2024 LEMHWA COPS GrantCopyrighted
May 6, 2024
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 017.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: 2024 LEMHWA COPS Grant
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approval to apply for the 2024
Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Grant in
the amount of $118,062.63.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
MVM Memo City Manager Memo
2024 LEMHWA COPS Grant Staff Memo
THE C
DUjIBQTE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: 2024 LEMHWA COPS Grant
DATE: May 2, 2024
Dubuque
WAWca 914
ii
2007-2012.2013
2017*2019
Assistant Chief of Police Joseph Messerich is recommending City Council approval to
apply for the 2024 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Grant
in the amount of $118,062.63. The LEMHWA Grant does not require any local matches.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jeremy Jensen, Chief of Police
Joseph Messerich, Assistant Chief of Police
Dubuque Police Department
THE CITY OF Dubuque Law Enforcement Center
MI-berin CR 770 Iowa Street
rv,axaunirvr:u;ar' P.O. Box 875
U I Dubuque, IA 52004-0875
D11JJ Office (563) 589-4410
7 Mississippi
Fax (563) 589-4497
Masterpiece on the 2017*2019 TTY (563) 583-1711
E-mail: police@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
TO: Mike Van Milligan, City Manager
FROM: Joseph Messerich, Assistant Chief of Police
SUBJECT: 2024 LEMHWA COPS Grant
DATE: April 24, 2024
1►kI:if]111L910Is] ►I
The purpose of this memo is to request approval to apply for the 2024 Law Enforcement
Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Grant. The LEMHWA Grant does not
require any local matches.
BACKGROUND:
The Dubuque Police Department Peer Support team consists of trained Peer Support
officers who offer confidential peer support services to DPD officers and their families.
The DPD Peer Support Team contacts officers whenever a critical incident occurs to
remind all staff involved of their local resources to cope with traumatic events. A critical
incident can include but is not limited to, the death or significant serious injury of a
civilian(s), the death or significant serious injury of a child, severe abuse or neglect of a
child, suicides, significant use of force incidents, injured coworkers, or the death of a
coworker. The Peer Support Team typically makes over 200 officer contacts a year.
The DPD Peer Support Team began tracking critical incidents in an effort to proactively
support officers who had responded to an above -average number of critical incidents or
critical incidents that were especially traumatic. The Peer Support team hoped that early
intervention would help to reduce the negative impacts of repeated critical incident
exposure. The DPD Peer Support Team developed a research -based scoring system for
critical incidents and created a tracking system to record each officer's exposure to critical
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
incidents and each critical incident's score. This scoring system was based in part on two
related studies provided to the Peer Support Team by a psychologist from Medical
Associates Clinic, a local healthcare provider. The first study developed meaningful
scales for tracking frequency and severity of cumulative critical incident exposures in 700
police officers. The second study established thresholds of cumulative exposure on these
scales that were associated with elevated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in
209 first responders. If an officer reaches a cumulative critical incident threshold derived
from these studies, a Peer Support Team member will reach out to the officer and discuss
self -care and resiliency strategies.
ACTIONS:
Upon receiving grant funding, Dr. Keedy and Dr. Ottavi from the Medial Associates
Clinics Department of Psychiatry and Psychology will provide one annual check -in with
all sworn DPD staff.
Each annual wellness check would entail a confidential visit lasting up to 55 minutes
between each officer in the Dubuque Police Department and a licensed psychologist
experienced with first responders and occupational resilience. Wellness checks would
focus on how each officer is identifying and coping with the stressors involved in their
work in law enforcement. The officer and psychologist would collaboratively determine
areas in which the officer may benefit from additional strategies to promote healthy
coping and emotional wellness. They would be provided research -supported and
relevant psychoeducational information and resources to consult (e.g., handouts, apps,
books, etc.). They would not be expected to discuss particular topics or to stay for a
specified duration, beyond what may serve the basic purpose of the meeting.
Additionally, the grant would fund training courses/conferences for each member of the
DPD Peer Support Team and training courses/conferences for each of the three Law
Enforcement Chaplains that serve the Dubuque Police Department. DPD Law
Enforcement Chaplains work with Peer Support to provide spiritual guidance and
support to officers dealing with job -related stress and trauma.
Because of our close working relationships with other departments, and because the
issue is not only Dubuque Police Department specific, upon receiving the grand funding,
DPD would host regional law enforcement agencies and provide local training events
and seminars for area law enforcement and families on brain health and resiliency
topics.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Total 2-Year Budget
Deliverable
Cost
Officer Wellness Check -ins
$43,200
Overtime Costs for Officer Wellness Checks
$4,062.63
Peer Support Training
$24,000
Psychologist Training
$9,600
Law Enforcement Chaplain Training
$7,200
Departmental Training
$30,000
Total
$118,062.63
ACTION REQUESTED:
I am respectfully requesting approval to apply for the LEMHWA grant in the amount of
$118,062.63 to fund training and professional assistance.
Cc: Chief Jeremy Jensen
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork