The Isle of Palms Police Department (IOPPD) has recently been awarded $90,036 in federal funding to enhance officer wellness and mental health.
The department was awarded the funding under the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) grant, funded through the Office of Community Oriented Police Services (COPS). LEMHWA funding is for improving the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through the implementation of peer support, training, family resources, suicide prevention and other promising practices for wellness programs. IOPPD will split the funding between three project areas in the agency.
The first project area will include purchasing Lexipol’s Cordico Wellness App for first responders, which all employees and family members can use to address all aspects of first responder wellness.
The second project area will entail partnering with Columbia College to certify IOPPD as the first trauma-informed law enforcement agency in the state of SC. This will allow all command staff for the agency to receive special training from Columbia College faculty in understanding the long-term impact of trauma, addressing the ramifications of trauma on officer performance and retention in law enforcement and developing strategies for building resilience through trauma-informed practices.
The third project area will focus on training all of South Carolina’s law enforcement officers with better tools and methods to deal with trauma. The goal is to host a symposium, bringing top mental health and wellness experts together with law enforcement from across the state free of charge. Officers need this important information without the worry of cost or added expenses to agencies’ budgets.
“It has been a goal for my agency to rethink how we promote wellness. We want to take a 360-degree wellness approach, focusing on mental health and all the factors that can cause issues in this profession. We want our officers to be stronger and healthier, not just physically, but mentally.” Said IOPPD Chief of Police Kevin Cornett. “I believe a healthy and trained officer will make the communities they serve safer and more connected,” Cornett continued.
The LEMHWA grant is 100% federally funded, meaning the City of Isle of Palms did not have to provide a financial match. The grant period will run until September 30, 2026.