U.S. Customs and Border Protection Spend $15k To Hire Trauma Therapist for Members of Law Enforcement Who Witnessed The Uvalde Shooting

In response to the Uvalde massacre, the U.S. government is offering mental health services to some law enforcement officers.

According to reports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection hired a mental health professional with a budget of just over $15,000 to speak with Border Patrol agents who witnessed the shooting.

Carrie A. Elk, a trauma specialist with a Florida practice, was hired by the organization to offer “psychological health training in response to the Uvalde TX School Shooting for Government personnel.”

USCBP spent exactly $15,450 to get Dr. Elk into the country to provide six days of therapy to officers.

According to TMZ,  Dr. Elk frequently accepts military and Border Patrol counseling assignments following incidents like Uvalde.

Elk claims she frequently teaches Border Patrol agents techniques about identifying emotional triggers, processing painful memories, and coping with the trauma they experience on the job. It is unclear if Elk is conducting one-on-one sessions with Border Patrol personnel, whose agents ultimately killed the shooter in the slow-moving raid.