Mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are something the military, and police and fire departments have traditionally just not talked about.

But with the rise in suicides of military personnel and veterans in recent years, mental health issues are now being recognized.

“They say it’s getting better, trying to break that stigma, but it’s still very relevant to this day,” said Sergeant David Alercia, of the Slatington Police Department. He was the officer wounded when Slatington police and Pennsylvania State Police were trying to apprehend an attempted murder suspect in 2020. The suspect fired an AK-47 at police, striking Alercia in the arm.

“People aren’t very willing to come out and say they have a problem,” Alercia said.

As a result, those suffering from the effects of trauma find ways to deal with it. Some suppress their feelings; some turn to alcohol or other substances, and some take their own lives.

“I initially thought I had an understanding, just as many others do, of PTSD. I dealt with a lot of mental health. Almost every police officer deals with people with mental illness. That’s one of our main calls for service, and I’m usually good at talking with them and helping them,” he said. “When I heard the term PTSD I thought I had a grasp and understood it, until it actually happened to me.”

Alercia, who is also a veteran of the Marines, said PTSD is much like it was portrayed in the movie “American Sniper,” only 10 times worse.

“The average person will see three to five traumatic events in a lifetime,” he said. “The average police officer will have three to five traumatic events a month. Over a 25-year career, they’re looking at about 800 to 900 critical incidences that they’ve been involved in.”

Admitting the problem

Alercia said the first step to get better for people suffering from PTSD is “recognizing that they have a problem, admitting that they have a problem, and then being able to find the resources available to get the help they need.”

It was in his own pursuit for help that Alercia discovered that finding help isn’t easy.

After a long search, he found help, and now wants to help others like him find it, too. That’s why he and his wife, Danielle Sheehan, co-founded the nonprofit organization, St. Michael’s Warriors.

“There are first responder and military programs directed specific for those groups,” he said.

St. Michael’s Warriors is not affiliated with any religious organization, but Alercia said he chose St. Michael because he thinks of him as a protector, and this organization is meant to help people who have served society as protectors.

“Any first responder, military personnel, or their family can contact us, and we will be an advocate for them on where to get help, what type of help they may need, along with what to expect when they get that help,” Alercia said. They will “stay with them to see their success in getting themselves better and back to where they were before their trauma happened.”

Financial help

The organization will also provide financial support through donations it receives to cover the cost of treatment or transportation to an inpatient facility, or to cover other expenses while a person is getting help.

Alercia said that in his experience, he discovered that mental illness and PTSD are not covered by workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania. It covers physical injuries only.

If a person is suffering from a mental health issue, then he or she has to seek compensation through the Family and Medical Leave Act. This covers two-thirds of their salary, but losing one-third of his or her income can be a financial hardship.

Their story can get even worse.

“If they wind up with PTSD through some type of traumatic event and they commit suicide due to trauma they received while in the line of duty, there is no life insurance policy, and the family is left with nothing,” he said.

Death by suicide is not covered by life insurance.

Staggering numbers

According to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 16.8 veterans takes their own lives every day in 2020.

The numbers for first responders was not available publicly, but in the summer of 2022, Congress passed the bipartisan Public Safety Officer Support Act.

According to the Police Executive Research Forum, the legislation “allows the families of officers who die by suicide to be eligible to receive death benefits through the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. Officers can also seek disability benefits for work-related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress, as well as for permanent disabilities resulting from attempted suicide.”

The research forum said this is significant “because it will give these officers who have experienced significant workplace trauma and their surviving family members the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Healing

Alercia encourages anyone who needs help and doesn’t know where to find it, to contact them to find the right therapy. “Most people I know benefit from telling their story,” he said. “That’s one way in helping to heal.”

Alercia said that talking about it not only helps the person heal, but also might help someone else going through it. They might see similarities and realize they are not the only one struggling with these problems.

“They’re not alone,” he said.

For more information about St. Michael’s Warriors, call 484-223-8325 or go to https://saintmichaelswarriors.org/. They are also on Facebook and Instagram.

All donations to St. Michael’s Warriors go directly to helping the people who need help.

For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, they can also call the?National Suicide Prevention Lifeline?at 800-273-8255.