|
THE ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH CHECK
The “ANNUAL MENTAL HEALTH CHECK” "Suicide Prevention" is important, but it's only one half of the formula. It can never be enough that we sit and wait until officers are in crisis or are suicidal before we act. We have to do something before they get there!
"Ask for help when you need it" is great if we have nothing else. But it has to be, "Know yourself and be ready for trouble before it happens."
This is where Emotional Self-Care (EST) training is vital. It is the "second part of the formula" needed to finally begin reducing suicides. Perhaps the most important component of that is the "annual mental health check," which officers can do whether their departments support it or not.
What is the annual mental health check?
First, it's voluntary. Simply put, this is an annual process in which we suggest an officer visit a licensed therapist once a year for at least one visit as a “checkup,” in the same way one visits a doctor for an annual physical or a dentist for a cleaning and check for cavities and other problems.
This is where it happens—emotional health is not a classroom exercise.
Sound uncomfortable? Make you squirm? Relax, and just think about it. Your career is one of the most toxic, dangerous, violent and traumatic in the world. You deal with “unhealth” on the streets every day and night, then go home and try to lead a healthy home life. You are dealing with stress, yes—but more importantly, you are dealing with TRAUMA on a continuum. While each traumatic incident may not disable you or give you PTSD, you are dealing with it nonetheless, year after year, decade after decade.
Does it wear at you? Yes. Is there a reason they believe police retiree suicides are higher than active officers? Yes. This is how you can keep it from happening to you.
The idea behind the annual mental health check is not that “something is wrong.” Something may or may not be bothering you, but the emphasis is on doing it, regardless. The goal is to accomplish a number of things:
1. Bring up issues that are currently bothering you. How are things going?
2. Explore the past year in general and look for areas of concern or in which you might wish to make changes.
3. Examine your coping and resiliency skills during stressful and traumatic events. What are your coping mechanisms? Are they healthy? How might you improve on them?
4. How are things at home?
5. Set goals for the next year.
This is voluntary. You don't have to go. You don't have to see the dentist, either--ever. You can let your teeth rot and "gum it" the rest of your life.
If any department tries to mandate a mental health check program, we guarantee it will fail.
But bear in mind, also, that a clear and healthy mind, over the rest of your career, can save your life on the streets. What you don't take care of today may lodge in your subconscious and make the difference of a few seconds five years from now. It happens.
It may also mix with the screams from last month and the spitter from next Labor Day and the dead kid at the lake two years ago and the wreck you were off duty and leave you wondering why you're arguing with your spouse more, lately.
That happens, too. Why wait until it does. Why not keep up with it while it plays out? It's not like you need someone's permission.
An annual mental health check is not an elaborate process. What you make of it is entirely up to you. You may wish to start with your local employee assistance program and then move on to a private therapist or you may wish to begin with a private therapist.
Why would I go to a private therapist? Some officers prefer a private therapist because they are more concerned about confidentiality. Other officers may have become acquainted with a therapist already. Most contracted employee assistance (EAP) programs do assure confidentiality, including from the department, and can outline those levels to the employee. Unfortunately, under their contracts, the number of visits are usually limited.
Wouldn’t I have to pay for a private therapist? Yes. If you don't trust anything related to the department and it then becomes a matter of going or not going, you should be willing to pay (generally a co-pay on your insurance). The salary of most police officers can handle the co-pay, and the mental health return beats the alternatives.
"Mandating visits" doesn't work. There's no sense in sending an officer in on a mandatory visit, regardless of what assurances you give him, and expect him to reap the kind of benefits desired. The Mental Health Checks are for the officer--not the department. They can only be encouraged, not forced. How they are encouraged, however, is a matter of effective training and leadership from the top.
Number of visits. As with a physical or dental exam, you may find two or more visits desirable. Again, these are confidential visits, and the goal is emotional survival. Like our physical conditioning, our health and our teeth, if we ignore our emotional well being and strengths in facing up to the toxic environment in which we work, we will suffer the consequences.
How do I select a therapist? First, don't sit around waiting until you can find a "cop doc." If you're lucky enough to find one, do make make sure they're the right one for you. Having been a cop may make the difference--or it may not make them the right therapist for you. Comfort, listening and interactive skills and expertise are the most important considerations. Make sure they have more than war stories to tell--that they are well versed in PTSD and are licensed by the state. Anne Bisek's "How to Select a Therapist", while intended for officers needing help, contains excellent criteria to consider in picking a good therapist, qualifications, confidentiality, etc.
We encourage you to take advantage of tools like the mental health check because they will save your relationships, your career, your happiness and your retirement. We urge you to utilize it whether your department endorses and pays for it or not. It’s your health. If you’re sick, your chief won’t be there to feed you chicken noodle soup. No will the chief be there as you struggle with the dreams and anxieties at night.
RESILIENCE
Every cadet, every police officer has a certain amount of resiliency, or they wouldn't have made it as far as they have. Resilience is, simply put, the "ability to bounce back." Resilience is an individual thing and not a classroom exercise. There are no simple "formula's" that can be put on a chalkboard or powerpoint. Its development is reliant on the officer's personal history and strengths. The development of this characteristic, however, is the key to preparing officers for the challenges ahead--the stressors and the trauma.
Instead of merely saying, "I made it," the past year's experiences are an opportunity to build and grow--and enhance one's resiliency. There is no better way of ensuring a solid defense against PTSD, or providing an officer the means of recognizing instantly when he is facing its potential. We have identified the following elements as crucial to the development of one's resilience:
The development of resiliency in a career officer becomes really exciting when the individual goes beyond these suggestions and begins to develop an individual list of characteristics unique to that one individual. That's why resiliency development is a therapy and not a classroom exercise!
As a tool for the law enforcement officer, it is as valuable as one’s ability to pump iron and one's prowess on the range. Instead of in the gym, however, it's done with a counselor.
CRITICAL VS CUMULATIVE PTSD
"Stress" and "Trauma" are not the same things. Stress "happens," every day, to everyone. It happens more to cops. But trauma "happens to you." It's a big deal--far more than stress.
Critical Incidents are like Mack trucks--the big, catastrophic events that can cause posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among police officers and can lead to suicide. Departments with programs spot critical incidents right away: the shootouts, the loss of a partner, the death of a child. All systems are “Go.” Debriefings are held. Referrals to professionals are made when appropriate. Prompt action can greatly minimize, if not eliminate, the impacts of PTSD.
Make no mistake—cumulative PTSD is deadly. And for every police suicide, there are a thousand more officers still working and suffering from cumulative trauma. Departments suffer from them as well--through increased sick leave, citizens’ complaints, lawsuits and personnel actions.
Some of these are happening on departments with good suicide prevention programs. If everyone knows the standard list of "warning signs" to look for, why are they slipping under the radar? Why were they really missed? Was the officer that good at maintaining a facade? (think a moment--we train them to maintain facades!).
Are some merely putting on selective blinders to protect themselves and sending the widows away without support? This is the case far too often.
To view our police mental health training curriculum, go to. Emotional Self-Care Training for Police Officers 
|
|
The Badge of Life is an IRS Approved 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization and all donations are tax deductible. All services and materials provided by the Badge of Life are free of charge. The entire content of this website is copyrighted. All photographs are copyrighted to the photographers noted. For permissions on the written content of this website, contact us at Badge of Life. HOME | ABOUT US | SUICIDES | PROGRAMS | FAQS | | RESOURCES | LINKS CONTACT ___________________________________________________
|
||