Assistance Programs

[Stump]

I would like to take a moment to remind the officers and dispatchers here to take advantage of the employee assistance program your departments offer. It may be called different things in different areas, but it basically is the "shrink" dept. If you are having any emotional issues (personal or work-related), these people help you work it out.
I am sorry to say that I have had a lot of distressing things happen around me in the last few months, both work related and personal. I am really getting tired of going to funerals and hospitals.
I don't know how things work in your areas, but here we are required to at least sit with someone one-on-one and talk for a few minutes when a major incident happens. It is probably the same with everyone here, but we use laughter and humor to get us through the rough times. When it gets harder to use humor, then it is time to chat with someone.
Please take advantage of what your departments has to offer!
Thanks for letting me say my piece, and just please be careful in whatever you do.

[tommygenewoolworth]

In recent years our agency has experienced what your agencies have experienced, officer involved shootings, officer killed in the line of duty, tramatic events.

For many of our officers, dealing with these events are left up to the officer to seek help away from the agency.

To echo Stump, our agency is investing in "Peer Support" network concept. many officers have a difficult time going to a professional counselor, again this can be interrupted as a sign of weakness.

The Peer support network are officers who are trained to lend a helping hand to officers involved in a tramatic events.

It is our agencies hope this will go along way in healing officers involved in these events.

If your agency has Employee Assistance program, Peer Support, whatever programs are available, please keep them in mind and if you need help, take the first step for yourself and your family.

tomahawk134

[Scubapro]

Our dept. has one of the best trauma teams on the West Coast. It's something to look into if your dept. does not. It is made up of officers....