MIAMI – After two South Florida officers died by suicide this fall, some top brass in Miami-Dade County are sharing their own mental health struggles as the holidays approach to try to end the stigma of asking for help.
“You can take the uniform off. But the experiences that you go through stay with you,” said Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Ramirez.
Ramirez told Local 10 News that as a young officer working the Cutler Ridge district, he learned to compartmentalize his stress and was reluctant to ask for help.
“No, I would not,” Ramirez recalled. “As a young officer, I didn’t - most officers have pictures of their kids on the dashboard. I didn’t have that.”
Ramirez shared photos of himself playing guitar, which has become a stress reliever and an outlet for him.
“We’re humans. We suffer,” said North Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Rand.
Rand said he worked homicide for 15 years, and now sees a therapist once a year.
“I’m not afraid to share my story,” Rand said. “Because I used my ailments and the issues I’ve suffered in my life to propel my career. To become a chief, to become that leader that can get out in front of the rest of the pubic and world and say, ‘hey - we’re police officers, we also need help.’”
Some statistics show officers are more likely to suffer mental distress than people in other professions.
Dr. Shirley Plantin, director of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board, said different agencies in the county have different approaches to mental health services for officers, and are working to improve.
“It really is each department trying to figure out what works best for them. But ultimately for us, it doesn’t matter what the service is, it is making sure whatever service is indeed available, that the officers don’t feel judged,” Plantin said.
The Miami-Dade Police department has a dedicated, in-house Psychological Services Bureau (PSB) to help officers in need. The PSB also provides 24/7 on-call response to all critical incidents, including officer-involved shootings, child deaths, or any crisis involving an employee.
We have group counseling, in areas of bereavement, substance abuse,” said Miami-Dade Police Major Melissa Barosela. “You don’t have to fight alone, you don’t have to suffer alone.”
The unit has grown steadily over the years and is funded by the county.
“It’s my job to make sure they have the tools so they can sustain their careers and serve this community,” Ramirez said. “I’m very hopeful and I’m very thankful that the new generation learns from us elders and the mistakes that we’ve made.”
Information on the PSB can be found here: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/police/about-psychological-services-section.page