Ashland police seek $5,000 state grant to expand officer peer-support program

Police Chief Todd Kelly told the Ashland City Commission on May 14 that the department will apply for a Kentucky Office of the Attorney General grant of up to $5,000 to expand a peer-support program for officers and other city employees. "Investing in mental wellness is not a luxury. It's a necessity," Kelly said, outlining plans to train officers as peer-support personnel who could assist colleagues during and after critical incidents.

Kelly said the program would build on existing post-critical-incident stress resources and a partnership with the Department of Criminal Justice Training. He described the proposal as more than a listening ear: trained peers would be equipped to recognize distress, provide immediate support, and serve as a regional resource available to neighboring agencies. "Our primary focus will be on establishing a robust peer support program," Kelly said.

Commissioners adopted a municipal order authorizing the mayor to submit the peer-support grant application and to accept the award and execute related documents if the grant is made available. City staff identified the municipal order on the meeting agenda as authorizing a grant application and acceptance for an amount up to $5,000.

Kelly estimated the department could use the funding for training and noted a model policy was already drafted for commission review. Several commissioners voiced support for expanding the program to retired officers and making trained peers available to fire and other city personnel.

The municipal order authorizing application and acceptance of the grant passed by voice vote on the consent/new-business portion of the May 14 meeting; the chief said the funds would be used to start or accelerate training for the peer team. The next procedural step is for staff to submit the application and report back to the commission when the award decision is known.