MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: MAY 25, 2021
AGENCY: SEDGWICK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
LOCATION: WICHITA/SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS
TELEPHONE: (316) 660-3812
CONTACT: WENDY HUMMELL
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Partners with Cordico to Provide Wellness App to Personnel
Mental and physical wellness is critical to a professional, successful agency. Because law enforcement and detention deputies are exposed to traumatic incidents at much higher rates than the general population, they are more susceptible to mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety and suicide.
To proactively address these mental health challenges among Sheriff’s Office employees, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office has launched a customized, confidential wellness app that will be available to SCSO personnel, their families, and retirees. Powered by Cordico, the leader in public safety wellness technology, the app includes a wellness toolkit addressing 60 behavioral health topics such as fatigue, suicide prevention and alcohol abuse, mental health self-assessments, and videos and guides on yoga, mindfulness, nutrition and more.
In addition, the app provides contact information for peer support team members and our local EAP (Employee Association Provider), EMPAC. We are building out the therapist feature so we can provide information for local therapists outside of our EAP who specialize and have experience working with first responders.
Personnel and their family members will have confidential, 24/7 access to the app to ensure they have the resources they need in their most difficult moments – on or off-duty. “No one should ever feel blocked from accessing help at times of need due to their schedule or location or concerns about confidentiality, and that is especially true of our public safety personnel who dedicate their professional lives to responding to others’ emergencies,” says Cordico founder and president Dr. David Black.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will utilize this technology to help personnel build resilience and avoid the negative long-term effects of high job-related stress.
In an effort to share this valuable resource with other Sedgwick County public safety organizations, the Sheriff’s Office has extended access to the app to The District Attorney’s Office, 911 Emergency Operators, and the Forensic Science Center, often referred to as the “last responders”.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office joins hundreds of agencies and organizations nationwide served by Cordico.
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