Page 43 - PCPA Winter 2023 Bulletin Magazine

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WINTER 2023 BULLETIN
LEXIPOL | WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER A CRITICAL INCIDENT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
impact this event had on me, my family and my career.
I am no different than any other person who was there
except maybe I had less trauma than the ones who were
actually shot or shot at. Still, I guarantee there wasn’t a
single person in my department, sworn or otherwise, who
didn’t feel the impact of this event.
If you’re a first responder and haven’t yet experienced a
situation like this, you need to know what to expect. As
with any kind of critical incident in law enforcement, you’ll
likely find yourself needing resources and other kinds
of support to process and manage the trauma you’ve
experienced. Here are the major things you’ll need:
Someone to Talk To: Whether you were in the line of fire
or safely out of harm’s way during the critical incident,
you’re going to want to talk to someone. Someone who
has a clue about cop drama, and who understood what
you’re experiencing, mentally and physically. Many in
law enforcement choose not to unburden themselves to
friends or family members because they don’t want to
weigh these people down with all the details. Often, this
means going to your peers — coworkers or even officers
you know in other agencies — to share your feelings and
worries. A peer support team can help, but that assumes
you have access to people you know and trust.
A Confidential Shoulder to Lean On: Sometimes,
talking to a peer (or a member of your peer support team)
just isn’t enough. Besides help from your fellow law
enforcement officers, you may benefit from working one
on one with a professional therapist. It’s no secret that
many in law enforcement had a great deal of distrust for
mental health professionals — especially those provided
or recommended by their agency. Finding a provider who
can maintain confidentiality while providing culturally
sensitive care is key to rebounding from trauma.
Support to Stay Healthy: In the aftermath of a traumatic
experience such as the one I described, it’s not uncommon
for first responders to lose track of biological necessities.
They stop eating — or eat way too much. They lose sleep,
or sleep way too much. They often use the trauma as an
excuse to stop exercising. Getting back on track is an
important part of recovery.
Help Dealing with Stress: After any critical incident in
law enforcement, it’s easy to get off track in other ways,
neglecting relationships and lashing out at friends and
family members. Some officers may turn to alcohol or
other substances to self-medicate. Others may withdraw
from family and social activities. Even when you know this
is counter-productive, you may find yourself rationalizing
to yourself: “I’ve been through a lot, and I just need to
stay away from everything for a while until I feel like myself
again.”
Ways to Manage Self-Destructive Thoughts: It’s
unfortunate, but survivor’s guilt, second-guessing
yourself and being second-guessed by others, and other
counterproductive thinking can lead some people to
thoughts of self-harm. This can quickly spiral into despair,
and eventually action. Having resources to help you break
self-destructive cycles is critical to regaining your sense
of wellbeing.
A Community of Brothers and Sisters: Remember: you
didn’t go through that critical incident alone. The others
who were impacted — law enforcement and otherwise,
sworn and non-sworn — are likely having similar thoughts
and feelings. Connecting and commiserating with others
can go a long way toward a return to normal life.
The Cordico Wellness App
Pretty soon after the double shooting and subsequent
apprehension of the suspect, my department became
one of the early subscribers to Cordico, the health and
wellness app for public safety workers. I remember hearing
about all the benefits Cordico offered and wondering how
an app on my phone could possibly help with my internal
struggles. As it happened, the Cordico app provided many
of the things I needed most to help me recover from the
trauma of that incident.
My biggest worry, in downloading the app, was that
everything I looked at would be tracked and reported back
to my superiors. As a somewhat jaded law enforcement
veteran, there was no way I could trust my secrets to the
department-owned cellphone, right? I wasn’t going to risk
using it to spill my guts. I didn’t want anyone to look at
some report and deem me mentally unstable.
But then I did some checking. What I discovered is that
the app uses a single login for the whole department.
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