Santa Barbara County First Responder Chiefs Annual Meeting with One805 Focuses on Mental Wellness Endowment

Earlier this month, at the annual One805 Chiefs’ Luncheon, Santa Barbara County Sheriff and First Responder Chiefs convened to review 2025 outcomes and establish priorities for the year ahead. The annual luncheon brings together county leadership to align on strategic initiatives and shared goals.

This year’s primary focus is One805’s initiative to build a $10 million Mental Wellness Endowment, designed to provide sustained funding for First Responder mental wellness services in perpetuity—independent of annual budget cycles or grant approvals.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, once again joined the luncheon to meet with Chiefs and participate in discussions surrounding the endowment. He shared a global perspective informed by his long-standing commitment to mental wellness, offering insight into evolving approaches and future strategies to support First Responders and their families.

First Responders face relentless exposure to trauma, stress, violence, and human suffering over the course of their careers. The consequences are stark: suicide rates among First Responders are significantly higher than in the general population, and in many departments, more lives are lost to suicide than to line-of-duty deaths. Mental wellness counseling—delivered by clinicians who understand First Responder culture—is not optional; it is essential to protecting lives, careers, and the safety of the communities they serve.

“Our Chiefs understand that mental wellness support cannot be temporary, episodic, or dependent on a single budget year,” said Kirsten Cavendish Weston-Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of One805. “This endowment will protect the long-term wellbeing of the people who protect our community.”

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown added, “By building this endowment in perpetuity, we remove the uncertainty of whether future mental wellness grants will be approved year after year. That stability allows our departments to remain focused on immediate safety and operational needs across Santa Barbara County—knowing that mental wellness support will always be there for our people.”

Mark Hartwig, retired Santa Barbara County Fire Chief and Co-Chair of the One805 Mental Wellness Endowment Fund, emphasized the initiative’s significance, stating, “This One805 initiative sends a powerful message: mental wellness is essential, and it must be funded for the long run.”

More information about One805 and the Mental Wellness Endowment is available at www.One805.org