By Police1 Staff
One of the last sessions on the last day of IACP was one of its most sobering ones as representatives from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department walked through their response to the March 2023 Covenant School shooting.
A key portion of the talk was recognizing the long-term impact a traumatic event can have on a department, from the officers who were on the scene to the care staff supporting the broader team.
Here is a look at their ongoing efforts to support their organization.
The panel
- David R. Kennington, Behavioral Health Services Manager, Metropolitan Nashville PD
- Heidi Bennett, Behavioral Health Services Executive Director, Metropolitan Nashville PD
Overview of Nashville PD’s wellness program
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s wellness program was started in 1986 with one person and has grown to 16 staffers (8 licensed civilian counselors, 4 sworn personnel, 2 civilian chaplains and 2 administrative assistants), 1 therapy doc and 150 peer supporters.
“Don’t overestimate the power of just checking on people.”
How the agency continues to navigate the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting
From the top down, the department recognized the unique needs of its staff and officers after the tragedy. Beyond providing resources — like the Cordico app — there is also a culture and system of checking in with the men and women affected.
“Our mission is to provide different avenues,” said Kennington. “I think it started with being on the scene and just sitting with those men and women...just give them a place to talk.”
Some of the things they have done:
- Held an anniversary event where they honored the police officers
- Give hand-written cards to the officers
- Had check-in protocols where they do annual wellness checks
- Make sure people take time off
- Visits to the school and other healing events, like meeting with the kids
- Provided free counseling and EMDR sessions
- Had chaplains at the funerals
- Utilized a therapy dog
Another key aspect: taking care of your wellness staff. “They were the absorbers of so many stories,” Bennett said, recognizing the unique toll of their work supporting the department. Besides time off, they also partnered with several counseling agencies to offer counseling to the professional wellness staff. They also set aside time as a team to just “breathe and talk with one another.”
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