Ashlee Cote , had to adapt her own career on a horrible moment in 2009, when her next 20-year-old father died in a plane crash in , Iraq.
Cote, who met her husband Army Spc., said,” The drama showed me that I needed to take care of myself so I could take care of my family.”  , Michael Cote Jr.— while the two were in simple teaching. They married and had a girl, Brooke, who was six months old at the time of her husband’s death.
Fifteen years later,  , Ashlee Cote , has turned those experience into a job as a social worker and consultant who is now heading up one of Alabama’s more distinct healthcare plans for police officials. She did begin her job the following month after the , Spanish Fort City Council, on Monday, overwhelmingly approved a suggestion for a policeman policy change that mandates officers to make an annual visit to a qualified professional for mental health.
” It’s the 1, 000th percentage reason I wanted to get into counseling with veterans and first rescuers”, said Cote, 36, who operates her training in , Mobile, referring to how she sought counseling herself after her personal tragedy. I’m honored to be a part of this debut party. This is my love. These people and organizations deserve help.
Overdue
The , Spanish Fort , software is believed to be only the next in , Alabama , requiring authorities mental health appointments for all its police officials.  , Alexander City, north of , Montgomery, is the first. That plan has been in operation for approximately eight times.
The need for mandatory visits comes at a time when national attention is being paid to the pressure of police work, as mental health is increasingly becoming a viable contrast to first responders ‘ wellness programs.
By nature, police function is viewed as a great stress job, and law enforcement personnel are at an increased risk for mental health issues. Statistics show that more law enforcement officers, firefighters, and corrections officials are lost to death each year than to line-of-duty assaults and car accidents.
” I do n’t believe there is much attention given to the fact that we are people, too, and the job is stressful and has been in the past decade”, said , Spanish Fort Police , Chief , John Barber, who advocated for the policy change that is allowing for the program to happen. Some people have left their jobs because their families or self-imposed stress make them feel less than for it because of how they are affected by it ( mentally and physically ).
He added” This is overdue for law enforcement. It’s ridiculous we have n’t done anything yet”.
Healthy reluctance
But coaching classes are something that law enforcement has, generally, avoided. Law enforcement officers are frequently prevented from seeking mental health services due to stigma and fear of job-related outcomes.
” Obviously, there is going to be hesitancy”, Cote said. ” Emotional health is certainly a topic that is frequently discussed. We want to alter that narrative”.
Barber said he has already spoken with the state’s 29 sworn police officers and four operators who will be taking part in the first year of the required wellness sessions about these issues.
” I’m never looking to make sure that’ hey, are my soldiers, Alright?'” Barber spoke about the outcomes of the original required sessions. ” If they meet with the doctor and are found to be suicidal or violent, I’ll been notified. But if they hit a rough patch, that is fine, and I do n’t need to be notified about that. They are just liable to themselves in the most extreme circumstances.
Officials are not required to attend any program after their initial consultation with Cote. Additionally, if they do not feel the need to communicate, they are not required to do so.
” I told them,’ If you do n’t need it, that’s good, just go in and talk about football,'” Barber said. However, it might be required by a person in this section.
The program does n’t cost anything to the officers, nor does it cost the taxpayer.  , The Spanish Fort Law Enforcement Foundation, a non-profit formed about three years ago, is contributing the$ 20 co-pays for each of the soldiers to join in the required initial period. The soldiers will need to spend their own co-pay after following discussions with Cote or anyone else.
” It’s another step forward in police work” , , Spanish Fort , Mayor , Mike McMillan , said. ” It’s no cost to the city. You’re only requesting that a qualified expert speak with them, and they might not want to. However, it will require that a police commander travel along and at least speak with the counselor.
Alabama work
Donny Shaw, president of the Alabama State Office Well Committee through the , Fraternal Order of Police, said Barber’s approach may be a primary in which an , Alabama , police company changed its own policies and procedures to sanction the heath classes.
He said that wellness remains a priority during training sessions in , Alabama. A forthcoming , July 27 , FOP training will include Peer Support, Crisis Intervention Team ( CIT ) training, and Officer Wellness programs for individuals and at small agencies.
A host of agencies do have internal Peer Support training, including , Birmingham , and , Huntsville. In non-clinical settings, those programs typically connect officers with people who have experienced mental health issues or other issues.
In Birmingham, where police have been flooded with gun violence this year, the city provides mental health counseling to all employees and has a Peer Support team. The programs are not mandatory for police officers to participate unless they are involved in a critical incident, according to Officer , Truman Fitzgerald, a spokesperson with the , Birmingham Police Department.
