ADAM MEYERS
STOP THE THREAT - STOP THE STIGMA
Adam Meyers is a Police Captain with the Hartford Township Police Department and Certified Peer Specialist in the state of Wisconsin. Adam began his Law Enforcement career in 2001 after five years as an active-duty United States Army Military Policeman.
Adam has been a Police Chief, Detective, Arson Investigator, Evidence Technician, Field Training Officer, Dispatcher/9-1-1 Operator and is an Instructor in Firearms, Professional Communication Skills, Scenarios, and Officer Wellness.
In April 2016, Adam was involved in a critical incident that changed his life forever when he used deadly force on someone who armed themselves with a hatchet inside a busy department. This person died.
Adam has faced many personal and professional mental health challenges after his critical incident, and it has taken him many years to get back on track. Adam says he would not have been successful with his mental health without the unwavering support of his Family, Friends, Colleagues, Counselors, and even complete
Strangers.
Prior to and during Adam's Law Enforcement career, he spent about 10 years working with Behavioral Health Services in Southeastern and Northwestern Wisconsin and for hospitals with Behavioral Health Units.
As a Mental Health Advocate Adam takes every opportunity to speak about his personal and professional challenges with mental health after his 2016 on-duty deadly shooting. Adam's mental health experience has been published in national and international podcasts. magazines, newspapers, and other publications. Adam was quoted in the book "LIVING BLUE" which is a book about helping law enforcement officers and their
families survive and thrive from recruitment to retirement and wrote about his mental health experience in a chapter of the book “Take Back Your Power”.
Adam is the Founder of Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma. Adam says his overall goal for establishing Stop The Threat – Stop The Stigma and speaking about his critical incident is to promote Law Enforcement Wellness and inspire other Law Enforcement Professionals, and those who work in the law enforcement profession, to speak about their own mental health.
PRESENTATION
Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma
The profession of law enforcement comes with high stress that is often associated with mental health issues. Officers may feel devalued and fearful because of negative societal attudues or from others in their profession.
Shame and judgement need to be removed from the equation so that officers involved in a critical incident can get the mental health help needed to get back on track. Law enforcement leaders are encouraged to take an approach that encourages peer support groups - and they can actively participate in these groups, finding a new perspective for their officers to heal. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?