EPHRATA — The Ephrata Police Department is launching a new officer wellness program after the Ephrata City Council approved a state-funded grant and related contract aimed at providing mental health and behavioral health support for police personnel. 

The council voted July 15 to accept a $6,100 Officer Wellness Grant from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and approve a one-year contract with 1st Watch Wellness, a company that specializes in wellness services for law enforcement agencies. 

Police Chief Erik Koch said the program will provide officers with access to counseling resources, wellness checkups, training and support following traumatic incidents. 

“It's really about providing mental health services, counseling and support,” Koch said in an interview. “Law enforcement deals with a lot of things that build up over time, and this gives our officers an avenue to address those issues before they become bigger problems.” 

According to city documents, the grant will fully reimburse the cost of the wellness program through June 30, 2027. The funding was awarded through a statewide initiative designed to help law enforcement agencies establish officer wellness programs focused on resilience, stress management, mental health and peer support. 

Under the agreement, all Ephrata police officers will participate in an annual wellness checkup with a licensed clinician. While attendance is mandatory, officers are not required to discuss personal issues or participate beyond attending the appointment. The goal is to introduce employees to available resources and build familiarity with the program. 

The contract also provides up to six confidential counseling sessions per year for officers, as well as peer support and wellness training, app-based wellness resources and critical incident response services. Family members may also be eligible for certain services under the program. 

Koch said the department selected 1st Watch Wellness because of its strong reputation within the law enforcement community. 

“This is the first time we've contracted with 1st Watch Wellness,” Koch said. “We've used a different wellness provider in the past, but 1st Watch is well known in this region. Several neighboring agencies are already utilizing their services.” 

The chief said he hopes the program will have long-term benefits for both current employees and future recruits. 

“I'm hoping it's going to help us with retention and recruitment,” Koch said. “If we have a robust wellness program in place, hopefully we can attract quality employees who see that we're invested in their well-being.” 

Koch added that the profession's cumulative exposure to stressful and traumatic events makes wellness programs increasingly important. 

“A lot of what officers deal with builds up over time,” he said. “If they have a healthy way to process those experiences, hopefully they'll want to stay longer and have better careers.” 

The department has generally maintained stable staffing levels compared with some neighboring agencies, although Koch said Ephrata recently returned to being one officer short of full staffing after a personnel departure. According to the department's June report, EPD currently operates with 18 officers and two officers in training. 

The city previously received wellness-related grant funding in 2022, but Koch said that effort was limited after the contractor overseeing the program became overcommitted and was unable to complete all scheduled follow-up services. The new agreement with 1st Watch Wellness was designed to provide a broader range of services and additional organizational support. 

Looking ahead, Koch said the department intends to monitor participation and effectiveness throughout the grant period and would like to continue the program if funding remains available. 

“I'm excited to see the engagement,” Koch said. “Hopefully we'll see positive results, and if the grant opportunity comes around again, we'll be able to apply and continue the program.”