PTSD Awareness Month Patch

As part of our rotating patch program, we have added a new patch to our rotation for the month of June. This month, officers will be wearing the pictured Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness patch. June is officially designated as PTSD Awareness Month in the United States which is a common problem that impacts law enforcement officers. As a first responder profession, law enforcement officers are at a high-risk of experiencing traumatic events on a regular basis that can lead to PTSD.

Our officer wellness program for the month will be focusing on educating officers about the signs of PTSD, promoting early intervention, breaking the stigma of officers being afraid to seek help for PTSD and providing resources for officers impacted by the effects of PTSD.

PTSD impacts everyone different. For officers with children, handling traumatic incidents involving kids can lead to PTSD. Violent encounters with violent offenders along with life and death critical/quick decision making oftentimes leads to PTSD. Emotionally impactful incidents involving death investigations or other emotionally charged events can also trigger PTSD. By empowering law enforcement officers to recognize the symptoms, intervene early on and seek help, we can help curb and treat the impact of these traumatic events as soon as possible before they become too great a weight and burden to bear.