News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2024

Department of Correction Awarded Grant from New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center

Two-Year, $180,000 Grant Will Expand Wellness Programs and Services for Staff

The New York City Department of Correction’s (DOC) Correction Assistance Response for Employees (CARE) unit has been awarded a two-year $180,000 grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Suicide Prevention Center (OMH’s SPCNY).

“Heroes work at the New York City Department of Correction, but the truth is, heroes need help, too,” said DOC Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. “Through this grant, we will be better equipped to support the health and well-being of the men and women working one of the toughest jobs in law enforcement. Investing in our officers' mental health is an investment in the civil servants who keep this city moving and keep it safe. I thank the New York State Office of Mental Health for recognizing that fact and making this wonderful investment in New York City’s Boldest.”

The grant will be used to:

create organizational culture change to support and improve mental health at work
reduce the impact of workplace trauma and stress
promote acceptance of mental health care and wellness
increase access to peer programs and other social supports
introduce access and decrease barriers to wellness options at work
provide opportunities to learn about resilience, life skills, and healthy coping strategies

DOC’s CARE unit is a resource-based team staffed by Correction Officers and Captains, Correctional Health Service (CHS) employees, licensed mental health counselors, and chaplains. They provide peer support and counseling services, along with referrals to mental health providers. As part of this grant, the CARE Unit will be trained in the NYS Office of Mental Health’s ‘CARES UP’ model, which will include educating staff on creating cultural change to support and improve attitudes surrounding mental health, reducing the impact of workplace trauma and stress, increasing access to peer programs/social supports, and promoting acceptance of mental health care and wellness at work.

CARES UP is an initiative launched by OMH’s Suicide Prevention Center NY (SPCNY) that focuses on improving the mental health and wellness of uniformed personnel and veterans. This is accomplished by enhancing uniformed personnel organizational wellness and health models, programs, and policy through a foundational framework called CARES UP which stands for “Changing the Conversation, Awareness, Resilience, Empower peers, Skills building/suicide prevention for Uniformed Personnel."

This is the third grant awarded to the department in the last three months to support the health and safety of DOC staff and persons in custody. In November, the department was awarded a $498,500 grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs that will be used to enhance services for individuals in our custody that are at high risk of recidivism. In December, the department received a $249,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to enhance the ability of DOC’s Crisis Intervention Teams to serve incarcerated individuals experiencing mental health crises by enhancing their de-escalation skills through additional training and support.

***

The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment while providing individuals in our care with a path to successfully re-enter their communities.