Throughout his 30 years as a police officer, Chief John Carli understood that police officers and other front-line law enforcement personnel are subject to immense on-the-job stress. Police officers witness, hear, and experience more suffering and violence than most can imagine. Without meaningful mental health resources to help them cope and heal, officers are left to manage their stress and trauma on their own.
Chief Carli knew the officers in Vacaville California, and police forces everywhere, should have access to scientifically based, confidential mental health help. That’s why he decided to invest in the CordicoShield Wellness App, a mental health app designed for police officers experiencing stress and trauma on the job for his team. It made more of an impact than he could have even imagined.
In 2019, the Vacaville Police Department experienced a series of events that left many of them reeling. First, a fellow Davis police officer, Natalie Corona, was murdered in Davis, California. Officer Corona was responding to a car accident when a passerby opened fire on her. She was shot several times and died from her wounds. Vacaville’s police department helped respond to the mutual aid call. The armed suspect fled to a nearby home. He eventually took his own life.
A week later, the officers were still on high alert, and emotions were running high. Then, they got another unforgettable call; a man had tried to kill his own family, stabbing two of them, trapping them in the house, and setting the house on fire. The ensuing manhunt lasted for several hours, allied several forces, and unfortunately ended with an officer needing to use deadly force against the attacker. Chief Carli could feel that his officers were at a breaking point.
When he got to the scene, Chief Carli began checking in with the officers, asking if they were alright. One officer was visibly affected. He had responded to the murder of Officer Corona just days before and had just spent hours tracking down a brutal attacker. It was clear he needed help. Earlier in the day before the manhunt, this officer reached out to a therapist using the app. He said he would not have been able to work through the manhunt that evening had he not reached out for help.
All of his communications through the app were completely secure and confidential, putting the officer’s mind at ease. When spoke with the officer, his words caught Chief Carli off guard: “I don’t know how much you paid for that app, but it was worth every penny!”
Other Vacaville officers have benefited from the CordicoShield wellness app as well. One lieutenant started using CordicoShield after repeated stressful incidents, including losing his father, witnessing a public suicide, and responding to a terrible car accident. After the same manhunt, he realized he needed help.
“As police officers, when you’ve been doing this job long enough, you experience certain things. It really doesn’t affect you immediately,” says the lieutenant, a 28-year veteran. “But that night, there was an effect on me that other people were seeing. The next day, I went home, and I was talking to my wife, and she says, ‘You know, you haven’t been the same for several weeks now.’”
Speaking with a therapist through the Cordico app helped him process his trauma and grief. He describes it as an “invaluable” resource that’s benefited his mental health and ability to serve as a police officer.
“...his words caught Chief Carli off guard: “I don’t know how much you paid for that app, but it was worth every penny!”
Another Vacaville officer was at the same incident as the lieutenant. The 21-year force veteran also responded to Officer Corona’s murder a few days before and was outside the suspect’s home when he shot and killed himself. He remembers feeling deeply angry and robbed of the justice that police officers stand up for. Talking with a therapist via the Cordico app helped him gain understanding and closure.
“I think the biggest problem with being a police officer for an extended period of time is that you have all of this built-up trauma over the years, and you’d never have a place to put it because in the past there was never a place to put it,” the officer says. “It’s cumulative trauma that never has a place to go. Well, for me, the second call was easier to deal with because I had a place to put the trauma from the first call the week before.”
A feature that Chief Carli and his team value most is the confidentiality of the app. Getting mental health help can be particularly challenging for police officers. Without a support system in place, saying “I need help” can be misinterpreted as weakness, and many officers keep their negative emotions to themselves out of fear of repercussions. Officers in duress need a safe way to express their needs. Through the CordicoShield app, officers have access to licensed psychologists through the click of a button. The in-app wellness toolkit is interactive, practical, and incorporates the best resources to help officers emotionally survive their careers.
According to Chief Carli, another one of the CordicoShield app’s valuable features are the instant self-assessments. When officers need help, they can complete a variety of in-app self-scored tests. Most tests take less than five minutes. Officers receive immediate feedback, guidance, and next steps tailored to their responses. With these easy-to-access tools designed specifically for police officers, the CordicoShield app instantly provides help to officers in distress, finally offering these brave men and women with support worthy of the service they provide our communities every day.
After launching their use of CordicoShield in early 2018, the Vacaville Police Department quickly noticed results. The department’s success also earned national recognition. In 2020, they were awarded the National Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation ‘Destination Zero’ Officer Safety and Wellness Award.
“As [law enforcement] leaders, we need to advocate for healthy organizations,” said Chief Carli. “Wellness is a call to action, not just a program. We all took an oath to lead our departments. More importantly, are we caring for those that put their lives on the line every day? My hope is that you, we, promote officer wellness. As leaders, we need to lead the way and care for those that are in harm’s way.”
Police work is like no other profession. The stress, danger, and lifestyle require commitment, bravery, and dedication. We ask much of our officers, and in return, they deserve the best mental health care available. CordicoShield is that discreet, effective mental health solution. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate and provides trusted help that’s been selected and reviewed by experts in law enforcement, researchers, and police psychologists.
When our country’s bravest men and women need the same level of support they provide our communities every day, they need CordicoShield.
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