Chicago Business Leaders Launch 'Bank the Blue' Offering Mental Health Assistance & Other Support Services for Chicago Area Police Officers

CHICAGO  -- Chicago business leaders with ties to the law enforcement community launched “Bank the Blue” https://banktheblue.com a non-profit organization supporting police officers in Chicago and Cook County by offering programs outside local police departments that will address mental health issues and help officers rebuild relationships with the communities they serve. Bank the Blue was created because now more than ever we need healthy and engaged law enforcement officers working in partnership with the communities they serve to reduce crime and gun violence.

“Bank the Blue will heal the wounds which have led to a complete and fundamental breakdown of the partnership between police and the community,” said Daniel Q. Herbert, founding partner of The Herbert Law Office and a Bank the Blue founder. “We know many people want to support the police and help them do their jobs better. Bank the Blue gives them a mechanism to do so.”

Today many police officers struggle with mental health issues due to their constant exposure to violent and traumatic situations they encounter on the jobs. During recent months, that exposure has increased. Their mental health issues often go untreated and the consequences for the officers, their families and the communities they serve can be tragic.

“Bank the Blue is so important because the mental health of a police officer plays such an important role in the level of service they can provide the community,” said Anthony F. Varchetto, President of Blue Star Security, Ltd., a sergeant with the Chicago Police Department and a Bank the Blue founder. “To be able to efficiently mitigate incidents that are currently taking place throughout the country and come up with effective solutions, police officers must have the ability to deal with stressful situations, hostile environments, and working long hours.”  

Mental health experts say the rate for post traumatic stress disorder and depression among police officers is five times higher than that of the civilian population. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2017 report, Chicago’s police suicide rate is 60 per cent higher than the national law enforcement average. 

Bank the Blue founders say local departments including the Chicago Police Department alone cannot meet the mental health needs of their officers. Their mental health programs are not large enough to accommodate all those who need help and there is often a culture that prevents officers from seeking help through their own departments.

Working with mental health experts, Bank the Blue has compiled a referral list of reputable mental health providers who specialize in treating law enforcement officers and the unique situations they face daily. Recognizing that seeking outside mental health treatment can be daunting, Bank the Blue streamlined the process and made access to respected providers simple via its website. The referral list will also include therapists who offer teletherapy and online therapy sessions. Bank the Blue’s familiarity with law enforcement insurance plans guarantees that officers can use their benefits to the fullest extent and limit out of pocket expenses, which may encourage more officers to seek treatment.

“The goal of Bank the Blue is to establish a new environment where police officers can get the help they need when they need it, “said Jeffrey T. Salvetti, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Blue Star Security, a retired Chicago police officer and a Bank the Blue founder. “By doing this, the officer, the officer’s family and the community the officer serves and protects all come out as beneficiaries."

Bank the Blue will host group meetings and workshops led by therapists to help officers manage workplace stress and trauma. Bank the Blue also established a list of vested peer support persons. All members of the Bank the Blue peer support team are current or retired law enforcement officers, who can relate to job-specific issues officers face.  

"We all recognize we are living in a complicated time right now. During complicated times, we have to get back to basics,” said Kelly A. Krauchun, an attorney with The Herbert Law Office and a Bank the Blue founder. “Bank the Blue will also offer training programs for both officers and the community members they serve. Designed by world-renowned leadership trainers, they provide both with basic tools to have more respectful and meaningful encounters."  

Bank the Blue is working with community policing organizations and other groups to develop programs aimed at creating understanding and rebuilding relationships between law enforcement officers and those they serve. It is also planning crowdfunding campaigns to address immediate needs of police officers and residents especially in this time of pandemic and economic stress.

“We believe that the most important part of our mission is bringing the community and law enforcement together to rebuild trust and restore "Copfidence.” said Karmin Daniel, CEO of Big Mouth Marketing and a Bank the Blue founder. “We are developing special programs that will bring everyone together with "crowd-funded acts of kindness." 

MORE ABOUT BANK THE BLUE Contributions to Bank the Blue can be made via the website banktheblue.com Bank The Blue is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization launched in August of 2020.