The Hudson Police and Fire Department presented to the Board of Selectmen during its May 14 meeting about a proposal to help with first responders mental health.
“Mental health is a major concern throughout all sectors of the workforce. Police officers and firefighters are susceptible to the same stressors as all employees, plus they face the traumatic stress that comes with being a first responder,” Fire Chief, Scott Tice, wrote in a memo to the Board of Selectmen. “The Police Department has resources for mental health in place already. The Fire Department has a program currently in the draft stage. Both Departments are collaborating to improve our programs and share resources to provide service to both departments.”
It was explained that the Fire Department applied for an Assistance to Firefighters Grant “to fund some of these programs.”
Tice explained they aren’t able to start any of the projects that are part of the grant application before the award is made, since it could jeopardize the grant.
“We will move forward with the components of this program that do not jeopardize the grant as funding becomes available,” the memo read.
One of the elements of the draft plan is to have annual mental health checkups.
“The purpose of these checkups is to give the employee an opportunity to get information about stress management and coping mechanisms, general wellness, lifestyle choices, or to discuss any issues they choose,” the memo stated. “These checkups can be the first step to ensuring the employee has the information they need to make appropriate choices for their wellbeing in the future. The cost for these checkups is $150 per visit. Initiating this part of the program is dependent of funding and is part of our grant application.”
Police Chief, Tad Dionne, said his proposal is to have similar checkups for the Police Department.
Tice explained that as part of the check-in, it would give them a chance to talk to a professional for an hour about anything they want from coping mechanisms to career advice.
“Sometimes this is their first step in getting some care they need,” Tice said.
One of the areas that Tice pointed to as part of the draft plan would be to have peer support.
“The Fire Department will solicit personnel to become peer supporters when a class becomes available,” Tice wrote. “The Police Department has already implemented peer to peer support managed by the police Wellness Officer. Our peer supporters would work with the Police Wellness Officer and police peer to peer supporters to benefit both agencies. The cost for this program can be covered within our budget but is dependent on volunteers and the availability of the training.”
Another aspect is to have leadership and mental health training.
“We will conduct training that informs all employees about issues related to their mental wellbeing,” the memo stated. “We will conduct training that is directed at supervisors based on mental wellness issues as they relate to supervision. And we will conduct leadership training to create a supportive culture that reduces causes of stress within the organization. Both Departments have already conducted some training in these areas, and we will collaborate to train our people in the future. We will be able to proceed with some of the leadership training.”
It was noted that the training would be covered as part of the grant if it’s received.
Additionally, they would be looking to have a clinician on retainer.
“This service would provide both departments with 24/7 access to a clinician to provide support and consultation during an employee mental health crisis or a critical incident,” the memo to the Board of Selectmen stated. “We would also seek to add time every month to this service for both agencies to share for consultations from the clinician on policy and program development related to wellness, training, consultation for peer teams, and assessing other mental health needs.”
It was explained that the cost for the service would be about $1,200 per month depending on the number of hours they went for.
“Initiating this part of the program is dependent on funding and is part of our grant application. Both departments already have access to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing service if needed,” the memo explained.
In terms of a clinician being on retainer, Dionne said “We never had one on retainer,” noting that they use a psychiatrist, which is the same one they use for the hiring process.
Dionne said the idea would be that the clinician would be able to be in the building at various times throughout the month, which would allow the first responders to get to know them. He added that if they are needed for a crisis then the first four hours wouldn’t go towards their billable hours.
In terms of moving forward with the proposal to increase the work around mental health services for the Police Department, Dionne said it is dependent on the budget, while Tice said the Fire Department is waiting to hear back from the grant.
When asked about the time frame for when they expect to find out about the grant, Tice said, “We’re hoping June, July timeframe.”