Officers across more than 50 law enforcement agencies in Northern Kentucky will have new mental health support after the Northern Kentucky Police Chiefs Association received a $5,000 grant through Attorney General Russell Coleman's office.

The funding comes through Coleman's "Stand by the Badge" program, announced Sept. 3 at a press conference in Covington. The NKY Police Chiefs Association was one of eight Kentucky law enforcement agencies selected in the program's first round. The association serves agencies across eight Northern Kentucky counties.

The grant covers overtime for peer support specialists, training and education for peer support and wellness programs, and equipment for the teams. The program targets what the attorney general's office described as chronic day-to-day stressors and secondary trauma among law enforcement officers.

"When we give our law enforcement officers the opportunity to support one another, we build stronger officers, stronger teams, and ultimately safer communities," Coleman said at the Covington announcement, as reported by WPSD Local 6.

Coleman added that Kentucky's law enforcement officers deserve peer support programs offering hope, connection and support when they need it most.

Beyond the grants, Coleman's office launched a secure website where officers, deputies and troopers can access peers and resources for mental, spiritual and financial support. A toolkit of best practices is also available to help agencies statewide build their own peer support infrastructure.

The grant program was funded by the Attorney General Alliance, a nonprofit, bipartisan organization, according to the attorney general's announcement.

The other seven first-round recipients are the Ashland Police Department, Daviess County Detention Center, Elizabethtown Police Department, Laurel County Sheriff's Office, Paducah Police Department, Scott County Sheriff's Office and Warren County Sheriff's Office. Each receives $5,000.

Coleman's office said it is seeking additional funding to expand the program but has not set a timeline.