Omaha Police Break Mental Health Stigma with Help from UNO Researchers

Can one mental health check-in change a police officer’s life?

University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) researchers are partnering with the Omaha Police Department (OPD) to evaluate an innovative officer mental health program that’s challenging the stigma and redefining care in law enforcement.

➡️ What’s new: UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Samantha Clinkinbeard, Ph.D. has received an $88,777 subaward from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the FY2024 Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) to assess the effectiveness of OPD’s mandatory annual mental health check-ins for high-trauma unit personnel.

💡 Why it matters: Law enforcement officers face disproportionate exposure to trauma, contributing to elevated risks for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicide.

• More police officers die by suicide each year than in the line of duty and are also 54% more likely to die by suicide than the average American worker.

• UNO’s research provides critical insights into how structured mental health support can improve wellness, increase help-seeking behaviors, and reduce stigma in policing.

🔎 Zoom in: The grant builds on a 2022–2024 pilot, which served roughly 60 officers per year and led to significant improvements:

• Support for the program among participants rose from 61% to 85% over two years.

• Stigma fell dramatically: participants reporting concerns about the negative consequences of seeking help dropped from 56% to 18%.

• Some participants described feeling more validated and less apprehensive after their sessions, and clinicians noted reduced resistance and increased openness by the second year, suggesting that the initiative may be helping to normalize mental health check-ins and create space for more open conversations around wellness.

⚡️ What’s next:

• The FY2024 grant will expand check-in access to an estimated 185 OPD personnel per year in 2025 and 2026. UNO’s evaluation will include comparative surveys, pre/post testing, and qualitative feedback from both officers and clinicians.

• UNO researchers will present findings to national law enforcement audiences, including at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Officer Safety and Wellness Symposium.

• OPD is also exploring ways to enhance scheduling options, and potentially expand the program departmentwide.

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Samantha Clinkinbeard, Ph.D., UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice: “There’s growing recognition of the urgent need to address officer mental health in more proactive and sustained ways. Agencies across the country are grappling with high levels of stress and burnout, and in some cases, devastating outcomes. What we’ve seen so far in Omaha suggests that building accessible mental health support into departmental culture through interventions like peer support and mental health check-ins shows promise. This expanded evaluation will help us better understand what’s working, for whom, and whether this model could be adapted more broadly.”

• Employee Resource Sgt. Mandee Kampbell, who leads the program for the Omaha Police Department: “This pilot has sparked a ripple effect in how we think about supporting our officers long-term. Partnering with UNO has added insight, credibility, and momentum to this work. We’re excited to keep building on that together because when officers feel supported and well, they’re better equipped to serve the communities that rely on them every day.”

📌 Grant award information:

• Funding source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

• Award number: 15JCOPS-22-GG-04063-LEMH