our communities safe from crime and violence, good mental and psychological health is just as essential as good physical health for Law Enforcement Officers. The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program supports efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of Law Enforcement Officers and Deputies. Unfortunately, the stress of Officers' work and the stigma often associated with seeking assistance for emotional and mental health issues have led to negative consequences such as divorce, alcoholism, injury, and even an increase in suicides among Officers across the country. The LEMHWA Implementation Projects aim to support state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement age...
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