all right good morning I'm Pinellas County Sheriff Bob walteri um we're here this morning to announce mental health for Heroes you're going to hear some remarks from me and then from commissioner Janet long and from Tom Pepin there's an adage that people don't care what you know until they know that you care and that could not be truer when it comes to law enforcement officers and other First Responders what's been said over the last few years about the challenges with law enforcement hiring and law enforcement retention we can offer great pay great benefits but at its core to hire and retain the best of the best the people doing the job of taking care of the community have to know that the community cares about them and about their well-being and this isn't just their physical well-being but their emotional and psychological well-being too a trend that we've seen over the last few years is that most of the officers who leave our agencies that they don't leave to go work for other law enforcement agencies they get out of the law enforcement profession altogether they simply have had enough or that they can't handle it anymore many leave for what they intribute is they tell us when they leave and they attribute to the stress of the job the stressors are not only what officers see and deal with on calls but stressors that the job brings into their personal lives including family relationships when law enforcement leaders convene and we talk about hiring a retention the topic at the top of the list is Officer Wellness and some we have to take care of the people doing the job so that they can take care of us because the job takes a toll on the emotional health of First Responders they deal with everyone else's crisis of the day but they too have issues in their personal and professional lives that they need help with the traditional model has been that agencies provide Mental Health Services through EAP and other Employee Assistance programs but these Employee Assistance programs are woefully underused they're underused mostly because there's a stigma that these strong people these First Responders to crisis are weak if they seek help because in their minds and traditionally in agency culture First Responders are those who help others not those who need help publicly acknowledging that a first responder needs help is hard for them to do within the culture of the law enforcement and first responder community cops firefighters and EMS professionals fear that if it's known that they are going to get help with mental health issues that it will adversely affect their careers and that they will be labeled and viewed differently we try to get the message across that that's not true it's okay not to be okay and that getting help is not just okay but it is encouraged and it's good it's healthy and that it won't hurt your career but the reality is we can say that all day long but it doesn't change the fact that they won't seek help and get services these traditional Services as I said are there but they are not used as people continue to struggle some struggle to the point where they have to leave the career field altogether sometimes on their own and sometimes we have to force them out because they can no longer function and very sadly some even take their own lives another challenge with the traditional Services is that the providers don't have the experience and the relationship to First Responders so that those seeking help feel comfortable and the patient the provider can relate to each other as we've had discussions about officer Wellness over the last couple of years two things stick out number one Services need to be provided by mental health professionals who are former First Responders or who have specialized training in helping the first responder community First Responders will relate to those who are like them or understand them number two access to Services anonymously is essential to people seeking help without anonymity people simply will not engage law enforcement as we know is not perfect but know this is that law enforcement in this County and in this state and this nation is not broken we have room to grow to do more and to do it better but all that starts with taking care of our people and taking care of our people means more than just an equipment means more than just a paycheck it means more than just good equipment it means taking care of the person as a whole because when we take care of our people they'll take care of us several of us have had discussions over time about how we can do more do it better and do it differently in providing access to Mental Health Services that law enforcement officers and other First Responders will actually use and that will actually make a difference again the keys are Anonymous Services by specialized providers earlier this year we established mental health for Heroes and today we announced the formal launch of the organization and its services commissioner long will provide more detailed information in a minute about the organization but the essence of it is is that it is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing funding for cost-free anonymous and specialized Mental Health Services to the Pinellas County first responder community mental health for Heroes is already providing services for over 50 current members of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office mental health for Heroes is funded through some grants but primarily funding has come and we need it to continue to come from the community people like Tom Pepin who is a great supporter of law enforcement and you'll hear from Tom today there's no more important service that government provides in keeping the community safe and to do that effectively we have to take care of the people doing the job on the front line every day so to explain more about mental health for Heroes I'm going to introduce to you Pinellas County Commissioner Janet long commissioner thank you [Applause] good morning everyone as the sheriff said my name is Janet long and I am your Pinellas County Commissioner if you live in Pinellas County as a wife a mother a grandmother my family and I know very well the toll that public servants grapple with every day because all of my family members are or have been public servants my husband was an officer with the Seminole fire department both of our sons are both veterans who served in combat our son Logan was not 20 years old when he was deployed into Iraq and when we invaded Iraq he was on the front line Upon returning he became a police officer with the city of Clearwater and served honorably for 18 years our son Paul was deployed into Afghanistan as a commander of an Apache unit and he flew nearly 3 000 hours in combat it was a struggle for them to come home and immerse themselves in civilian life it was a struggle for our family to know how to help them I tell you this little story to share with you how passionate I passionate I am about this effort personally it means a lot to my family and I know it means a lot to the law enforcement and first responder community there is no question that we live in very challenging