10.27.21

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Federal Grants For Chicago And Quincy Police Departments To Support Mental Health Services

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the cities of Chicago and Quincy were awarded $233,893 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to support mental health and wellness services for law enforcement officers. The funding is part of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program, which supports suicide prevention programs, training and technical assistance, and peer mentoring for first responders. Under this announcement, Chicago will receive $124,850 and Quincy will receive $109,043.

“Our law enforcement officers are regularly confronted with challenging and traumatic situations. This federal funding will help officers receive needed mental health support and counseling, which will lead to healthier officers and better policing,” Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to bolster mental health services for first responders throughout Illinois.”

 “Investments in mental health and wellness are investments in our communities as a whole,” Duckworth said. “I will continue to work with Senator Durbin to help ensure that our state’s law enforcement officers receive federal support needed to better protect and serve Illinoisans.”

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