Page 51 - FOP June 2019 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
The family way
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.
Family members serve, too. They make a huge sacrifice with a spouse or mother or father on the job. The Chicago Police De- partment offers services to immediate significant others and
spouses, as well as the children of officers, be- cause they deserve the respect and honor. It’s the ethical and responsible thing to do.
The Professional Counseling Division sees a lot of families because they are often struggling as a conse- quence of having a family member who is in law enforcement. The everyday challenges of the job take a toll on family mem- bers and can leave them in a dark place. That’s why there is such a high percentage of divorce in law enforcement – because
spouses can’t continue to live under those circumstances.
The reason why we see immediate family members is be- cause the stressors that police officers experience on the job im- pact the well-being of the family members. And because people take their well-being wherever they go, they also take their lack of well-being wherever they go. It’s that lack of well-being that
can stunt the well-being of loved ones.
And vice versa. Family problems that cause stress on a De-
partment member not only impact the officer’s wellness, but it can become a safety issue. If officers are suffering stress from issues at home, they may not be as present on the job as they need to be. As we have discussed in this space before, stress can disrupt cognitive functioning such as judgment, impulse con- trol and decision-making.
What we see clinically in the EAP is that problematic behavior in a Department member can be replicated by family members. On a continuum, officers may be withdrawn or aggressive. Ei- ther way, it could set the rules.
The dynamics for a family can become, “We don’t talk about or emotions” or process emotions in a healthy way. It becomes a situation of, “I teach you by example that you act them out.” Or you withdraw all the way to the point where aggressive behavior is acted out.
And when a family member is in distress, he or she may not feel safe in opening up about not being well. Family members may not trust that it will be taken and heard or that they will get what they need.
Again, we see in EAP that children of law enforcement offi- cers can suffer and turn to destructive means of behavior just
like the officer. That could be, for example, experimenting with drugs and alcohol at an early age, which can subsequently lead to drug and alcohol addiction. Or they suffer from depression. Or they get into destructive dating relationships.
But there can also be a reciprocal relationship that creates a positive component of officer wellness. That’s where family members can become a great support system.
If tyou see your Department member struggling or experienc- ing any emotional difficulties, reach out to EAP. The first signs of change in mood and or behavior in a Department member are the time to seek help. (Also, mood changes in family members are a sign.)
Family members should come in and talk to us themselves and let us help them. It’s not about going behind anybody’s back. It’s about getting help for loved ones, especially when they are not capable or willing to do it for themselves at the present time. A support system is very holistic, so it’s very important for family members to understand the behavior or the addiction and what it means.
For example, extra-marital affairs can often be symptoms of an emotional issue that is not being addressed, just like an of- ficer abusing alcohol or drugs or gambling. It’s a way to numb or avoid negative emotions. Frequently, it’s the result of the offi- cer struggling with the vicarious stress on the job. So in order to make yourself feel better, you go for the drug.
How family members can help their officers depends on what’s going on. Sometimes, it takes the form of marital ther- apy. It can take the form of drug and alcohol treatment first. It could be the need for trauma debriefings. If there’s a trauma, the officers can become prisoners to the trauma.
Come in and learn what you need to know to help your spouse through a particular time and what they might need to do for themselves to get through that difficult time. For families, Pro- fessional Counseling offers individual service, marital, family, trauma, substance abuse and support for work-related issues.
In order to make sure family members know about all these services, we have recently added an intranet site for EAP that explains all the services available. EAP is also sending out post- cards addressed to the families of Department member that lists all these services.
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