Police officers are taught to be tough, to be above it all, to be able to handle everything without feelings. Even new officers are tasked with handling community events, domestic violence cases, thefts, unattended and attended deaths, fatal crashes, shootings, and assaults, and expected to quickly shift gears back to another community event. The “guardian vs. warrior” mentality is a major dilemma among law enforcement officers. They must be a guardian to those they serve, but also a warrior, when times are tough. Unfortunately, officers can never know when they will need to change roles in an instant. When they are expected to go from 0 to 60 in seconds, then back to 0 again, the constant ups and downs will eventually take their toll on an officer’s mental and physical well-being.
Most officers get into the policing profession to help others, for the excitement, for the challenge, or for the ever-changing work. No day is exactly the same as the day before. But with all of this, police officers often forget about their own needs and lives. The knowledge that their work is so important and the drive to assist others in their darkest hours can sometimes overshadow an officer’s family life. The routine nature of a normal life with one’s significant other or children can feel less important. Sometimes the “peace” within families gets lost in the chaos of work.
Peer Support for Post-traumatic Stress
In 1997, the author developed and instituted a non-denominational police chaplain program for the York, Maine, Police Department. It was originally used to help with death notifications, but it quickly evolved into an officer wellness resource as well. The agency was fortunate to have a retired priest, who was also a licensed clinician, join as the chaplain. The program did wonders for the employees and the peer support teams. The author has been a peer support team member of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Post Traumatic Stress Management (PTSM) teams since 1997. Over the years , the peer support team have hosted debriefings; coping groups; one-on-one conversations; and most recently, a one-year “anniversary” coping group.
With the number of calls for assistance around Maine steadily increasing, it was recognized that regional teams could be beneficial. The Southern Maine Post-Traumatic Stress Management (PTSM) Team responds to needs in York and Cumberland Counties, with a base of up to 10 peer support members. With the only expenses being initial training, recertification training, and staff overtime costs, there is minimal additional cost to the towns.
Why Peer Support?
Though clinicians are experts in helping people deal with their emotions in a one-on-one setting, it can be more difficult for people to open up in a group setting, particularly for emergency services personnel. Cops often feel more comfortable talking to other cops, firefighters to other firefighters, dispatchers to other dispatchers, and so forth. As the peer support team evolved, it was also discovered that people were more comfortable speaking to peer support members whom they do not work with every day. The peer support model only includes a clinician or chaplain if one is specifically requested, which is one of the reasons the model has been so successful. A second important element is confidentiality—anything discussed during the sessions remains confidential, giving those attending the opportunity to speak freely. Because of this, emotional wounds can begin to heal, and strong bonds are built among those in attendance.
Despite the peer support team’s success, there are some who believe a clinician should be present during every debriefing; however, experience has shown that some of officers are not comfortable speaking openly with a clinician or chaplain in the room. Since talking (and listening) is the primary purpose of the debriefing, it’s important that the setting be comfortable for everyone. The decision to include a police chaplain also depends on the group and whether the chaplain has any affiliation with the group or department. Some groups request that chaplains be there; others have asked for them to be excluded.
The regional PTSM Team has served officers affected by officer-involved shootings, officer suicides, child deaths, horrific motor vehicle crashes, and other stressful scenarios, as well as helping employees facing personal issues. It’s not just the job that can build up one’s stress. When it is job related, it isn’t always one critical incident that pushes one to the edge—an array of calls or the cumulative effects of personal and professional stress can lead to a tipping point.
One of the most recent coping groups held by the PTSM team involved the responders to a horrific fatal crash. The amount of bravery and heroism that the law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and communications specialists displayed that day was amazing. They were just “doing their job,” but that dedication came at quite a personal cost. This was just one of the many critical incidents the group has covered, but this one was different. The peer team was called back one year later for an “anniversary coping group.” The group was still reeling from the pain of this traumatic event, and yet an “anniversary coping group” was nothing that had been covered in the team’s trainings, conferences, and seminars. Of course, the first thought was, would we be doing more harm than good by holding another coping group? However, team members were surprised to see the number of people interested in receiving more support a year after the causative event, and the author recommends that all agencies offer this type of follow-up peer support as it has been greatly needed, very well received, and much appreciated. Not only are anniversary coping sessions good for the mental well-being of staff, but they send a powerful message that the management recognizes and cares about the ongoing needs of their staff.
Peer Support Operations
Every peer support callout needs to have structure and follow guidelines, but each one needs to be handled as its own. No two callouts are the same because the people involved are different. Many debriefs can last up to three hours, but it’s ideal to keep them at less than two hours for the sake of the group’s attention span. Once the initial assessment of need is done, the team must decide what kind of peer support response is the best fit. Will it involve one-on-ones, a debrief, or coping group? How many team members need to be present? In the case of the anniversary call out, several more questions arose including whether to hold a full debrief again, how to avoid re-traumatization, and who should be in attendance.
