The SAN luis obispo county sheriff's office seeks law enforcement mental health and wellness act (lemhwa) funding to sustain and expand our critical counseling program

The Community Oriented Policing Program (COPS) awarded the County of San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office $200,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA, CFDA 16.070).

The recipient will sustain and expand contracted counseling services for law enforcement officers and extend access to civilian staff and families. Deliverables include sustained and expanded counseling services, peer support programming with awareness and training promotion, and confidential tracking of service utilization, critical incident stress management activities, and critical incident exposure. The agency will conduct internal surveys to assess work-related stress and job satisfaction. Expected outcomes include reduced post-traumatic stress retirements and leaves, and improved mental health awareness across the organization.

Performance occurs in San Luis Obispo, California, with a period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The LEMHWA program supports state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies implementing new or enhancing existing programs that offer training and services on officer emotional and mental health, peer mentoring, suicide prevention, stress reduction, and support services for officers and their families.

If awarded lemhwa funding, we will continue our contracted counseling services and expand access to civilian staff and families. Our established peer support program will promote awareness and training to encourage utilization. Deliverables include sustained and expanded counseling services, with expected outcomes of reduced post-traumatic stress retirements/leaves and improved mental health awareness. We will track service utilization, critical incident stress managements/defusings, and critical incident exposure confidentially, alongside internal surveys assessing work-related stress and job satisfaction. These metrics will demonstrate program viability and the need for continued support.