Governor Baker Signs Bill To Ensure First Responders’ Confidential Access to Mental Health Services

Governor Baker Signs Bill To Ensure First Responders’ Confidential Access to Mental Health Services

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BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined law enforcement and elected officials for a ceremonial bill signing for S.2633, An Act relative to critical incident intervention by emergency service providers.

This bill established a privilege for communications by first responders who, after witnessing traumatic events, seek out their peers for crisis intervention services. This will ensure law enforcement officers are able to confide in their peers about their experiences without fear of the conversation being used against them in employment decisions or subsequent court proceedings.

“Providing law enforcement officers with the ability to confidentially seek guidance from their peers will help them cope with the events they experience in the line of duty,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are thankful for the Legislature and law enforcement for their advocacy on this bill to increase support for services and reduce stigma around mental health issues.”

“Our administration is grateful for the Commonwealth’s first responders who put their lives on the line each day for their communities, and we are pleased to sign this bill affording them additional protection when they seek mental health counseling,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

“First responders put their own safety on the line to help those in need, and we need to be conscious of the mental toll that their demanding and critically important work can take,” said Public Safety Secretary Tom Turco. “This law is designed to encourage first responders to seek the assistance they may need, from peers who understand what they are going through, without the worry that doing so may damage their employment status or stigmatize them.”

“This is common sense legislation that will offer law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency service providers the resources they need to debrief and manage the psychological impact following an incident,” said Representative Ed Coppinger (D-Boston), the House sponsor of the bill. “Critical incident intervention is a peer-to-peer resource in which registered and trained emergency service providers offer consultation, counseling, and stress management. This peer support is the first, necessary step in checking the stress health of an emergency service provider and it can often bridge the gap if further help is required.”

“Police officers, firefighters, and paramedics work every day under demanding circumstances, and responding to critical incidents can have a direct, negative impact on the mental health of first responders,” said Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury). “Confidentiality is an essential piece of comprehensive mental health services, and this bill will encourage greater participation and improved mental health for these brave men and

“After a 26 year career serving in law enforcement, I speak with first-hand knowledge of the great value that access to Critical Incident Stress Management plays in ensuring the wellness of our brave first-responders,” said State Representative Timothy R. Whelan (R-Barnstable). “The crises they see are many. The magnifying glass which they work under is great. These women and men need supports for their mental health given the horrors they will see in their careers. I commend my colleagues in the legislature for enacting this legislation and thank Governor Baker for signing this bill and affirming his support for our first-responders.”

“Effective crisis intervention and stress management has emerged over the last decade as a proven method for the immediate provision of urgent psychological support in the wake of a critical incident or traumatic event experienced by our first responders,” said Brian Kyes, Chelsea Police Chief and President of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs. “We applaud the Governor yet once again for signing this important piece of legislation brought forward by members of the House and the Senate to allow for confidentiality, absent extenuating circumstances, in order to effectuate a more comprehensive and intensive diffusion and debriefing in the interest of furthering officer/firefighter wellness.”

“The Massachusetts Coalition of Police extends our thanks to Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, and the Legislature, for recognizing the stress that public safety personnel face on a daily basis. This legislation is the cornerstone to working towards an environment that treats critical incident stress as a serious health concern for public safety workers and provides a means to offer assistance,” said Massachusetts Coalition of Police President Scott Hovsepian.

Governor Baker Announces Appointment of Andrew Maylor as Comptroller

Governor Baker Announces Appointment of Andrew Maylor as Comptroller

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker today announced the appointment, effective February 18, 2019, of Andrew Maylor as Comptroller of the Commonwealth, an independent overseer of the Commonwealth’s financial transactions, accountability and service delivery across all branches of state government. Mr. Maylor most recently served as Town Manager for the town of North Andover and has over three decades of experience in both the public and private sector in financial management.

“Andrew’s extensive experience in the public sector overseeing multi-million dollar budgets, managing operations and establishing capital improvement and financial plans make him extremely well qualified to serve as Comptroller,” said Governor Baker. “I am confident that Andrew will bring the level of transparency, integrity and accountability necessary for this job. We look forward to working together and thank Thomas Shack for his public service as Comptroller.”

Serving as North Andover Town Manager, Andrew Maylor was responsible for 220 employees and a $100 million budget and developed various strategic planning initiatives. He is credited with instituting Financial Reserve and Debt Service policies that directly led to North Andover’s first AAA Bond Rating. In Chelsea, serving as City Auditor, Chief Finance Officer and Deputy City Manager he established plans to provide the most efficient use of funding and accountability for the city.

“Working together in the midst of the Merrimack Valley gas crisis, Governor Baker and I experienced first-hand the leadership and management skills Andrew Maylor possesses,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Over the course of his career, from stewarding municipalities towards efficient uses of funding to creating increased levels of accountability, he has proven he has the financial acumen and skill set to serve the Commonwealth in this role.”

The Comptroller is appointed by and serves coterminous with and independent of the Governor. The Office of the Comptroller is served by an Advisory Board chaired by Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan and consisting of the Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, Trial Court Administrator and two gubernatorial appointees with experience in accounting, management or public finance who serve three-year terms.

“I am looking forward to using the skills I have developed during the past twenty-five years in municipal government in my new role as the Comptroller of the Commonwealth,” said Andrew Maylor. “I am excited about the opportunity to work with state agencies and constitutional officers to ensure accountability and increase transparency.”

About Andrew Maylor:

Andrew Maylor began his career in the private sector in 1985 with Putnam Investments and worked for several other private employers during an 8 year period. In 1993, Maylor began his career in public service with the Town of Winthrop. In 1996, Maylor became Auditor of the City of Chelsea before being promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1997. As Chelsea’s Chief Financial Officer, he developed and implemented internal control procedures to eliminate material weaknesses identified by the City’s independent auditing firm. In 2000, Maylor was appointed Deputy City Manager of the City of Chelsea, a city of over 35,000 residents, 375 employees and a $105 million budget. In that role, he authored the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and implemented an asset inventory system designed to protect city assets and provide compliance with GASB 34. Additionally, he re-engineered the City’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan, creating a more efficient use of funding and accountability.

Maylor was appointed the first Town Administrator of Swampscott by the Swampscott Board of Selectmen in October 2002, where he oversaw the operations of a town of 14,000 residents, 120 employees and a budget of $54 million. As Town Administrator of Swampscott, Maylor negotiated multiple three-year contract renewals for the Town’s employee unions and co-authored grants for historical preservation, handicapped accessibility, homeland security and planning. In 2010, while serving as Town Administrator, Maylor was selected by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) to chair the Essex Regional Retirement System (ERRS). Maylor was credited with implementing the necessary changes to remove ERRS from supervision by a state monitoring team. 

Since 2011, Maylor served as North Andover Town Manager, overseeing services for 30,000 residents, 220 employees and a $100 million budget. He developed and implemented strategic planning initiatives including the Facilities Master Plan, a $30 million, seven project facility renovation initiative. He is credited with instituting Financial Reserve and Debt Service policies that directly led to North Andover’s first AAA Bond Rating.

Maylor has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of United States and Canada in 1998-2001 and 2012-2016, and the Distinguished Budget Award in 1998-2002 and 2006-2016. Mr. Maylor is a member of the adjunct faculty in Merrimack College’s Master of Public Affairs Program and has served in a similar role at several other colleges during the past twenty years. Maylor earned his Bachelors in Management Science from Bridgewater State College and his MBA from Suffolk University. He received his MPA from Villanova University.