Brooks legislation to help law enforcement officers

ANDERSON – Being a law enforcement officer is a stressful job, but legislation sponsored by Indiana lawmakers could help people engaged in public safety facing mental health issues.

The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act has been passed by both houses of Congress and is awaiting the signature of President Donald Trump. The legislation was sponsored in the U.S. Senate by Indiana Sens. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, and Sen. Todd Young, a Republican. Rep. Susan Brooks, R-5th District, was a co-sponsor in the House.

The legislation would help agencies create and improve mental health services for law enforcement officers.

“With the passage of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 out of the Senate, our nation’s police officers are one step closer to receiving the necessary support and access to mental health services that will help them cope with the trauma they experience daily on the job,” Brooks said in a press release. “I am grateful for the leadership of Indiana Senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young to get this bill passed out of the Senate and for their continued commitment to supporting the well-being of the Hoosier law enforcement community."

“We are pleased that our bipartisan legislation to support the mental health and wellness of our law enforcement officers will soon become law,” Donnelly and Young said in a joint statement. “Our law enforcement officers work every day to keep our families and communities safe, and it’s important we ensure they have access to the mental health services they need to remain ready to serve.”

The legislation will direct the Department of Justice, Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop resources to equip local law enforcement agencies to address mental health challenges faced by officers. The bill would also make grants available to initiate peer mentoring pilot programs, develop training for mental health providers specific to law enforcement mental health needs, and support law enforcement officers by studying the effectiveness of crisis hotlines and annual mental health checks.

“Congresswoman Brooks' record on her support of the law enforcement community in Indiana is well known,” William Owensby, president of the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police, said in a press release. “The legislation will enable the nation’s officers to help identify and treat issues that arise from the stresses of protecting the citizens of this great nation."

This legislation is supported by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Officers, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National District Attorneys Association and the Sergeants Benevolent Association.