Postal Service sets up mental health peer support program for its law enforcement officers

The U.S. Postal Service is establishing a peer support program for officers and employees in its law enforcement arm, according to a Feb. 19 notice in the Federal Register. 

Under the program, U.S. Postal Inspection Service officers will receive training on how to provide confidential, non-clinical support to other employees who are seeking assistance. 

“Although the USPS Employee Assistance Program provides professional resources, a more specialized level of support is needed due to the unique challenges faced by law enforcement personnel, inherent stigma, lack of trust and limited law enforcement cultural competency,” officials wrote in the notice. “The USPIS Peer Support Program will address these gaps by offering informal, confidential and relatable support from trained colleagues who understand the unique pressures of the job.”

Specifically, participating officers will be trained on counseling, suicide assessment and responding to alcohol and substance abuse. Officials argued that the program will boost the mental health, resilience and performance of USPIS personnel. 

Members of Congress recently have sponsored legislation to address federal law enforcement mental health. 

In 2025, a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers introduced the Homeland Security Department Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act (S. 2645; H.R. 6548) that would establish a mental health and wellness program for DHS law enforcement personnel. 

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, has also reintroduced the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act (H.R. 2305), which is named after an Iowa corrections officer who died by suicide. The measure would promote mental health screenings and referrals for Bureau of Prisons employees. 

None of these bills, however, have been voted on yet. 

Based on data collected by a first responder organization and FBI statistics, The New York Times reported in 2025 that law enforcement officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.