Monday, May 12, 2025
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman joined members of the county police department for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the department’s new wellness center, a facility designed to support the mental health and well-being of law enforcement personnel and county employees.
The event, held on Feb. 26 at the Nassau County Police Department headquarters in Mineola, included Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Nassau County Police Benevolent Association President Tommy Shevlin, and county legislators John Ferretti and Thomas McKevitt.
Blakeman said the wellness center will serve as a safe space for law enforcement personnel and county employees to address mental health and wellness concerns. It connects members with resources such as the employee assistance program, peer support, and police chaplains.
“This center is going to focus on keeping everybody in law enforcement in Nassau County well and healthy,” Blakeman said. “And that's what we want to do.”
The center functions as a resource hub where officers and county employees can seek guidance and support. While no clinicians are on-site, trained staff provide a space to talk and connect members with wellness services. Ryder highlighted the role of peer support, which offers immediate assistance to officers after traumatic incidents, such as the death of a child or a homicide scene.
“We always recognize the fallen,” Ryder said. “But there are a lot of people who get damaged along the way and don’t get recognized. Today, we're doing that.”
Donnelly emphasized the center’s importance in supporting those exposed to trauma, including law enforcement officers who must recount difficult scenes to prosecutors.
“The most important thing I believe we can do is care for those who care for us, and that's the men and women of our Nassau County Police Department,” Donnelly said.
Detective Sergeant Michelle Clifford-Marin will lead the center, a role that holds deep personal significance. In 2017, her brother, Nassau police officer Steven Clifford, died by suicide at age 35.
“We want everyone to be healthy,” she said, “and we want everyone to get the help that they need, if they do need any help, to prevent additional tragedies like my brother.”
