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Kent County committee approves $200,000 DOJ grant to expand officer wellness and family training
Summary
A two‑year $200,000 U.S. DOJ COPS grant was approved to support officer mental‑health training, peer support and family education; staff said the program is intended to augment existing EAP services and pilot approaches that could be integrated into ongoing county programming.
The Kent County Finance Committee voted to accept a two‑year $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to support law enforcement mental health and wellness programming.
County officials said the funding will back training in stress management, trauma awareness, and early signs of PTSD, anxiety and depression for deputies, and will extend education and training resources to family members. The sheriff’s office representative said the grant is intended to augment existing supports — including the county’s employee assistance program (EAP) and peer support team — and will be guided by a steering committee that will identify gaps and recommend programs to integrate into ongoing departmental work.
Commissioners asked whether the two‑year grant could be sustained in future budgets; the sheriff’s office representative said the project is a pilot to identify effective programming that could be built into the organization if ongoing funding is secured.
The committee approved the appropriation by voice vote after Commissioner Sparks moved and Commissioner Stack seconded the motion. Corporate counsel will review grant documents as required before execution.
