Cops To Get Free Mental Health Care Through New NYPD Program

NEW YORK — The NYPD plans to offer its officers free, confidential mental health care following an alarming rash of cop suicides.

The new program Police Commissioner James O'Neill and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday morning is the city's latest effort to improve cops' access to services and reduce the stigma associated with getting help.

"I think the biggest issue that we’re facing is that internally and externally there are a number of avenues that officers can take, but there’s still that stigma," O'Neill said on the "TODAY" show Wednesday.

The "Finest Care" program will include a wide range of services, including one-time counseling sessions, regular outpatient psychotherapy and medication when it's appropriate, city officials said. It's expected to cost as much as $1.2 million.

Officers can take advantage of the no-cost services by calling a 24/7 referral line without worrying that the request will be noted in their file, according to O'Neill and city officials. The hotline's operators will be trained to discern whether a cop needs immediate help or wants to address a problem before it escalates, officials say.

NewYork-Presbyterian clinicians will provide the services and the hospital system will maintain a database for the program, but the NYPD will only know how many officers are participating, officials said.

Ten active members of the NYPD have taken their own lives this year, roughly twice as many typically seen in recent years. The most recent death occurred just last week, when off-duty Sgt. Linhong Li shot himself in his Fresh Meadows home.

The police department has also developed a broad strategy to address mental health concerns among its ranks. It includes a peer-counseling program that will train cops to listen to colleagues who are going through a tough time and give them help or referrals.

"A lot of times the biggest challenge is for officers to know it’s OK to need help yourself," de Blasio, a Democrat, said Wednesday. "You always are giving help to other people, you sometimes need help yourself."

Anyone struggling with mental health can get help by calling National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visiting this website. New Yorkers can also find resources by calling 1-888-NYC-WELL.