Commissioners approve Sheriff's Office application for officer wellness grant; board hears plan for mandatory program elements

Walla Walla County commissioners voted May 12 to authorize the Sheriff’s Office to apply for a Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission grant to support officer wellness.

Sheriff Turner, who spoke briefly at the meeting, described the proposal as funding that "should carry us through for about two years." He said the planned program would be more extensive than the standard Employee Assistance Program and include routine, mandatory participation for certain sectors of the office to make sure deputies have ongoing mental-health support.

"It's basically an EAP program on steroids," the sheriff said in describing the proposal’s scope; commissioners and the sheriff discussed that the program would provide routine, nonvoluntary participation for particular units rather than only reactive counseling after critical incidents. The sheriff added that sustaining the program beyond the grant term would depend on either additional grants or county funding.

Commissioner Kimball asked whether the office had plans for continued funding after two years; the sheriff said continuation would depend on securing grants or county funding. Commissioners voiced support for the concept and approved the application by unanimous vote.

Background: The Sheriff’s Office presented the grant request as part of current efforts to bolster deputy wellness and resilience, and commissioners noted the program aligns with broader county interest in mental-health resources for first responders.