City spokesman , Rick Journey , said that all , City of Birmingham , employees are eligible for the mental health services through , Behavioral Health Systems. He claimed that the department’s employees who use the services are not divided into percentages.
Mobile , also does not require mandatory wellness sessions. The city does, however, have eight free visits per year where police officers can go to counseling, said , Mobile Police Department , spokesperson , Blake Brown. A Peer Support system is being developed by the city’s internal wellness committee, though it has n’t yet been put in place.
Barber cited Peer Support and CIT as two other excellent programs that are available to officers dealing with people on the street. He claimed that the requirement wellness sessions with Cote stand out from other programs because they “focus on our officers to see if they are A-OK as they are doing their jobs every day.”
The right connection
Dr.  , Lewis Schlosser, managing partner with , The Institute for Forensic Psychology , in , Oakland, N. J., said the approach in , Spanish Fort , is similar to what police agencies across the country are considering as an additional wellness tool to improve officer lives, which in turn should lead to better functioning officers at work.
He claimed that the officers ‘ communication of these programs is crucial to their success. Specifically, calling the session a “wellness visit” as opposed to a “wellness check” is a key distinction, he said.
” We’re very specific that nothing in the visit should be construed as evaluative”, Schlosser said. ” Even calling it a’ check’ is a problem. This kind of wellness program’s goal and purpose is to promote normalization between police officers and mental health professionals and to reduce stigma among police officers in relation to mental health treatment. It’s about officers maintaining their wellness, reducing officer suicides, and helping them retire healthy”.
According to Schlosser, some states have mandated these visits, which can have a number of drawbacks depending on how the law is written. In , Connecticut, for example,  , the law regarding wellness visits states that police officers, as a condition of continued employment, must submit to a periodic behavioral health assessment.  , Instead of creating a wellness visit, he said, the state of , Connecticut , is mandating a de facto fitness for duty evaluations – which Schlosser believes is not going to achieve the goals related to improving officer wellness.
According to Schlosser, a mental health professional who can work with police and other public safety personnel is essential to the success of a program.
Margaret Taylor, a licensed professional counselor in , Alexander City, believes , Spanish Fort , has the right person for the job.
Taylor, who provides mental health wellness services in , Alexander City  , after Police Chief , Jay Turner , started the program, discovered Cote and connected her with Barber.
” The issue was ‘ how do I find a counselor I know who will serve law enforcement?'” Taylor said. It has a culture of its own and is specialized. I did n’t know anyone in the , Mobile , area so I was starting from scratch and researching therapists in the area. I looked up Ashlee’s profile and read her background and experience, and it struck me as someone who could work with that culture.
According to Cote,” They thought I would be a good fit with the background I have in my field, which includes first responders and veterans,” which is my specialty.
Since then, Cote has met with a small number of police and participated in ride-alongs with them. Before the first sessions begin, the officers learn more about Cote’s personality while learning more about their day-to-day jobs.
” For the program to be successful, they need to know the person”, Barber said. ” Cops are hesitant about mental health. It’s also challenging to enter there with an unknowing person. Making her known is extremely important. She’s doing that the next couple of weeks”.
Barber said the mandatory wellness sessions, now part of the city’s policy, will be required once every year. They wo n’t be required again until sometime in 2025 after the initial sessions in August and September.
Barber said he volunteered to be the first person to meet with Cote at her , Mobile , office on , Aug. 19.
Cote said that “everything is in their hands” for the police officers she sees this fall. She wants the officers and their families to feel at ease with her and be eager to come back for more training.
These officers are aware of this or have been regularly told that I cannot remove their badge, she said. ” I ca n’t take away their job. They can talk too, as I am a non-biased person. I’m not trying to pin a label on anyone or hurt anyone’s career. I want to be that extra help for these men and women who give everything for us.
In , Alexander City, Taylor said there was a 40 % return rate among first responders who participated in the initial wellness sessions.
” That was a pleasant surprise”, she said. ” Anytime you make someone do something, it’s not a great reaction and in the beginning, there was not many who were excited about it. But , Chief Turner , was amazing in getting their buy-in. He’s their leader, and said it was OK for them to ( participate ). He played a huge role”.
Taylor said she hopes the approaches in , Alexander City  , and , Spanish Fort , will be considered at other policing agencies in , Alabama.
Taylor said,” It’s the hope that this will become more of the norm, and this will become part of their wellness, and this will become more of what is expected and that there is n’t shame associated with it,” and that this will become more of the norm.
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