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A day of prevention
CPMF suicide prevention seminar aims to save officers’ lives
n BY DAN CAMPANA
n PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
After three decades in law enforcement, Chicago Police Offi- cer Frank Valadez recognizes the evolution of how officers cope with the mental stress and strain that comes with the job. Gone are the days, for the most part, when an officer dealing with a rough stretch would head to the corner bar to self-medicate in an attempt to bury his troubles because being a cop meant showing no vulnerability.
“We’ve come a long way. Thankfully, that stigma is going away more and more,” commented Valadez, who has been with the Department’s peer support group since 2010 and leads the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation (CPMF) suicide preven- tion committee. “When I first started, there was no such thing as peer support.”
Unfortunately, the epidemic of police suicides continues to be a dark reminder of how many more officers still need help. The situation prompted CPMF to begin what has become its annual Suicide Prevention Seminar.
“National statistics show that police officers kill themselves at a rate more than twice that of criminals killing police,” CPMF Executive Director Phil Cline said. “Thanks to a grant from Mo- torola, the CPMF has put on a seminar every year which is at- tended by police supervisors, chaplains, peer support officers and others to learn the latest methods to help alleviate this hor- rific problem.”
Held on March 28 at the McDonald’s corporate campus in Oak Brook, the day-long event featured a mix of speakers rang- ing from a doctor focused on the clinical side of mental health to two officers who described the dark realities they faced on a path to nearly taking their own lives.
The seminar began with a presentation from Jada Hudson, a licensed counselor who has helped first responders deal with occupational stress and trauma. Kyle Hein, a former police offi-
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Former Michigan police officer and his dog, Honor, related how PTSD affected his career to the more than 250 attendees at the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Suicide Prevention Seminar.
cer from Michigan, followed with his dog Honor to discuss how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) led to his having to re- tire two years into the job. He now works with Badge of Life, a non-profit organization that assists law enforcement officers with mental health issues.
Badge of Life Board Member Mark DiBona, a patrol sergeant with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts and a police academy instructor, highlighted the afternoon with a presentation about how important family and personal life can be to deal with stress. He also provided ideas about dealing with additional stress that comes from management within a police department. Des Plaines Police Chief Bull Kushner was the fi- nal speaker of the day, and he challenged attendees to consider how alcohol is not a stress prevention solution.
In his fourth year running the seminar, Valadez – a 31-year department veteran – said he makes it a priority to bring new speakers each year to give attendees fresh perspectives and in- formation on slowing the troubling trend of officer suicides.
“CPMF brings in the best speakers from around the country to share information with the attendees,” Cline shared. It has been very well received.”
The pairing of a current officer and a former officer spoke to the audience of 250 about getting so close to killing themselves that they could still “taste the metal” when they think about the moment they almost ended it all, Valadez described.
“They explained that there are some things that put them over the edge,” Valadez continued, adding that he saw audience