ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday)– NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Finger Lakes has partnered with the Department of Emergency Response to introduce Overwatch Peer Support (OPS) in Tompkins County, aimed at supporting first responders and their families.

After extensive planning, Officer Todd Gyure, founder of NAMI North Texas OPS and a member of the Garland Police Department, along with Detective Michelle Horridge, OPS Coordinator from the Flower Mound (TX) Police Department, conducted a 16-hour OPS Basic Training session in Ithaca on October 5th and 6th.

“Together, Officer Gyure and Detective Horridge have over four decades of service in law enforcement and are champions of first responder mental health,” stated Danielle Schwarz, Peer Support Coordinator at DoER. “We are beyond grateful to have the opportunity to bring a chapter of Overwatch Peer Support to serve our first responders here in Tompkins County. Day in and day out, they put their lives on the line protecting and serving our communities, and now we will have the capability to say you no longer need to walk through the darkness on your own. We anticipate a full launch of the program in the Spring of 2025.”

NAMI North Texas emphasized, “OPS is committed to serving all first responders, not just those in North Texas. As we saw the increasing use of our program, we recognized the opportunity to collaborate with other NAMI affiliates. This partnership with NAMI Finger Lakes is the first step in reaching that goal.”

OPS will offer confidential peer support to all first responders and will collaborate closely with the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team, led by DoER EMS Manager Joe Milliman. In the coming months, CISM Team members will receive skills training from OPS-certified instructors.

The CISM Team will be activated for specific incidents to assist with short-term crisis response following traumatic events. Meanwhile, OPS will focus on long-term recovery and provide ongoing support. It is important to note that neither CISM nor OPS is intended to replace counseling from culturally competent providers.

For more information, contact:
Danielle Schwarz
Peer Support Coordinator
Department of Emergency Response
Phone: 607-257-3888