The NYPD’s top therapist resigned this week after an internal probe revealed he was moonlighting at another job, police sources said.
Psychologist Matthew Graziano, executive director of the NYPD’s Health & Wellness Division, claimed he was performing his duties for the NYPD when he was actually working as a shrink at another gig, the Internal Affairs Bureau investigation found, the sources said.
It wasn’t clear what prompted the probe or how long it lasted.
An NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau investigation found that Psychologist Matthew Graziano was allegedly stealing time, police sources said. nypddcer/Instagram “In certain instances, he was claiming he was in the office but was not even in the state of New York,” a police source said without revealing where Graziano was working or the cash amount of the alleged deception.
The city is seeking reimbursement for the alleged stolen time, the sources said. It wasn’t clear if Graziano, 45, would face criminal charges for the alleged theft.
The Health and Wellness Section was created in 2019 in response to a steep rise in police officer suicides with eight in 2019, which was double the average of prior years.
The unit’s purpose is “to combat mental health stigma, create mental and physical health resources as well as educate and support our members in all aspects of wellness,” according to an NYPD description of the unit.
The unit offers peer counseling, mental health and financial resources and yoga classes among other services, according to its website.
View this post on Instagram Graziano began working for the NYPD in mental health services in 2022 and was promoted to unit boss in November 2024, according to a posting on an NYPD Instagram account.
“Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊 to Dr. Matthew Graziano on his well-deserved promotion to Executive Director of the Health and Wellness Section,” then-Deputy Commissioner Lisa White posted on her NYPD account.
Prior to that, he had a private practice in psychotherapy in New York City, according to his LinkedIn account. He was also an assistant professor of psychology at Seton Hall University in New Jersey from 2016 to 2022, according to the site.
The city is seeking reimbursement for the alleged stolen time, the sources said. Christopher Sadowski “Leveraging a deep understanding of psychology, I have facilitated educational, socioemotional, individual, group, and crisis interventions that resonate with the unique challenges faced by law enforcement…,” he wrote on LinkedIn, adding “as a Licensed Psychologist in multiple states who maintains a small, vibrant practice … I remain committed to fostering resilience through research, scholarship, practice, and application.”
Graziano didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
