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All staff members are volunteer. Our mission is purely to reach as many
law enforcement agencies as we possibly can with the basic, new ideas we believe will make a dramatic difference in police
suicides AND overall police health. We do not "run" this program--you do, by applying its principals in your training.
If you desire, we will help you with presentations, training seminars (all
free) and whatever you need (and we can afford) to launch this plan in your department. Until grant funding becomes
available, travel and lodging expenses would ease our burden.
The Badge of Life
a non-profit corporation
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Andy O'Hara is a 24 year veteran of the California Highway Patrol who spent his last
day on the bedroom floor with his gun trying to decide whether to shoot himself in the mouth or side of the head.
Hospitalized twice with the effects of his post traumatic stress, he has both written on this topic and spoken to cadets of
police agencies in his area. Through those, he has realized the tremendous potential of a carefully planned, implanted
message in this group. O'Hara
was the subject of a Sacramento Magazine article, Relieving the Trauma, in October, 2007. He has authored one book, and been both an newspaper editor and freelance writer with articles in the Sacramento
Bee and Sacramento Spectrum.
DIRECTOR: Richard (Dick)
Augusta's career with the California Highway Patrol was cut short in his twelfth year when, on a night traffic stop, a felon
got the drop on him and gunned him down. Dick recovered from his serious wounds but when he tried to return to the road,
he was haunted by the post traumatic stress that made him hypersensitive on traffic stops and fearful he would harm
an innocent person. To this day, Dick has trouble sleeping because of the incident. His story can be found
in Randy Sutton's, True Blue, Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them. Dick has also attended two FBI seminars on Critical Incident
Peer Support Team formation.
DIRECTOR:
Also a survivor of horrific trauma from the Viet Nam War, Ed Estes served 28 years with the California Highway Patrol
and retired from the Stockton Area.
A truck had overturned and the driver was dead, pinned in the driver's
seat. Two brothers, ages 2 and 4, were trapped beyond the frantic efforts of Officer Estes and rescue personnel to reach
them. The children were talking softly, gently as diesel fuel poured into the cab and flooded the space occupied by
the 2 year-old. They continued their soft talk until, soon, the compartment filled and the boy was quiet.
Silence still haunts Ed 25 years later. A survivor of a major
trauma in Vietnam, as well, he brings a hard-won wisdom to our program.
DIRECTOR: Kezia Smykaluk is a Police Constable currently employed with the Hamilton Police Service in Ontario, Canada. She has been with the Hamilton Police Service for 14 years
as a Patrol Officer. A sociologist, teacher of adult education and former
college professor with certification in trauma counseling, Kezia is working on her recovery from PTSD and a back injury to
return to policing.
In 1997, Kezia was ambushed while in her parked police vehicle by a male offender in
a drug-induced psychotic state. He came at her through her driver's side window, intending to kill her. He
had violently assaulted other women and had a hatred for women in authority. This encounter left Kezia with
a severe back injury and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her PTSD went undiagnosed for several years until its severity
forced her to seek help. Kezia is currently on leave-without-pay while her employer appeals her work-related compensation
claim.
DIRECTOR: Bob Penkivich was disability retired from the California Highway
Patrol after sixteen years of service. He has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Sacramento State University. Bob is an author who has worked on Counter Terrorism, Missing Persons
and Safe Driving. He assisted MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) and served on the Board of Directors of The Amber
Foundation for Missing Children. For twenty years he was the President/Director of the Defensive Tips Foundation, a
non-profit literary educational foundation dealing with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Bob operated
National Grant Writing Service for Colleges and Universities in the San Francisco Bay Area for ten years. Today, he
works as a Fundraising Consultant and grant writer.
DIRECTOR:
Janak K. Mehtani, M.D., is a leading psychiatrist in the
field of posttraumatic stress and has worked extensively with police officers. His mentoring has led to many of the
concepts and principals contained in the Badge of Life program. His belief in the promise of the program, as well as
his knowledge of PTSD and its impact on emergency workers have made him a leader in our effort. An authoritative speaker,
he is available with other program staff to speak about the program, its implementation and value.
DIRECTOR:
Catherine Leon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) has been instrumental in developing the concept of the “Mental
Health Prescription” and the lifesaving potential of officers visiting a mental health specialist at least once a year. Her experience dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder and police trauma have made
her an invaluable leader in this program.
CONSULTANT:
John M. Violanti, Ph.D. is a 23-year veteran of the
NY State Police and has spent 20 years researching police trauma and suicide. He
is a research professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions at SUNY Buffalo, and a member of the State University
of NY at Buffalo School of Medicine graduate facility. He has been involved in
the design, implementation and analysis of numerous police related stress and health studies.
Projects have included studies on police mortality, police stress and trauma, and suicide. Dr. Violanti has authored over 45 peer-reviewed articles and has written and edited nine books on police
stress, psychological trauma and suicide. He has lectured at the FBI Academy as well as at numerous institutions nationally and internationally.
Jeanne Templeman, Clinical Nurse Specialist in adult psychiatry, has worked in county corrections operations as well
as with traumatized military veterans. Her experience with stress and trauma adds another dimension in support
of our Sacramento area program.
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