The New York State Capitol in Albany.

The New York State Capitol in Albany. Credit: AP/Hans Pennink

Law enforcement officers might be able to seek confidential counseling from trained peers without fearing their jobs are at risk, if a bill that passed the State Legislature is signed into law.

According to proponents of the Lieutenant Joseph Banish Mental Health Act, police officers often experience trauma and grief as emergency first responders and the bill would make it easier for them to seek help privately from trained peer specialists.

"We encounter deaths, violence and human suffering regularly. These traumas have a cumulative effect. Untreated, they have devastating consequences" said Lou Civello, president of the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association.

The bill is now in the governor’s hands, after passing the Senate and Assembly.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

  • Law enforcement officers might be able to seek confidential counseling from trained peers without fearing their jobs are at risk, if a bill that passed the State Legislature is signed into law.
  • Police officers often experience trauma and grief as emergency first responders and the bill would make it easier for them to seek help privately from trained peer specialists according to proponents of the bill.
  • The bill is now in the governor’s hands, after passing the Senate and Assembly.

Participation in the peer support networks would be confidential so officers would not have to worry that what they say will be reported to supervisors or internal affairs. The bill does carve out some exceptions, including instances where there is a court order or subpoena, thoughts of harming oneself or someone else or neglect of a child, according to the bill.

Law enforcement officials said the bill will allow people with mental health issues to speak to someone who understands the stresses of their job, has also gotten mental health assistance and training, and has emerged stronger and healthier as a result.

According to the proposed law, peer support specialists are police officers trained to provide support, including for officers who are "involved or exposed to an emotionally traumatic experience in the course of employment."

Some peer-to-peer counselors who were set up to help first responders after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, were improperly trained or not trained at all, according to Nassau County Police Benevolent Association president Tommy Shevlin, who spearheaded the proposed legislation. But the act helps establish uniform training through the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

"It builds credibility and it builds trust. 'I've been through what you are going through and I got through it," Shevlin said, adding that officers currently worry that seeking help will result in a loss of promotions and negatively impact their colleagues' perception of them.

"The biggest obstacle for police officers to get help is trust. A police officer who admits that he needs help fears he will lose his job," said Shevlin.

Some studies have found that police officers face increased risk of mental health.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said too many law enforcement officers die of suicide yearly. Since Jan. 1, nine law enforcement officers have killed themselves in New York, according to nonprofit group Blue H.E.L.P., which tracks police suicides. Two were Nassau County police officers, Newsday reported in April.

"It’s tragic," Catalina said in a phone call, calling the bill long overdue. "The stigma that is attached to mental health issues in law enforcement is just tremendous," he said.

In 2024, there were 13 law enforcement suicides in the state, including two Suffolk County police officers, Newsday previously reported. Law enforcement members were 54% more likely to die of suicide than the general public, a 2020 study in the journal Policing found, according to a previous Newsday story. Police officers are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty, other studies found. 

This bill, named after Lieutenant Joseph Banish, a state trooper who died by suicide, is designed after the 2021 federal COPS Counseling Act, which is for law enforcement officers. Oregon, Massachusetts, Nevada, Kentucky, and Ohio have passed similar legislation for their police officers, according to state legislators. 

Assemb. Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre), who sponsored the bill in the Assembly, said opting into the program will not be mandatory.

"Police, by nature of their professions, absorb so much stress, but they are less inclined to seek help. So if they know this is going to not jeopardize their career, and it's not going to become public, it's a way for them to really get the help they really need," Griffin said. 

Anthony Falsitta, a lieutenant at the Lynbrook Police department and president of the Lynbrook Police Benevolent Association, said the bill will help remove some of the stigma that comes with seeking mental help.

"The peer support wants to help them start getting some of the stuff off their back before it's too late," Falsitta said.

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