The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen is implementing a policy change they say will benefit city of Vicksburg employees, as well as their families.

The city will enter a two-part contract with NuLife Health Care that provides mental health services to the employee and provides training to division heads and staff members that will make them aware of signs that an employee may be facing mental health issues.

NuLife Health Care, owned and operated by psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Stacy Flowers, is a new health clinic in Vicksburg that specializes in mental health services including general counselling, treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar, schizophrenia, drug addiction and other mental health counseling. Stacy is especially excited to begin working with Vicksburg police officers.

“Officers are exposed to traumatic calls daily. Repeated exposure to these stressors may be associated with the development of mental illnesses,” Flowers said. “NuLife Health Care is here to help officers, as well as other first responders, deal with those stressors in a way that does not put their mental well-being at risk.”

ARPA funds are being used to help employees and family members affected by the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 2020 Paychex Survey revealed that in the COVID-19 era, 1 in 4 workers in a business with two to 99 employees reported a deterioration in their mental health since the pandemic began. Flaggs said he believes NuLife is a necessity for the city that came at the right time.

“Now more than ever, people of all races and ages are struggling with anxiety and depression,” Flaggs said. “With the help of NuLife, we are striving to put families back to normal as close as possible post-COVID.”