Police officers are often exposed to traumatic events such as fatal accidents, violent crime scenes, and cases of child abuse. Over time, these experiences can have a negative impact on their mental health. Studies indicate that police personnel experience depression at nearly twice the rate of the general population and are more likely to suffer from PTSD, burnout, and substance abuse.
Captain Ivan Osores of the Pinecrest Police Department has witnessed firsthand how repeated exposure to tragedy affects law enforcement officers. “The tragedies that we’re exposed to, a lot of them could result in trauma for the officers,” Osores said. He noted that it is not just single incidents but cumulative stress that proves most damaging: “With suicides, fatal car accidents, just death in many, many places,” he explained, “and the anxiety of having to keep looking over your shoulder, dealing with the criminal justice system, dealing with people when they’re at their worst.”
Osores described how the prevailing culture discouraged officers from acknowledging mental health struggles. “The existing culture used to be ‘suck it up,’” he said. This approach led him personally to unhealthy behaviors and two failed marriages before he sought help for chronic panic attacks. “A therapist saved my life,” he said.
Seeking to support others facing similar challenges, Osores earned a master’s degree in social work from Florida International University (FIU) in April. He now serves on Miami-Dade County’s Multi-Agency Peer Support Team, which assists colleagues experiencing personal difficulties related to job pressures.
Team members must complete crisis intervention training and additional coursework before offering practical assistance. Osores went further by obtaining advanced education qualifying him as a clinical social worker capable of diagnosing conditions and providing evidence-based treatment.
In his current role, Osores supports both police department staff—including dispatchers—and community members. He follows up with families after involuntary detentions under Florida’s Baker Act and connects them with recovery resources. In October, he will launch an in-person support group for suicide survivors in partnership with Mental Health America of Southeast Florida.
Osores credited his FIU education for equipping him with effective interviewing skills: “What that class taught me was really how to be an effective listener,” he said, emphasizing empathy and curiosity as key components.
Nicole Neufeld, assistant teaching professor at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, highlighted the importance of rapport-building in therapeutic work: someone who shares similar experiences can connect more easily with peers. The program also covers topics such as disaster behavioral health and working with diverse populations; about 80 students graduate annually.
Neufeld praised efforts like those by Osores and Miami-Dade County but believes more progress is needed: “I think it’s a good start,” she said. “I think we’re just now seeing the importance of bridging the gap between mental health and first responders… but I think that there’s a long way to go.”
Mark Macgowan, professor of social work and associate dean at Stempel College who works closely with first responders, agreed that awareness among front line workers is increasing: “When I’ve spoken to younger firefighters or paramedics or even police, there’s an understanding that they need to have access to resources or even self-care,” he said.
Susan O’Mahoney Holtzman—president and CEO of NAMI Miami-Dade—advocated for greater education so officers can recognize mental health issues early while reducing stigma around seeking help: getting help should not be seen as weakness.
She added that peer-to-peer support initiatives are particularly valuable: “By sharing our stories with others like us who have lived experience with mental health conditions, we help ourselves and we help others.” She concluded: “That police and other first responders are sharing their lived experience with each other in order to recover from mental health conditions and from trauma is really an exceptionally positive step forward.”