times our First Responders are on the front lines in most of the hardest moments of our lives and over and over and over again every day they sometimes work and involve themselves in the worst of our Humanity yet they still get up put on their uniforms Badges and guns and head out to be there for us when we are in need recognizing all of this mental health for Heroes was established to ensure that there was a safe place for these unsung heroes Among Us we are here to help them in their need and to help them navigate the issues that are they are facing over and over again on a daily basis if any of you listening today to this press conference want to take advantage of this opportunity you need only go online fill out the application and or the intake form and hit submit your form will go electronically to the provider that you have chosen when you go to our website and then you will be contacted immediately for an interview and to come into the office and seek help the program has been built to be entirely Anonymous and there are reasons for that we are working hard to dispel the image and the stigma of anyone who needs mental health there will be no file created for your health insurance or for whatever agency you are coming from you'll be contacted Again by your the office that you have asked for in the in your intake form so I urge all of you to please take advantage of this program we have worked so hard to be able to gather the funds to be able to help you and keep you as healthy and happy and joyful as your life was meant to be if you have any questions or concerns after this press conference today please contact one of the many of our board members that are here today and I urge all of you to keep in touch with us we want to hear from you thank you so much and now I would like to introduce Mr Tom Pepin who has been so generous to our foundation Mr Pepin thank you commissioner and Sheriff it's great to be here I am from Tampa it sounds strange because when I think of Tampa I think of Tampa Bay and I have my family here with me today because I know every day law enforcement goes out thinking about their families and I know that the mental health extends Beyond law enforcement it extends to their families I'm getting in late in this game I I it's an honor to be here with the other founding business members but I just learned of mental health for Heroes less than a week ago and as soon as I heard it and I heard about the anonymity and what what the services they're going to provide to these Law Enforcement Officers there was no question I'm going to throw my daughter trial by fire under the bus here she's the director of our family foundation so I'm going to let her say a few words uh here but I wake up every morning and there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep my family safe and I know that officers feel that same way their family is the Tampa Bay Community I've been on a lot of regional Economic Development councils and all and they think of certain things that will lure people to an area well one of the things they don't think about is the safety of their citizens and that's where law enforcement comes in and that's one of the most important things now people aren't going to move to Oakland California right now I guarantee you but they still will come to Tampa Bay with programs like this will it will ensure that that continues to happen and I'd like to introduce my daughter Tina who is the director of the Pepin Family Foundation [Applause] hi everyone good morning um yes I'd like to emphasize our family's thank you to not only everyone in the room that made today happen in this organization but our Law Enforcement Officers our First Responders EMTs excuse me our Mental Health Counselors who are in the room today who are dedicating their life to the betterment of this community thank you for your daily work and sacrifice the past few years I think I can say it goes without saying that it's put a lot into perspective for not only us as community members but there's a huge need for Community leaders to stand up especially for this cause as my father mentioned people are moving to Florida and they're prioritizing their safety the past few weeks we've talked to a lot of Chiefs and individuals within this community and they are emphasizing the importance of Officer Wellness so as the Director of the Pepin Family Foundation we are committing to using our our platform to intentionally support the betterment of the law enforcement community and everyone involved in it this commitment not only includes the betterment of public perception but also wellness and mental health your physical and mental strength and capacity is the most crucial part and we as a community it's our duty to support you and to provide every resource possible in order to do so so also our private sector benefits from the life-saving work that our law enforcement Community undertakes every day giving to this community not only is the right thing to do but it ensures that our local businesses our Workforce our economic economy excuse me are able to thrive so we thank you our family thanks you all we are committed to this cause and the mental health for Heroes so thank you again for everything you do and God bless you all thank you thank you [Applause] so so Tom Pepin in the uh Pepin Family Foundation and Tina uh epitomized what is so necessary in this day and age and that is community support for law enforcement the law enforcement officers need to know that they're supported and they need to know they're supported not only by us by the leaders of the law enforcement agencies and by those in leadership within County government and City governments across Florida to go by the community itself and actions speak louder than words and putting the words into action is going to make a difference and when first started talking to Tom about what we were doing why we were doing it why it's so necessary he immediately stepped up and the contribution that he's giving today to mental health for Heroes is a check for one hundred thousand dollars and so that will make a difference and that will help these Law Enforcement Officers firefighters EMS professionals to be able to get the help they need to stay on the job and to do what they do every day and that is is to provide for a safe Community there's nothing more important than that as I said than what government does is to keep the community safe and we need people out there and in this day and age the most important thing to them is they got to know that people care and people like Tom and Tina and the Pepin Family Foundation and all of the other community groups that have stepped forward so far but more help is needed and that's part of the ask today is that when Community people see this that they're also willing to step forward like Tom and the others have to help us help the heroes and mental health for Heroes is going to be here to provide those two crucial things Anonymous Services by people who look like them who walked in those shoes and understand them so that we continue to thrive in the public safety community in Pinellas County