Danbury ad hoc committee recommends Cummings Foundation police wellness agreement to City Council

Andrea Gardner, chair of an ad hoc Danbury City committee reviewing a proposed collaboration and data‑use agreement with the Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health, Police Wellness Services, moved to forward the agreement to the full City Council after the committee voted to recommend acceptance. The agreement would fund voluntary behavioral‑health and physical‑wellness services for Danbury Police Department staff, including comprehensive health assessments, gym equipment and peer‑support training.

Police Chief Patrick Ridenour described how the program originated and what it would provide. "We did not apply," Ridenour said, explaining that the department's part‑time psychologist, Dr. Ed Keen, had conversations with a Cummings Foundation representative that led to a foundation visit and the program proposal. Ridenour said the award would include $83,625 for comprehensive health assessments, $32,000 for gym equipment and $14,000 for peer‑support training and could be available annually for up to five years; he characterized the roughly $600,000 figure as an approximate cumulative amount over that period.

Ridenour emphasized that participation would be voluntary and confidential. "Everything's all protected by HIPAA," he said, and added that assessment reports would be returned to individual officers to review with their primary‑care physicians; "we do not... see the results," he said, and the chief said the program would not be used for fit‑for‑duty or performance evaluations. He said any fit‑for‑duty determination would require a separate, formal process coordinated with human resources.

The chair reported that corporation counsel reviewed the agreement, made changes the foundation accepted and that the document had been vetted internally. Andrea Gardner moved to accept "the collaboration and data use agreement with Cummings Foundation for behavioral health and police wellness as outlined in the collaboration and data use agreement provided by corporation council." The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote after those present signified assent by saying "aye." The committee's recommendation to accept the agreement will be sent to the City Council for final action.

Committee members present offered support and asked clarifying questions during the discussion; Kara Prunty from the finance department and other city officials were noted as present. The ad hoc committee adjourned at 6:08 p.m.