City of OKC

Recommendation No. 33:

OKCPD should expand the number of full-time Licensed Professional Counselors available to OKCPD staff members.

Project Status: 90% Implemented

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Project Details from Consultant Report

Nationally police departments from Los Angeles to Nashville have developed Wellness Units that also include the hiring of Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Psychologists. Although, once seen as a necessity to the department to manage fitness for duty processes, today these important positions are more readily used as an ongoing mechanism to provide continued mental health care for officers and their families. The LPC position can be used across a variety of operations inside the Department from managing private health data of officers on leave post a critical incident to being a emergency mental health first-aid responder to officers at the scene of an incident. LPC’s also may serve as part of the interview team for an officer immediately following an incident and can be a resource touch for families should an officer be hospitalized or in critical condition. LPCs can also lead the Department in informed mental health response training, education around mental health calls and best practices in CIT intervention as well as academy training and family resource education that can provide a broader more holistic response to officer wellness in OKC.

As recommended by Code4, the Department should prioritize the LPC hire immediately with the hiring of at least two LPC position to manage the following:

• Oversee the confidential management of the data mentioned in recommendation 29 to ensure adequate tracking
• Serve as a primary responder to critical incidents and be a part of the mental health assessments of officer both during the emergency first aid session and in the days to follow after an incident