Law enforcement officers are disproportionately affected by mental health issues compared to the general population, and experience increased rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder,…

The Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Program awarded the County of Lewis & Clark $196,282 on October 1, 2025, under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA, CFDA 16.070) to implement an agency-wide officer wellness framework at the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office.

The award funds four primary components: expansion and formalization of peer support and mentoring programs; integration of licensed, culturally competent mental health professionals into agency operations; comprehensive training for command staff on recognizing and addressing mental health concerns; and establishment of a data-driven early intervention system to identify at-risk personnel and provide proactive support. Funding supports program coordination, staff training, mental health service contracts, and development of internal policy and evaluation tools to institutionalize wellness practices. The project runs through September 30, 2027, with performance in Helena, Montana.

The Sheriff's Office will serve as a regional model for scalable, sustainable officer wellness programming, addressing elevated rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among law enforcement officers and reducing hesitancy to seek mental health treatment that affects job performance and personal relationships.

Law enforcement officers are disproportionately affected by mental health issues compared to the general population, and experience increased rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and suicidal ideation (santre, 2024). However, many officers, including those of the lewis and clark county sheriff's office, are hesitant to seek mental health treatment which, in turn, may affect their job performance and work and personal relationships. Our project aims to implement an agency-wide, sustainable wellness framework that addresses the unique psychological stressors our officers and civilian staff experience throughout their careers. Our goals include four primary components: (1) expansion and formalization of peer support and mentoring programs; (2) integration of licensed, culturally competent mental health professionals into agency operations; (3) comprehensive training for command staff on recognizing and addressing mental health concerns; and (4) establishment of a data-driven early intervention system to identify at-risk personnel and provide proactive support. Lemhwa funding will be used to support program coordination, staff training, mental health service contracts, and the development of internal policy and evaluation tools to institutionalize wellness practices. With the support of this implementation grant, the lewis and clark county sheriff's office will serve as a regional model for scalable, sustainable officer wellness programming aligned with the goals of the lemhwa.