New York (WRGB) — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $500,000 in federal funding to support mental health services for law enforcement officers across New York State.
The funding will go to the New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program (NYLEAP) and was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations package signed into law this week. Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, personally secured the funding as a congressionally directed spending item.
According to Gillibrand’s office, the federal dollars will allow NYLEAP to expand outreach efforts and increase access to mental health services for law enforcement officers, particularly in rural areas of the state.
Senator Gillibrand said,
Law enforcement officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. This funding will help NYLEAP provide officers across New York State with critical resources to address post-traumatic stress through peer training, prevention, and intervention programs. First responders put their lives on the line every day, and they deserve access to the mental health support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively NYLEAP plans to use the funding to expand its Post Critical Incident Seminars, which are offered to both administrators and line officers. The organization says its three-day, peer-to-peer program has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress among first responders.
The funding will also support several in-demand services, including peer training courses focused on assisting individuals in crisis, group crisis intervention, and suicide prevention and intervention.