City of charlotte requests lemhwa funding to to retain the employee wellness specialist and to hire a clinician

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the City of Charlotte $200,000 under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA, CFDA 16.070) on October 1, 2025.

The funding supports retention of an Employee Wellness Specialist and hiring of a clinician within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Office of Employee Wellness. The clinician will expand delivery of mental health services, wellness programming, and outreach to officers and their families. The clinician will launch, lead, and coordinate the CMPD's Family Academy, a three-part training series for families of new recruits, and will be assigned to one of the CMPD's four geographical service areas to build sustained relationships within patrol divisions and specialty units through ride-alongs, roll call visits, and in-service training.

Performance runs through September 30, 2027, and work is performed in Charlotte, North Carolina. The City of Charlotte acts as the prime recipient. LEMHWA supports state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies implementing new or enhancing existing programs offering training and services on officer emotional and mental health, peer mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, and support services for officers and families.

Hiring a clinician will allow the cmpd's office of employee wellness to enhance their employee wellness clinical team by expanding the delivery of mental health services, wellness programing, and outreach to both officers and their families. The clinician will be responsible for launching, leading, and coordinating the cmpd's family academy, a three-part training series aimed at educating and supporting families of new recruits. Additionally, the clinician will be assigned to one of the cmpd's four geographical service areas, allowing the wellness team to divide outreach efforts strategically across areas of charlotte. This regional assignment model will enable the employee wellness clinical team to build sustained meaningful relationships within each patrol division and specificality unit through regular ride-a longs, roll call visits, and in service training.