By Police1 Staff
WASHINGTON — Country music star and former police officer Frank Ray is set to participate in several Police Week events in Washington, D.C. this weekend, visiting the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metro Police, and performing the national anthem for the Washington Nationals.
Frank Ray recently launched a mental health awareness campaign for first responders called FRAY (First Responders mentAl ClaritY). Last month, he joined a panel at the U.S. Capitol with Senator Ben Ray Lujan and other experts to discuss the mental health challenges faced by first responders and the resources needed to support them.
Ray has been visiting first responders across the U.S. and Canada, gathering tools and resources for his campaign. He aims to break the stigma around mental health discussions in the first responder community, emphasizing the need for open conversations and accessible resources.
“Conversations about mental health have always been a taboo subject in the first responder community largely in part because of the negative stigma attached to it,” said Ray. “First responders are notorious for compartmentalizing the trauma they witness every day, so I’m glad we’re moving the conversation forward into a normal topic of conversation for this community of brave men and women who protect us. Providing the resources for them from like-minded organizations and people like me, who have walked a mile in their shoes, helps pave the way for a more engaging conversation.”
Having served 10 years as an officer, Ray used music to help deal with the stress of being a police officer. He hopes the FRAY initiative will help shine a light on the outlets available to those on the front line serving others.
The FRAY initiative serves as a hub for information and support, providing law enforcement agencies with the tools and resources needed to assist their members during difficult times.
For more information on the FRAY campaign, visit www.frayoc.org, and for more information on Frank Ray, visit www.frankraymusic.com.