Page 42 - July2019 FOP Magazine

Mental Health and Wellness Support
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A message from EAP
Professional Counseling Division CPD Employee Assistance Program
312-743-0378
Widely trained clinicians and addiction counselors available 24/7/365
Peer Support Team
312-743-0378
The peer support team includes 300 officers who have taken a 40-hour training
Call for help
Survey says...
Each month, the Professional Counseling Division of the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides a message to promote better mental health for officers. This month, Dr. Robert Sobo, director of the Professional Coun- seling Division, discusses dealing with the impact of the job on families of Chicago Police Officers.
Please visit the Chicago Lodge 7 website and read the follow- ing notice:
The Chicago Police Department has created an anonymous survey and encourages all members (sworn and
civilian) to participate.
The purpose of the anonymous survey is to get
an overall assessment of needs and perspectives regarding the types of services you feel are important to you. The survey can be accessed from many platforms, such as desktops, smartphones and tablets, by pasting the following link into your browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cpd-eap. The link is also available on The Wire homepage, under “What’s New.”
Participation in this survey is strictly voluntary and open to both sworn and civilian Department members. For more infor- mation concerning the EAP survey, contact EAP directly at 312- 743-0378.
The Professional Counseling Division needs responses to the survey because it will help shape the services that can be added to unit. The survey features questions mostly about clinical services. It’s about 20 questions and designed to assess, among other information, the following:
• Does EAP provide the programs officers need?
• Do EAP counselors reflect officers and their families?
• Does EAP have enough perspective regarding age, gender
and other demographics about officers seeking services? The fundamental objective is to make sure that the Profes- sional Counseling Division is meeting the needs of the popu- lation it serves. Those needs appear to be increasing every day, considering the challenges officers are facing. So the support of clinical services and addiction counseling is more important
than ever. Hence, participating in the survey is crucial.
As EAP gets more resources – and in order to get more re- sources – there is a need to know from the officers what it is that they would like. The EAP philosophy is not about what coun- selors think is needed, but what members want. When working your way through the survey, consider the objective of how best EAP can serve you and your families. That’s the Department’s responsibility, and the survey is relying on members to commu-
nicate what would be helpful to them.
Some of the mandates the City has made to the Department
might guarantee additional resources and staffing. But getting any of that begins with this needs assessment. That’s another reason why taking the survey is so crucial.
Additions will be precipitated by interest: “We want this. We want that.” EAP will add two additional clinical people. Or five. It will be based on whatever the survey results indicate.
EAP would like to add more staff to expand services and cover more areas. There can be easier access. It can be easier to get appointments with less waiting time. More programs. More groups. More office hours.
Plans that have been discussed include adding Professional Counseling Division offices on the Northwest and South sides. There will be more staggered hours to create that easier access for officers and members of their families.
Additional resources might also allow districts and units to have staff specifically assigned to them. That might ease some of the trepidation members have about seeking help.
EAP hears all the time that more members are interest- ed in getting services. It would be a huge benefit to make sure staff members are assigned to each district and unit so they can participate in the culture of those districts and units. Each one has a different culture and different needs. A police department is not a one size fits all. It is made up of many different cultures. EAP needs to be equipped to meet those different needs.
The Department is committed to doing whatever is necessary to increase the ability to be proactive. EAP does not just want to be reacting to situations. The needs assessment will go a long way toward making officer wellness an everyday practice. In- creased services will help to prevent the emotional and behav- ioral consequences of the job from becoming tragic.
Many of these are services we know we should be doing. But it will take additional resources. Officers need to express the de- sire for those resources, all toward the goal of having a healthier, productive and happier culture.
A good response will be very positive. Not only will it tell us a lot of information, but it will confirm to the City what we need. This is a way for officers to have their say and let the Depart- ment know what they and their family members need in terms of services for wellness.
So it is very important for EAP to know what you think. This is as important as any aspect of making the Department better. The survey will continue to run and after the end date, the re- search and development resources in the Department will com- pile the results and provide a report. Keep an eye out for the results of the survey.
42 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JULY 2019