The suicide of West Virginia State Trooper Marlo Gonzales last year has prompted change. A committee appointed by the governor is now trying to help prevent other troopers from taking their own lives.

A spotlight was placed on the West Virginia State Police after Gonzales' death when current and former state troopers submitted comments to the story posted here on WSAZ.com -- and some former troopers spoke out on camera. Many brought up allegations of circumstances that might have been contributing factors leading up to the suicide.

That's when Governor Joe Manchin formed a committee to look into whether or not suicides are a problem within the state's police agency.

The committee of four, named the "State Police Suicide Prevention Committee," was facilitated by the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. The members were:
+ Dr. John Linton, PhD: professor and vice chair of the Department of Behavioral Medicine at the WVU School of Medicine
+ Jon Bianconi: commissioner of the Bureau for Behavioral Health under the WV Department of Health and Human Resources
+ Carl "Butch" Berlin: a retired WV State Police Lieutenant and current part-time instructor at the State Police Academy.
+ Joe Thornton, deputy secretary of the WV Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

The committee just released its 21-page report to the governor, and WSAZ has obtained a copy of it (click on the link above to read it).

A mission statement for the suicide prevention committee says the group's primary goal was to identify any "unique systematic conditions that increase the probability of further suicides."

The committee found that the rate of trooper suicides in the state is lower than the national average. There have been two in the last eight years. The report cites a national study by the Fraternal Order of Police that says trooper suicides are about double that of general population suicides in small to medium police forces ranging from 16 to 3,000 members.

Overall: the report says that the current system of preventing trooper suicides "seems adequate" -- but there's room for improvement.

Right now, the state offers four free visits to a contracted counseling service called Peoplework Solutions for both troopers and their family members. The committee says in the report it believes this service is being under-utilized -- but that's not necessarily because troopers don't know about the service.

The single greatest fear for troopers is retaliation for seeking mental help, according to the report. The troopers interviewed by the committee said they fear a lack of anonymity and backlash from superiors for seeking help. They believe it could make them look weak or not able to perform their job duties.

The report says the state needs to make sure troopers and leaders at the State Police understand that the need for mental health help is a normal part of the culture of being in law enforcement, which is considered to a high stress job.

The committee also found that a major hurdle in preventing suicides has to do with a cultural shift within the West Virginia State Police. The report says that there is a significant differences in new and more experienced troopers -- creating a situation where new troopers may be afraid to talk with their superiors about situations dealing with occupational health.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee issued seven recommendations for change in the West Virginia State Police.

#1: mandatory annual behavior health screenings for each trooper. The plan is to start as a 5-year trial, but make it permanent if it is deemed successful. The report indicates that this will likely take time for troopers to "take hold."

Part of this will include addressing psychological health concerns during semiannual performance reviews and by making counseling services more regional. The latter is expected to help "lessen the stigma" that goes along with mental evaluations.

One other part of this recommendation is teaching the occupational hazards associated with law enforcement during recruiting and to the families of troopers.

#2: leaders in the State Police need more training to identify troopers who need help.

#3: complete review of the agency's behavior health policy. The committee wants to make sure the current policy is adequate for "today's changing law enforcement landscape and the cultural changes among the workforce."

The committee included policies from Maryland, Ohio, and Virgina to use as a comparison.

#4: check to see if the counseling services provided by Peoplework Solutions is adequate.

#5: establish a working committee to look into why troopers don't use the mental health services that are available to them.

#6: create a position statement that equates mental health to physical health.

#7: conduct a thorough review of the use of certain prescription medicines and their "potential and known impact" on agency. The committee wants the State Police to look at both proper and improper use of the drugs.

Governor Manchin says he wants to move forward with all of the committee's recommendations, according to spokesperson Lara Ramsburg. She told WSAZ that the governor was "encouraged" by the state's ranking with regard to a low number of trooper suicides, but knows there's room for improvement.

She says Manchin has directed Military Affairs and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Jim Spears to work with Colonel Dave Lemmon to implement each recommendation that is deemed feasible.

Manchin says he was overall pleased with the work of the committee, according to Ramsburg, and had no other recommendations for change beyond those stated in the report, including no changes in the administration of the State Police.

NOT IN THE REPORT
One of the issues that was brought up almost immediately after Trooper Gonzales' suicide was transfers. It wasn't directly mentioned in the report, but current and former troopers alleged that Gonzales' transfers contributed to a high stress situation -- and might have been a factor in his decision to end his life.

Nothing has been released with regard to Gonzales' transfers.

Joe Thornton, one of the committee members, says transfers are an inherent part of the job -- and certainly can contribute to a higher stress situation for troopers. He says that part of the job should come as no surprise to troopers, who are sent to locations where they are most needed.

However, he says the stress caused by transfers should be monitored.