Reach Behavioral Therapies Lufkin hosts Law Enforcement Appreciation Lunch

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - Reach Behavioral Therapies hosted Lunch for Law Enforcement, Sunday, so East Texas first responders could come with their families to get a free hamburger or hot dog lunch.

Kyle Hanes, the CEO of Reach, shared in his office that he’s seen many officers that come in who are dealing with PTSD and anxiety from the line of duty.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, both firefighters and police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.

It’s estimated that 18 to 24 percent of dispatchers and 35 percent of police officers suffer from PTSD.

“You have a group of people that have such a hard job, a stressful job, and a lot of times,” Hanes said. “They see the worst of people, and they see the worst of humans. They don’t typically get called when things are going well. They see things that would give people nightmares, and it gives them nightmares, Hanes said.

Hanes shared that the public can help by remembering first responders are people, too.

“I think you heal that by trying to build them up and knowing and trying to be an intelligent, responsible person and knowing these people go through this, but we need them, and we respect them,” Hanes said. “So, if you understand that they go, and they see these horrible things, again. I just don’t think you heal that through hatred.”

Reach Behavioral Therapies provides “applied behavioral analysis, ABA-based parent education, and counseling.”

Copyright 2022 KTRE. All rights reserved.