Robert Brown|New Jersey officials push mental health resources after sheriff's death: 'It is OK to ask for help'

WOODLAND PARK,Robert Brown N.J. — In the wake of the death of a New Jersey sheriff, who appeared to have taken his own life in a restaurant, Gov. Phil Murphy and other state and local officials have emphasized that mental health resources are available for law enforcement officers and first responders.

Research has shown that police officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Despite the resources available, the stigma around asking for help is still there.

A "staggering" 90% of police officers surveyed in a 2021 national study reported stigma as a "barrier to seeking mental health help," according to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's Mental Health First Aid program. Eric Weaver, a Mental Health First Aid national trainer and retired sergeant, said the stigma is often a result of officers' altered perception of mental health.

While most police academies offer mental health training, according to Weaver, the quantity and frequency of those trainings aren't enough.

Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik, who was in law enforcement for more than 40 years and had deep ties to North Jersey, fatally shot himself Tuesday at a restaurant in Clifton, sources familiar with the incident told the Paterson Press and Northjersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said Wednesday that the investigation into Berdnik’s death was “active and ongoing."

The death shocked and saddened law enforcement officials and political figures, many of whom said they saw no signs that he was troubled during recent encounters and phone conversations. New Jersey officials have since called attention to mental health resources for law enforcement and first responders, such as the Cop 2 Cop program.

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Mental health resources in New Jersey

The Cop2Cop program was established in 1998 after a series of police suicides. It created a statewide hotline for law enforcement officers and their families, staffed by both licensed clinicians and retired police officers from all areas and levels of law enforcement.

According to its website, the program has become essential for law enforcement officers and helped to avert over 300 suicides during its first 20 years of existence. Police officers can reach out to the Cop2Cop 24/7 hotline and speak confidentially to a fellow officer who can provide them with additional resources and treatment if necessary.

Law enforcement officers who are members of the New Jersey State PBA can also reach out to the PBA's Peer Response Team, which is comprised of 18 law enforcement officers and eight mental health clinicians who specialize in the mental health of first responders. The Peer Response Team's services are also available 24/7 to PBA members.

"Sometimes it could be just that you need a like-minded person that has been down the same road just to talk to. Maybe you are looking for therapy to work out some issues or vent," said the team's coordinator Luke Sciallo. "As a law enforcement officer we're supposed to be the ones to fix things and then you have officers who have to find their own way to process or deal with it."

These lines are not strictly suicide hotlines. Law enforcement personnel can call to talk about anything from personal issues to mental health, substance abuse, or a critical incident on or off the job.

"When you're not OK, that's OK. There is help available if you need it. If you can't pull yourself back up, there are plenty of us surrounding you," Sciallo said. "We want to break that stigma. It is OK to ask for help."

Combating the stigma

The stigma around asking for help, especially among first responders and law enforcement officers, has existed for a long time. One study from the Ruderman Family Foundation published in 2018 found that firefighters and police officers were more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty.

Another study, published in 2020, found that law enforcement workers are "69% more likely to die of suicide in the United States compared to approximately 1.4 million total employed decedents" in the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance System's database.

According to Brian Higgins, a John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor and former chief of Bergen County Police, agencies should create an environment where cops feel safe and comfortable reaching out to the resources that are available to them.

Higgins added that agencies can also establish basic standards and create mandatory and routine wellness checks for officers, similar to the protocol that an officer goes through after being involved in a shooting.

"Those are the extreme," Higgins said. "But there are so many things that cops see and do every day that affect their psyche that don't rise to the level of an officer involved shooting."

Sciallo noted that the stigma is still there and it may always be there, but it doesn't have to be.

"You see bad things, and you see good things too, but you're expected to put a Band-Aid on the bad things ... and you have to learn how to process that on your own," Sciallo said. "...It's just a matter of how you deal with those feelings before you get to a point where it can become toxic or destructive. There are a menu of options and resources out there for whatever you need."

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Tips to help mental health

There are things that people can do to support their mental health, including getting enough sleep, taking a walk outside, getting good nutrition, building a support network, and talking to others, according to Corinne Flammer, EMS mental health resilience officer at Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital.

"These stressful things, they stay with us. They get stuck in our heads and they rummage around and doing these other things like physical activity or good nutrition, good sleep, they take those difficult incidents from kind of just bouncing around in your brain and they help your brain work through the stress," Flammer said.

She also suggested that if stress from an incident lasts longer than 30 days to seek professional help, as it may be post-traumatic stress.

Who was Sheriff Richard Berdnik?

Berdnik had served as Passaic County’s Sheriff since 2014 and previously worked as a Clifton police officer. He recently endured what may have been his most difficult week as a public official.

Federal authorities on Jan. 17 arrested three of his officers in a jail beating case. The next day, Berdnik’s office announced it would have to lay off more than two dozen corrections officers because of the shutdown of the county jail.

There were other problems looming, including nine pending lawsuits filed by jail inmates saying they were mistreated at the jail Berdnik oversaw. A Superior Court judge had scheduled a conference for Feb. 20 to discuss the possibility of consolidating the litigation.

But authorities said handling these issues are normal parts of the job of being a county sheriff in New Jersey. Berdnik’s friends and political allies said they don’t think any of those things prompted him to take his life.

"It is simply stunning to learn of this tragic loss," said Pat Colligan, president of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association. "Sheriff Berdnik was a true public servant who worked every day with the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department to keep Passaic County streets and neighborhoods safe."

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Contributing: Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press; USA TODAY Network