Lawyer Proposes Mental Health and Wellbeing Program for Officers

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The views expressed herein are solely those of the writer.

By Adrian Odle. 

Here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the public wants a police force that is calm, fair, and, of course, accountable, especially where wrong appears to be done. Our officers want a workplace that takes their stress and trauma seriously. We have had a number of recent incidents, including the charge of attempted murder laid against Police Constable Kyle Nimblet, that make these needs urgent. Kyle Nimblet was recently charged in relation to a stabbing in Villa. The case is before the court, and the officer is presumed innocent.

The fact of the charge has shaken trust and has also reminded our citizens that officer wellness is a public safety issue. The police leadership has said it will investigate serious use of force matters and communicate with the public. This is welcome, and it should be paired with a strong mental health plan for officers.

Police work exposes officers to a lot of traumatic experiences. Over time, untreated stress can show up as anger and poor decisions in their daily lives and work. Taking care of their mental lowers that risk and makes officers more patient and better at handling potentially violent situations. International practice supports this link.

For example, in New Jersey with the ARRIVE together program, officers are paired with mental health professionals on certain calls. Independent reviewers report fewer arrests and less use of force when this model is used.

Marion House in Kingstown is a non government, not for profit counseling center that already serves the public. It can be a trusted arm’s length partner for the police. The center offers professional counseling and family life services. A formal agreement with the police service could set clear referral paths, privacy rules, and regular on-site hours for officers to derail the escalating issues of alleged violent officers.

We can learn from other countries. In the United Kingdom police use a national well-being framework, and they also have what is called “The National Police Wellbeing Service”. These act as guides on prevention, support, peer teams, and routine check-ins. Police forces there now plan against psychosocial risks, track staff wellbeing, and make help easy to reach.

In New South Wales in Australia, specialist units receive routine psychological checks. An audit this year found that these services improved psychological health literacy and expanded the options for care while also noting that evaluation should continue and improve.

In the United States, many large services keep in-house psychology teams and peer support groups. The Los Angeles Police Department has a long standing Behavioral Science Services unit that provides therapy, critical incident response, and a large peer network.

My recommendation to the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is that they should establish a small wellness team and formalise a partnership with Marion House for confidential counseling. Train high ranking, experienced officers to spot stress and launch a peer support team, then start a pilot unit that pairs officers with a clinician on mental health calls in the capital. Track complaints, use of force and time on scene, and flag risks. Provide regular psychological check-ins for high stress units. Publish a short quarterly wellbeing update with no names. Taken together, these steps will strengthen officer wellbeing and public safety at the same time.

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