Every member of the NYPD was affected by the
September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. In
many cases, the emotion and stress experienced on 9/11
may have exceeded the physical demands of the actual
rescue. Experience with other mass disasters and
tragedies tell us that the true impact of such events may
be felt years later.
As a result, the NYPD, together with the New York City
Police Foundation and Columbia University Medical
Center, developed Project COPE to:
- Provide free, confidential stress management and
mental health services to civilian and uniformed
members of the NYPD employed on or before 9/11 (effective July 1, 2008);
- Create greater awareness of the physical and
emotional consequences of stress; and
- Promote the institutional and individual acceptance of mental health services.
COPE provides the following services:
- Private individual, group and family counseling
- Informational materials with referral information
- 24 hour helpline
The unique collaboration between the NYPD, the Police Foundation and Columbia is proving to be
a highly successful endeavor.
Since 2002:
- Approximately 30% of all NYPD employees attended professionally facilitated stress management
sessions
- 18,000 police employees attended 600 educational sessions
- Police employees and their families participated in over 40,000 private consultations
- The hotline averages 5 calls per day
- There were no suicides in the twelve months following the attacks
Support needed:
The New York City Police Foundation made a five-year commitment to fund COPE through December,
2006. The demand for the services of the program for first responders was so great that the
foundation received a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
to support cope for additional years. The funds do not cover family members or non-911 employees. The foundation seeks $300,000 to provide COPE services to these groups.
Additional resources are available to NYPD personnel seeking assistance from mental and physical symptoms related to the events of 9/11:
- NYC 9/11 Benefit Program of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,www.nyc.gov/9-11mentalhealth or call 311
- The World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine, www.mssm.edu/cpm or call (888) 702-0630
