ALBANY – Sen. James Scorfes (D., Orange County) has introduced legislation to promote peer-to-peer mental health services for first responders.
The bill is modelled on the federal police counselling law, with several states, including Oregon, Massachusetts, Nevada, Kentucky and Ohio, passing similar laws to address the health and well-being of police officers.
“First responders face significantly higher mental health issues compared to the general population,” Senator Scorfes said. “Their work is intense, unpredictable and regularly exposes them to high stress environments. We need to deal with the mental health of our first responders who rely on our community. We are proud to continue working to support the police, fire departments and EMTS in New York and to ensure they receive the resources they need.”
The law is called Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Banish Mental Health after Banish, a state trooper who died of suicide. His family respected his memory by advocating for programs to promote mental health support among executives.
Skoufis also announced this week that it had secured grant funding for Orange County law enforcement through its Cares Up program for $240,000. The initiative will expand resilience and suicide prevention efforts among military veterans, uniformed staff, law enforcement and first responders. The organization will provide $60,000 ($30,000 per year) over two years to increase suicide prevention efforts and wellness programming at institutions.
The new Windsor Police Department, Orange County Services Emergency Communications, Police Services and the Fire Department have received the grants. Orange County announced the appointment of Philip Salinadi, the county’s first peer support coordinator, the first responder of emergency services. Sarinaldi is a retired state trooper and is in the US Marines. veteran. He leads countywide efforts to support Orange County fires, police, EMS, and 911 dispatchers, providing secret and compassionate support during times of crisis and prioritizing mental and emotional well-being.