Generally, the team likes to keep sessions groups to less than 15 people, but that can be adjusted when needed. The most the PTSM Team has handled in one setting was 33 people following a child death. The primary players should be involved in the main group, and if periphery people request help, it may be best to have separate groups to keep the size reasonable. The team tries to narrow its focus to the people directly involved in the incident. For instance, responders who assisted with traffic or perimeter issues but had no contact with victims, may not need to be involved. It is important, however, to recognize that ancillary people can be just as traumatized in some situations. In the case of a shooting the team provided support for, some of the staff who were not directly involved but still experienced vicarious trauma from worrying about their coworkers. It was stressful for them to not know who had been shot, injured, or killed. Radio silence trauma is a real thing, and its effects come up repeatedly in debriefs. Peer support needs to be able to adapt to what works in a given situation and what the participants feel comfortable with.
When coordinating a debrief, the team must also carefully consider which team members will provide peer support as well. Each situation brings its own challenges, but peer supporters bring our own backgrounds into it too. One of these calls might remind a peer supporter of a call the officer responded to in the past, or team members may have experienced something like this in their personal lives. Team leaders need to keep those potential issues in mind when assigning peer supporters to calls.
The team has also seen an increase in command-level suicides, which the team has been addressing by holding coping groups for command-level staff. Similar to line officers, command-level officers just wanted to talk to their peers at the same level, which was taken into consideration when selecting the peer supporters for these coping groups. These officers may not be working the nights or weekends any longer, but any new position or promotion brings another level of stress. Unfortunately, some of these stressors are not recognized until it is too late.
Let’s not forget that when someone retires, all of the “stuff” from all of those years doesn’t just go away. In addition, retired officers report feeling disconnected, unwanted, or discarded by an agency and coworkers whom they dedicated their life to. A lifetime of helping others comes to an end, and their perceived purpose in life is gone. Peer support’s role is to try to bridge that gap by preparing officers for that next step in their lives, encouraging them toward healthier lifestyles, and maintaining contact between the agency and retired staff. Agencies have added retired staff to newsletters, email lists of award or promotional ceremonies, or retirement celebrations. It’s amazing what a difference this can make.
Leading Healthy Agencies
Officer wellness starts from the top. As a way to rid the stigma of therapy, leaders should pave the way by showing their staff that it’s OK to not be OK. It’s perfectly normal in this line of work to feel pain, to feel stress, or anxiety.
Annual check-ins with a clinician are the perfect opportunity to discuss any immediate concerns or just talk about sports, fishing, travel, , as well as healthy coping mechanisms personnel can use. Officers may be wary at first, but chiefs should lead the way by being the first to check in!
Additionally, leaders know their people. When someone seems “off,” be blunt. Ask the questions, even if it’s hard—just ask them if they are ok. It’s not always possible to resolve every problem, but knowing one’s leaders and peers care can make a difference.
Finally, there is help available! Resources are out there. There are treatment centers around the United States that provide care for first responders who are dealing with a crisis or substance abuse issues by providing affordable, compassionate, and comprehensive care through personalized therapies. Most of these facilities are free of charge; possibly covered by insurance; and more importantly, they are confidential. In the author’s experience, officers who complete treatment at one of these centers come back filled with a new purpose in life and a better understanding of who they are.
Final Thoughts
Adapt, improvise, overcome, is the name of the game with coping groups. Do what works for those who need support and the team members who are there to help. The PTSM Team’s mantra has always been, “Do no further harm.” Being vulnerable and opening up is important, even when it’s uncomfortable—so if being one-on-one helps, then do it! One of the most commonly overlooked but vitally important aspects of peer support is the follow-up, whether it’s a phone call, personal check in, or just a text or email. The group dictates the follow-up needed. The team has noticed that the current generation of officers often prefers text messages or emails instead of phone calls. However impersonal it sounds to the older guard, it’s the new simplified way of communicating for most. It’s a good idea to ask what the preferred method of contact is.
In March 2022,the author attended the IACP Officer Safety and Wellness Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was eye-opening to hear stories of how peer support groups are being coordinated around the globe. The networking of such opportunities is priceless, and it’s great to be able to take bits and pieces from it to continue to streamline the peer support process. Those seeking to begin or improve an agency’s wellness team will find a wealth of inspiration and information at conferences such as these. 🛡
Please cite as
John Lizanecz, “Adapt, Improvise, Overcome: Regional Peer Support,” Police Chief Online, May 10, 2023.
