Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission grants $49,100 for Officer Wellness

information released

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison reports the agencies Behavioral Health Unit was awarded a grant of $49,100 from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WACJTC) for Officer Wellness for the fiscal year of July 2024- June 2025.

Approved items include:

  • Peer support training.
  • Critical incident stress management training.
  • Neurofeedback machines.
  • PTSD workshops for law enforcement and spouses.
  • Continuing education material/books.

The WACJTC Officer Wellness grant was previously awarded to Chelan County in 2023. The continuous seeking of external grant funding ensures optimal resource utilization, upholding fiscal responsibility within county funds, and meeting citizens service expectations.

Our Behavioral Health Unit Program Manager and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Ana Gonzalez, has been instrumental in securing outside funding for Chelan County. Her successful grant writing has resulted in eight grants in the last two years, totaling an impressive $1,970,588.24.

Three of these grants, totaling $268,578, support officer wellness, while the other five, totaling $1,702,010.24, support the Behavioral Health Unit. This is a testament to her dedication and the effectiveness of our programs.

The BHU is a co-responder program that partners mental health professionals/case managers with law enforcement to respond to calls for service involving behavioral health and social service needs. These partnerships provide in-the-moment crisis response and follow-up, where individuals are connected to appropriate community resources. The goal is to divert people with behavioral health challenges from the criminal justice and emergency medical systems.

We are deeply grateful for the support and collaboration of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Wenatchee Police Department, and the East Wenatchee Police Department in our efforts to implement officer wellness programs and community behavioral health initiatives.