Providing police officers improved access to behavioral health care

"Police officers see everyone on their worst day," says Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, a guest on this week's 20-Minute Health Talk. This constant exposure to high-stress situations takes a considerable toll on an officer's emotional well-being, yet few seek help despite suffering higher rates of depression, substance use, burnout, PTSD and anxiety than the general public. Tragically, more police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. On this episode, we speak with health care experts working to remove barriers to behavioral health services for police. Nick Stefanizzi is CEO of Northwell Direct, which recently announced a new collaboration with the New York Police Department called Finest Care, which will bring free, confidential counseling and other behavioral health services to the largest police department in the U.S. Dr. Jetelina is a data scientist, violence epidemiologist, and educator studying vulnerable populations exposed to violence. She's also the Director of Population Health Analytics at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, based in Texas and has published extensively over the last decade on this issue.