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Denver cuts mental health services for first responders, citing…
Denver Police officers will now be capped at 12 hours per year of mental health services outside of critical incidents. Previously, there was no limit.
DENVER — The City of Denver is capping mental health services for police officers, dispatchers and firefighters, sparking concern among first responders who say the services are more critical than ever.
Internal emails obtained by 9NEWS show the Denver Department of Public Safety will now limit mental health services to 12 hours per year. Previously, first responders had unlimited access to the services.
The decision, according to Public Safety Director Armando Saldate, was made as part of broader budget cuts.
“As I know you are all aware, we have been in a precarious budget situation since the pandemic and this year is no different,” Saldate wrote in an email to staff. “Every department has been forced to make tough decisions, including the Department of Public Safety. Due to some of those decisions and increasing costs, we have made a few modifications to mental health services for 2025.”
Josh Vasconcellos, a Denver Police officer with 24 years of experience and the vice president of the Denver Police Protective Association, said the decision is devastating.
“It was a huge slap in the face,” he said. “Now, with limiting it to 12 hours a year, I’m concerned officers may say ‘Well, is this really worth taking that time? I only have 12 hours now, I have to ration it.’ Before, we didn’t have to think about that, and that’s my biggest concern, is that officers may not be seeking that treatment, seeking that help when they need to.”
Vasconcellos said the decision also comes at a difficult time for his colleagues, following multiple suicides by Denver Police employees.
“We’ve had three officer suicides in the last year, and one was fairly recently,” he said. “To come on the heels of that, it’s disingenuous to say that you care about an officer’s wellness having that have happened, and then to cut the care that you’re providing to those officers.”
Vasconcellos said he has personally benefited from therapy during challenging times.
“My mental health was suffering, and because I had access to those services, I’m sitting here today,” he said.
The Denver Department of Public Safety said first responders will still have access to additional care after critical incidents.
On Friday, Saldate sent the following statement to 9NEWS:
“The Department of Public Safety’s top priority is ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our employees, so this was not an easy decision to make. We recognize the immense impact that mental health services have on our first responders, which is why we have always offered supplemental support to our staff for crisis situations beyond what the city benefits offer. Due to rising costs for care and a challenging budget situation across the city, we prioritized continuing to offer critical mental health resources to support our first responders and their loved ones while finding additional options for longer-term support. We are actively exploring other funding sources and will continue to do everything we can to ensure all DOS employees can access the care that they need.”
Saldate added that “the vast majority of staff who use this benefit use less than 12 hours per year.”
Records show that Denver Police used 3,174 hours in 2024.
Vasconcellos said the Denver Police Protective Association plans to fight the decision.
“They need that care. They absolutely need that care,” Vasconcellos said. “When we ration that care, we diminish the ability of them to provide those high-quality services to the citizens of the City and County of Denver.”