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AFGE 4070 partners with Gray Matters Collective to raise suicide prevention awareness

Founder of The Gray Matter Collective Haley DeGreve (Left), Widow of Blake Schwarz and former nurse at Thomson Prison Michelle Schwarz (Middle), and American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070 President Jon Zumkehr (Right) raised $3,000 to support suicide prevention and mental health awareness. One of the two checks is pictured above.
American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070 President Jon Zumkehr
Founder of The Gray Matter Collective Haley DeGreve (Left), Widow of Blake Schwarz and former nurse at Thomson Prison Michelle Schwarz (Middle), and American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070 President Jon Zumkehr (Right) raised $3,000 to support suicide prevention and mental health awareness. One of the two checks is pictured above.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 4070 is breaking down mental health stigma among correctional officers.

AFGE Local 4070 partnered with The Gray Matters Collective, a local mental health nonprofit, and raised $3,000 to support mental health resources within local correctional centers.

These initiatives honor the life of federal correctional officer Blake Schwarz, who died by suicide in March 2023.

Widow Michelle Schwarz worked at FCI Thomson along with her husband and says prior to her husband’s death, there was little to no information regarding mental support.

Blake Schwarz and Michelle Schwarz on their wedding day
Michelle Schwarz
Blake Schwarz and Michelle Schwarz on their wedding day

“I would ask him about mental health resources at work, and I even worked there myself," Schwarz said. "And, I couldn’t tell you the resources that were available at the time.” 

Founder of The Gray Matters Collective Haley DeGreve worked with AFGE to establish resources within local correction centers and talk with officers about the stigma surrounding mental health.

“When you work in a place like a prison, there’s really this emphasis around toughness and self-reliance," DeGreve said. "Officers can feel discouraged from seeking help because they have this fear of seeming weak or unfit for duty.”

According to the release, correctional officers experience PTSD and suicide rates significantly higher than law enforcement agencies and military personnel.

“These officers are in a fight or flight response all the time, and when you're working so much with a shortage of staff, you never get out of that fight or flight," Schwarz said. "It’s going to take a toll on you.”

AFGE 4070 President Jon Zumkehr says his organization is currently working with local senators to pass a bill in Congress that ensures officers receive access to support services.

“Bolstering the mental health in the local facilities and then also, when you go through a traumatic event, to get a referral for mental health," Zumkehr said. "And that way, staff will know what resources are available and it documents it. So, that way, there’s a paper trail that says ‘Hey, this did happen.’” 

The Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2024 was first introduced in October of 2024.

Zumkehr says he hopes the bill will be reintroduced in the House within the next few weeks.

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