Page 45 - September 2019 FOP Newsletter

also emphasized their “significant promise” in treating addic- tion, specifically the “attenuation of cravings.”
“[Officers] have a higher risk for stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance use, suicide ideation and attempts than the general population,” Dr. John added. “In concert with evidence-based medications, these relatively low-risk interventions bypass typical concerns that could be encountered, such as potential side effects and personal bias- es against pharmacological interventions.”
Twenty nine-year CPD veteran Shawn Kennedy believes profoundly in the value of peer-to-peer programming. De- tailed to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in October 2018, Kennedy already had spent quite some time working on various officer wellness projects via the superintendent’s of- fice. “Once you open the door to try to break the stigma, a lot of things just come out,” he said.
As a result of four officer suicides in 2018, Kennedy con- tends that the department adopted far greater transparency in addressing mental wellness and suicidal thoughts and ten- dencies. “If you really want officers to reach out and help, you can’t talk about it like it’s somebody’s dirty secret,” he said. “We have to acknowledge what’s going on — the reality of it — so officers won’t feel like they’re alone.”
The value in adopting these approaches matches what Ken- nedy feels was the most compelling aspect of the seminar: peer support. While he embraces the value of outside specialists sharing expert knowledge with attendees, he views the sem- inar’s law enforcement personnel panels — which addressed critical incidents and traumatic events as well as recovery and maintaining sobriety — as “most effective” when it comes to peer-to-peer engagement and extending the conversation be-
Dr. Robin Kroll, owner of the BRAVE Police and Public Safety Wellness Center, discusses aspects that impact trauma and how it manifests in law enforce- ment.
yond the seminar weekend.
“When you talk to somebody who’s actually gone through
something, it’s totally different,” Kennedy said. “They talk- ed about their experiences with [officer-involved shootings] in terms of how they viewed themselves, how other officers viewed them, how [media coverage] affected their family. It was amazing.”
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