Groundbreaking mental health program provides a lifeline for heroes
- Mark Parker
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
A unique collegiate program designed to help first responders cope with the emotional toll that results from years of experiencing humanity’s worst continues uplifting agencies and, in turn, communities throughout Tampa Bay.
Suncoast Police Benevolent Association (SCPBA) leadership began developing the Applied Mental Health Advanced Technical Certificate for First Responders program with St. Petersburg College in 2023. St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway embraced the initiative, local legislators provided seed funding, and the Pepin Family Foundation’s continued support covers tuition costs.
The program, the first of its kind in Florida, will celebrate its third graduating class on May 18. Cpl. Carlos Brito, a digital analyst for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), is among the 44 participants who now have a new outlook on life.
“It helped me work on myself,” Brito said of the program. “There are things we have to deal with on a daily basis that a person never has to deal with in their lifetime. You just create this baggage, this cumulative stress, that one day is going to show.”
Brito, who immigrated from Brazil over 20 years ago, has spent the past 13 years with the HCSO. He progressed from a patrol and community resource deputy to an undercover narcotics officer and corporal.
However, a serious line-of-duty injury disrupted his life. Brito said he nearly died, and his job was in jeopardy after missing six months of work.
Brito, after developing a “short fuse” with his wife and kids, decided to enroll in the free, nine-month program. The first five weeks with instructor Kim Molinaro felt like much-needed therapy, he said.
“One of our colleagues committed suicide two years ago,” Brito explained. “I didn’t reach out to his widow - I didn’t know how to act. Taking this class, it opened my eyes that it’s not about those who are gone, but the families that were left behind.”
Brito contacted his colleague’s widow after the first day of class. They discussed how he could help with her struggles, and she will highlight “the lack of support that families have after a loved one commits suicide” at a new, two-day training course in August, as part of his cohort’s capstone project.
Research shows that one in three law enforcement officers experience post-traumatic stress symptoms, compared to 6% for the general population. Suicides continue outpacing line-of-duty deaths.
Sgt. Corey Lenczden of the Clearwater Police Department has spent most of his 25-year career investigating sex crimes. He also lost a close friend and fellow officer to suicide before enrolling in the program, which provided a “better understanding of how to process what we experience in healthier ways, and how to help others do the same.”
“We were taught to compartmentalize everything we saw,” Lenczden said in a prepared statement. “Over time, you realize that’s not a long-term solution. There are so many resources and techniques out there that I didn’t know about before.”
This year’s class includes 14 graduates from the St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Pinellas Park, and Bradenton Police Departments, and the HCSO. Participants receive the knowledge and skills needed to manage job-related stress, identify mental health concerns, and support colleagues and community members in crisis.
The course also prepares first responders to serve as mental health liaisons within their agencies for at least three years. Joseph Smiley, dean of Human Services at SPC, noted that the program “not only strengthens individual well-being but also enhances the health and resilience of entire departments and communities.”
Tina Pepin, executive director of the Pepin Family Foundation, similarly believes that investing in the mental health of first responders strengthens “families, agencies, and the communities they serve.”
The program is the brainchild of SCPBA President Jonathan Vazquez and Executive Director Sasha Lohn, who have spent years helping officers navigate mental health challenges. Vazquez, an officer with the SPPD and a U.S. Army Veteran, believes the initiative is “helping reshape the culture within law enforcement.”
“For too long, first responders have carried what they experience without the tools to process it,” he said. “That has to change, and this program is helping lead that change.”
Lohn noted that participants receive “real access to support,” in addition to education. “We’re making sure officers have the resources and training they need now, not only when they’re already in crisis,” she said.
Brito echoed those sentiments. He also believes first responders must facilitate the change they hope to see, and encourages others to enroll.
“It’s definitely a great opportunity,” Brito said. “You’re going to learn a lot about yourself, and others as well. If I can help one first responder next month - or 10 years from now - it was definitely worth it for me.”
Share Your News with Us
To share news with the Power Broker, connect with reachout@powerbrokermagazine.com. To sign up for our twice-weekly e-newsletter, visit www.powerbrokernews.com; and to join our online conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel at Power Broker Media Group – YouTube.
