Page 9 - October 2021

First Vice President’s Report
It’s OK to seek support if you’re struggling
I am writing this a day after Illinois State Trooper Gerald Mason took his own life on the Dan Ryan Expressway. May he find peace he could not find in this world.
It’s another stark reminder that police suicide is on the rise. With the constant barrage of neg- ativity from our mayor and all the COVID mal- adies, we as police officers need to step up for each other and do our part to help our fellow
brothers and sisters.
We hear “It’s OK to not be OK.” I understand this quote,
but I don’t like it without context. We all hear people talk about a stigma, and this quote tries to take some of the stigma of mental health away. I agree that it is OK to not be OK, but only as long as one doesn’t do it alone. We are so- cial creatures by nature, and we need that connection with others. After every police suicide, since I can remember, I hear people say to reach out if you need something, you are not alone. Well, we need to do more, because there is help available. There are options for each and every one of us to navigate the rough waters of our mental health.
I have been pretty open about my own struggles over the last 15 years. I do so in hopes of showing people who may be dealing with their own demons that there is a light on the other side of reaching out. I used this job as a way to for- get what I had suppressed. I kept putting off my own men- tal health, even after I had my first panic attack in January 2018. I had just gotten my job back the prior August. Well, the getting paid part, at least. I was told I couldn’t go back to the streets, and that pissed me off. I didn’t realize at the time why. But they took away the only coping mechanism I had since coming back from Iowa in 2008. I waited so long to get help, I broke myself down, and I still deal with anxiety because of it. Don’t be like me. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, if not more so.
And it is OK to reach out to EAP or the FOP or even go outside the Department for help. You will not lose your job, and you will not go into a no-pay status for doing so. For all the shortcomings of CPD, they are trying to do better by us in this regard. I must give credit where credit is due. Com- mander Saadia Carter, who helps run the Officer Support Unit, has done a great job trying to make it easier for offi- cers who seek help. She has helped several officers in tough spots over the last six months. For all of your hard work, I say thank you. We have much more to do, and I am happy to have like-minded people at 35th Street helping.
Since taking office in May 2020, the FOP has been trying to make officer wellness a top priority. In continuing that effort, Rob Noceda and the Military Committee put on a fantastic Buddy Check Day at the hall last month. We would like to make these events more frequent, and I am happy
to say our next one will be Nov. 5, 2021, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the hall. This will be an officer wellness workshop geared to- ward getting to understand mental health and some coping mechanisms for our members. Dr. Carrie Steiner from the First Responder Wellness Center in Lombard has graciously offered to present for us. Call it luck or just great timing, we will also have Carlos Farina, Adam Mogul and Rich Wistoc- ki from the Transformations Help for Our Heroes program in Del Ray Beach, Florida. They were already going to be in town and agreed to stay an extra couple of days to come talk with us. These are all amazing people who love and respect the police. This will be a great informational event. All are welcome. For more information, please contact the Lodge.
In closing, if you or anyone you know might need a lit- tle help for any reason, please feel free to contact us at the Lodge. You are not the only one in need, and we can help get you to where you need to be. We are here for you 24/7/365. Contact the EAP at 312-743-0378, Peer Support at 312-672- 9973, the Chaplain’s Unit at 312-738-2831 or FOP at 312- 733-7776.
MICHAEL METTE
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2021 9