Page 44 - 01A_CL7_OCT20.indd
P. 44
Mental Health and Wellness Support
A resource guide for Chicago Lodge 7 members
A message from EAP
Professional Counseling Division Call for help Peer Support Team
Widely trained clinicians and addiction who have taken a 40-hour training counselors available 24/7/365
CPD Employee Assistance Program
312-743-0378
312-743-0378 The peer support team includes 300 officers
Mental health coaches are ready to guide you through this marathon
Each month, the Professional Counseling Division of the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides a message to promote better mental health for Chicago Police Officers. This month, Dr. Robert Sobo, director of the Professional Counsel- ing Division, alerts members to the added number of clinicians who are working in districts and available for mental health support.
Members, take your marks. Get ready. The Professional Coun- seling Division is revving up the mental wellness effort to propel members toward seeking help dealing with the stress and anxi- ety of having to work at a pace of what seems like 100 miles per hour.
When civil unrest amplifies amid mandatory overtime and continued cancelled days off, the race looks al- most unbearable. But the Professional Coun- seling Unit just added 12 new licensed clinical therapists and has made a proposal to open additional offices to help members endure the marathon and keep exercising thriving mental health practices. And the effort is ramping up with the professional counselors to apply best practices from other departments across the na- tion to help Chicago Police Officers. When it comes to looking at other large city departments and what they have in terms of resources, building this robust team of clinicians is keeping the
Professional Counseling Division the leaders of the pack.
The mental health services that the CPD EAP provides have become renowned as some of the most widely utilized mental health services in the nation. Through serving members, retired members, civilians and their family members with no cap on appointments, it’s now easier – and more necessary – than ever
to rev up their wellness.
Not only are more clinical therapists in place, they’re also
now assigned to specific districts. Members can look for these familiar, trusted faces becoming ingrained in the culture, rules and norms of each district.
How many officers are feeling an increased need for mental health support more than ever before? Your assigned clinician is there in the trenches with you, figuring out the most effective tools and critical services for guiding you through the challeng- es, which they’re witnessing firsthand.
When the clinician is present, they can talk directly to you without a supervisor watching over your shoulder. You can rest assured that these vastly experienced therapists will pri- oritize your privacy. Passing conversations that start as infor- mal venting may balloon into more substantial conversations – and that’s the reason clinicians are deployed throughout the districts. On-the-ground discussions help alleviate some of the pain resulting from day-to-day stressors.
There’s no way that seven days straight of 12- to 14-hour shifts
can come without physical and mental exhaustion. When your wellbeing is negatively impacted, it’s important that you, and even your family members, do not get left behind.
Stress and trauma are the hurdles tripping you up on the job, and talking to a professional, licensed clinical therapist in your district is ice-to-the-bruise relief. When it feels like a constant challenge to practice wellbeing and get a semblance of normal- cy, the Professional Counseling Division wants to help you face that adversity by debriefing after a long day of dealing with re- sponses.
What do you do with your anger, anxiety, exhaustion, fear or resentment? How do you cope with everything constantly thrown at you right now, both on the job and in your personal life? Where do you put all the emotions once you’re off work? Taking a step forward in unloading to a therapist is a prime starting point, especially with these clinicians who each have experience and expertise responding to the issues that law en- forcement officers continue to face.
With every one of the 12 licensed therapists deployed through the districts, expert strategies are right at hand, ready to assist your mind toward thriving mental health. In a time when you’re providing endless support to your family, community members and even fellow brothers and sisters in blue, you deserve the same kind of unwavering devotion toward advancing your own wellbeing.
It’s imperative to utilize the presence of these experienced clinicians who are invested, personally and professionally, in your mental health. No athlete ever got the satisfaction of win- ning gold without the fervor of an expert coach guiding them through the trials and challenges of competition.
Let today be the day you take your mark, rev up your mental wellness and begin pursuing the vital relief you need. You need to start training today to equip yourself to account for your mental wellbeing, especially through the draining days you face amidst the pandemic and civil unrest.
Clinicians are close to where you work and live. Taking care of your mental health has never been more accessible, easier or less stressful for you and your family members. With so many experts at your fingertips through the EAP, you can rest assured that you have the tools and critical services to be able to run the race.
44 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ OCTOBER 2020