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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Commander Jack Fichtel
DATE: January 20, 2020
SUBJECT:
Resolution authorizing the City of Aurora Police Department to enter into a contract with Vélan Solutions, LLC for the WeNeverWalkAlone™ Nationwide Peer Support & Mental Health Professionals Network.
PURPOSE:
Vélan Solutions, LLC, facilitates mental well-being for police department employees through the WeNeverWalkAlone™ program by allowing police department employees to seek either peer support or mental health professionals anonymously.
BACKGROUND:
Peer support networks can often be the first step for police department employees to seek advice and counseling from others they trust in a judgement free zone. Those employees that seek this first step often benefit tremendously. However, this is often not the case due to fears of rumors or removal from the work environment. With WeNeverWalkAlone™ it connects peer support groups from across the area where officers via a mobile application where they will be able to seek mental health well-being from other trained peer support police officers or mental health professionals.
DISCUSSION:
The staff of the Aurora Police Department understands the stress and strain that law enforcement officers across the nation face. Ensuring the mental well-being of employees is paramount to the safety of the employee and the citizens of our City that require police services. Entering into a contract with Vélan Solutions, LLC, for the WeNeverWalkAlone™ program will allow every employee of the police department to get their own sign-in credentials to access mental health resources. It will allow them to remain anonymous and find the help that they seek, either through trained peer support officers or with mental health professionals that have extensive experience working specifically with police employees and who are fully committed to helping the law enforcement community.
This program is open to all police department employees, both sworn and the professional staff. The contract is for a period of three years and if at the end of the contract the services are to be terminated, this must be done in writing. This will cover all 371 sworn and non-sworn employees at a cost of $7704.00 yearly. The monies for this project will be utilized from the Federal Forfeiture account, more specifically account 256-3536-421.32-20.
This program was not funded in the 2020 budget, a budget transfer will be submitted upon committee approval.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Approval of this program will allow police employees immediate access to mental health workers, thus allowing them to get the help that they need during times of crisis, or to help work through other issues that are impacting their personal and/or professional lives.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Allow the Aurora Police Department Police Chief the authority to sign contract and enter into an agreement with WeNeverWalkAlone™ to provide mental health assistance to all police department employees.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the City of Aurora Police Department to enter into a contract with Vélan Solutions, LLC for the WeNeverWalkAlone™ Nationwide Peer Support & Mental Health Professionals Network”.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, peer support networks can often be the first step for police department employees to seek advice and counseling from others they trust in a judgement free zone. Those employees that seek this first step often benefit tremendously. However, this is often not the case due to fears of rumors or removal from the work environment. With WeWalkAlone™ it connects peer support groups from across the area where officers via a mobile application where they will be able to seek mental health well-being from other trained peer support police officers or mental health professionals; and
WHEREAS, the staff of the Aurora Police Department understands the stress and strain that law enforcement officers across the nation face. Ensuring the mental well-being of employees is paramount to the safety of the employee and the citizens of our City that require police services. Entering into a contract with Vélan Solutions, LLC, for the WeNeverWalkAlone™ program will allow every employee of the police department to get their own sign-in credentials to access mental health resources. It will allow them to remain anonymous and find the help that they seek, either through trained peer support officers or with mental health professionals that have extensive experience working specifically with police employees and who are fully committed to helping the law enforcement community; and
WHEREAS, this program is open to all police department employees, both sworn and the professional staff. The contract is for a period of three years and if at the end of the contract the services are to be terminated, this must be done in writing. This will cover all 371 sworn and non-sworn employees at a cost of $7704.00 yearly. A budget transfer will be submitted to account 256-3536-421.32-20 for 2020 and budgeted for the remaining two years.
WHEREAS, the staff of the Aurora Police Department understands the stress and strain that law enforcement officers across the nation face. Ensuring the mental well-being of employees is paramount to the safety of the employee and the citizens of our City that require police services. Entering into a contract with “We Never Walk Alone” will allow every employee of the police department to get their own sign-in credentials to access mental health resources. It will allow them to remain anonymous and find the help that they seek, either through trained peer support officers or with mental health professionals that have extensive experience working specifically with police employees and who are fully committed to helping the law enforcement community; and
WHEREAS, approval of this program will allow police employees immediate access to mental health workers, thus allowing them to get the help that they need during times of crisis, or to help work through other issues that are impacting their personal and/or professional lives.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: The Police Chief of the Aurora Police Department is authorized to sign the attached “Exhibit A” which contains the agreement with Vélan Solutions, LLC, for the WeNeverWalkAlone™ program which provides mental health assistance to all police department employees.