Law enforcement officers and veterans dedicate their lives to protecting others, often carrying the psychological effects of that service long after the immediate danger has passed.

Exposure to violence, death, traumatic incidents, repeated stress, and loss can leave invisible injuries that are every bit as real as physical ones. Yet stigma surrounding mental health continues to prevent too many officers and veterans from asking for help.

We tell them to seek help—but we must make sure meaningful help is actually there when they do.

We are calling for stronger mental-health protections and resources for law enforcement officers and veterans, including accessible and confidential counseling, trauma-informed treatment, peer-support programs, suicide-prevention initiatives, and greater education surrounding PTSD and cumulative trauma.

We must also address cultures in which individuals are encouraged to seek mental-health treatment publicly but may fear judgment, ridicule, career consequences, or being viewed as weak when they actually do.

Mental-health injuries caused by service deserve the same seriousness, compassion, and commitment that we give physical injuries.

Most importantly, we cannot wait until someone reaches a crisis point to decide their mental health mattered.

These men and women answered our calls for help. It is time we answer theirs.

Sign this petition to demand that mental health and suicide prevention become a true priority for the law enforcement and veteran communities.