Moylan-Backed Legislation Improving Access to Mental Healthcare for Police Now in Effect

DES PLAINES, Ill – Recent legislation supported by state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, aimed at providing better access to mental health resources for police officers went into effect on Jan. 1.

“We have to take care of the brave police officers who put so much on the line to protect and serve us,” Moylan said. “The well-being of police officers is of critical importance and they deserve the resources needed to deal with the strain that can come from their service.”

The Moylan-backed House Bill 2767 ensures that police officers must satisfactorily complete mental health and wellness training requirements every three years. The legislation also ensures that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board must create an in-service training course addressing officer wellness and suicide prevention. This course must also include instruction on job-related stress management, recognizing the symptoms of cumulative work-induced stress, recognizing the issues that may lead to officer suicide, intervention solutions and available peer support resources.

“This legislation can help identify signs of the stress that police officers experience on the job and help them deal with it in a healthy way,” Moylan said. “It may even help prevent suicides, and ensure that officers are able to focus on their personal wellness.”

For more information about this legislation please contact Moylan’s full-time constituent office at 847-635-6821 or email StateRepMoylan@gmail.com.