Brunswick police receives state funding for wellness program for staff

BRUNSWICK — The Brunswick Division of Police was recently awarded $51,200 as part of the third round of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program in order to make additions to the department's wellness program for its staff. The current program has different components to it, Brunswick's Chief of Police Brian Ohlin said. The city of Brunswick has an employee assistance program which can be a gateway to different services that workers may need. Then the police department encourages physical wellness by having a workout facility in police headquarters. There are also specialized teams of people available to talk to staff. The funding will make the present program more comprehensive, Ohlin said. One part of the program involves contracting a clinician who specializes in working with public safety officers. There will be a two-year program where the clinician will have a wellness check-in with each employee once per calendar year. "The person is a doctor that's trained in understanding the trauma that can be experienced as a public safety professional through dealing with tragedies and emergencies that can accumulate over a period of time," he said. "The doctor will be able to provide advice and resources to make sure that our staff is as healthy as they can be." The second component of the grant funding will go toward integrating new software into the department's computer aided dispatch system, Ohlin said. The add-on will provide real-time updates about incidents and cases, and it allows citizens to fill out a survey, so the department can see what is working or make adjustments. "It gives you job satisfaction as well if you're hearing that you're doing good things," he said. Funding is given to initiatives that address first responder's mental, physical and emotional health issues as well as programs that recruit and retain workers in the field. "First responders see tragedies on a daily basis, so it's essential that wellness support is easily accessible," Gov. Mike DeWine said in a media release. "This funding will help our local agencies ensure that our first responders can get the emotional support they need, any time they need it." The Brunswick Division of Police applied for the grant in mid-June. Ohlin said the department is excited and appreciative to receive the extra funding. "It's a high priority for public safety staff to maintain wellness so that they can do their jobs better, (and) so they have a stable family life and private life when they're outside of work," he said. Brunswick was one of 13 first responder agencies throughout the state to receive funding in the most recent round. So far, $11 million has been awarded to 58 agencies in the state, and millions more in funding will be sent out in the coming months. "Ohio's doing a really nice job in making (wellness) a top priority," Ohlin said. "The funding will again enhance what we've been doing. It's important to keep healthy employees." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.