Police Stress Program Essay, Research Paper

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Davison Area Police Stress Evaluation And Referral Service (S.E.A.R.S) is to provide officers and employees of the Davison, Davison Township, and Richfield Township Police Departments the opportunity to share stress related issues with a peer supporter, for the peer supporter to evaluate the employee s stress related issue, and finally for the employee to be referred, by the peer supporter, to an outside source that will best assist the officer or employee in dealing with his or her stress related issue.GOALS AND OBJECTIVESThe goals and objectives of the S.E.A.R.S. program are as follows:+ To improve or maintain officer and employee levels of professionalism and productivity.+ To reduce the departments rates of absenteeism, disability leave, turn over and citizen complaints.+ To reduce the number of divorces among officers and employees.+ To improve the departments morale.+ To provide stress management training each year to all officers and employees.+ To provide a family workshop on stress management each year.BUDGET The S.E.A.R.S. program will operate on a $6000.00 annual budget. The program is able to operate on such a minimal annual budget for many reasons. Chief among these reasons are part-time/on-call personnel staff the program, the program is utilized only on an as needed basis, the number of officers/employees who will utilize the program is relatively small and the use of existing office or building space at no cost. The following table illustrates the program s operating budget for one year.Part Time Counselor (Clergy) .. ..$1000.00Part Time Counselor (Retired Officer) .. $1000.00-$2000.00Telephone Line .. $600.00Answering Service .. ..$1200.00Cellular Telephone and Pager ..$900.00Miscellaneous Office Supplies .. .$1000.00Use of Building or Church . .No CostFUNDING Funding for the S.E.A.R.S. program will remain within the Davison Community. All funds supporting the program will come internally, from the participating departments, and from Davison Area churches, merchants and businesses. Additional funding may also be received from individuals in the community who wish to help support the program. The churches, merchants and businesses of the Davison Area have a long history of supporting the Davison Area Police Departments. A prime example of this is the annual Police Appreciation Day sponsored each year by the Davison Full Gospel Church. Each September, the Davison Full Gospel Church treats the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments to a day of food and fellowship. In addition to the food and fellowship, the church also makes arrangements with local merchants and businesses to provide door prizes that are awarded to the officers and employees. The following table breaks down the program s annual funding and its sources.Departmental Backing . …$1000.00 per department . ..$3000.00Area Churches . ..$2000.00Community Merchants and Businesses .. $1000.00DEFINITION OF OFFERINGS The S.E.A.R.S. program will concentrate on, but not limit itself, to assisting officers and employees with the following stress related issues:+ Critical Incident Evaluations+ Substance Abuse Problems+ Social Problem Issues+ Physical/Mental Health Problems+ Financial Constraint Issues It should be emphasized that, while the program will concentrate on the aforementioned issues, the program will assist any officer or employee with any stress related issue he or she brings forward to the program s staff.STATEMENT FROM DEPARTMENTS The S.E.A.R.S. program will collect a letter of agreement from each of the participating departments. This letter of agreement will protect officers and employees who utilize the program, either through Command Referrals or through Walk In Referrals, from any repercussions arising from his or her participation in the program. This letter of agreement will also protect the officer s or employee s right to confidentiality, while participating in the program. Finally, this letter of agreement will guarantee an officer s or employee s participation in the program s referred treatment, if he or she was the subject of a Command Referral.ADMINISTRATIONThe S.E.A.R.S program will be administered in the following manner:+ An initial report will be collected, by the peer supporter from the officer or employee and evaluated for proper response.+ The peer supporter will forward the initial report, along with the officer or employee, through the referral process.+ The peer supporter will conduct a follow up visit to insure that the officer or employee has participated in the referred treatment or to ascertain why the officer or employee did not participate in the referred treatment.+ The peer supporter will follow up on the officer s or employee s behalf, if he or she did not participate in the referred treatment.STAFF PROFILE The S.E.A.R.S. program is staffed and run by a retired police officer from one of the Davison Area Police Departments. The program will also maintain a group of volunteer clergy, who can be called upon, should the need arise. There are several logistical and financial advantages to a retired police officer from one of the Davison Area Police Departments staffing and running the program. These advantages include but are not limited to:+ The individual s life and work experience.+ The individual s increased availability, due to flexible schedule.+ The individual s familiarity with the departments and their personnel.+ The individual s familiarity with the community.+ The individual s personal interest in the departments and the community.+ The individual s established resources and contacts.+ The individual s lack of dependence on full time employment and benefits package, due to pension and benefits package from retirement.LAW ENFORCEMENT REACTION Law enforcement reaction to the S.E.A.R.S. program was obtained through the use of a seven-question questionnaire, which was distributed, for return, to all officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Officers and employees were given ample space, following each question, to elaborate their responses. The first question posed to officers and employees asked if they would be in favor of the program. Seventy-one percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaire, said they would be in favor of the program. Comments that were expressed dealt with difficulty in getting the three agencies to participate, concerns that the program would not be needed if officers and employees utilized established bonds between each other, concerns about the amount of input supervision and management would have into the program, and concerns about information being held or used against officers and employees. The second question posed to officers and employees asked if they believed the program would be of particular benefit to the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Seventy-one percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaires, said the program would be of particular benefit to the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Comments that were expressed dealt with officer s and employee s willingness to participate in the program freely in openly, the program being beneficial only in limited use, legal concerns regarding confidentiality, concerns regarding the training of the peer supporter, concerns that the peer supporter might overstep his or her role of evaluator and attempt treatment, concerns regarding the departments use of the program against officers and employees, and concerns regarding the competence of management and supervision.

The third question posed to officers and employees asked if there were services they felt should be included in or would be particularly beneficial to the program. Responses included critical incident debriefing and management, substance abuse counseling, healthy living options (e.g. sleep, exercise and diet), marriage/relationship counseling, inter-department conflict resolution, and job related stress. The fourth question posed to officers and employees asked if there were services they felt should not be included in or would not be particularly beneficial to the program. Responses included any service that could be used against an officer or employee, the exclusion of no service as long as an officer or employee is seeking help and a question of whether or not any area or problem could be considered sacred and not included. The fifth question posed to officers and employees asked if he or she would participate in the program. Fifty-seven percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaires, said they would participate in the program. Comments that were expressed dealt with seeking counsel through a licensed psychologist, concerns about confidentiality, a willingness to participate if resolution could not be reached utilizing existing peer bonds, a willingness to participate if there were no personal conflict with the peer supporter, a willingness to participate provided the program s integrity regarding confidentiality were high, and a willingness to participate provided an alternate peer supporter were available, in the case of personal conflict. The sixth question posed to officers and employees asked if they would encourage fellow officers and employees to participate in the program. Seventy-one percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaires, said they would encourage fellow officers and employees to participate in the program. Comments that were expressed dealt with a willingness to encourage fellow officers or employees to participate if an issue cannot be resolved utilizing existing peer bonds, encouraging police employees to seek counsel from a licensed psychologist who is familiar with police employees and their work environment, fear of repercussions from management and supervision, and fear that the only employees who will benefit from the program are those who side with or favor management and supervision. It should be noted that one police chief, who commented that he would not personally participate in program, commented that he would encourage his officers and employees to participate in the program. The seventh and final question that was posed to officers and employees asked if they would be willing to allocate or provide monies to financially assist the program s funding. Fifty-seven percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaires, said they would be willing to allocate or provide monies to financially assist the program s funding. Comments expressed dealt with a willingness to allocate or provide monies provided the program were beneficial to several employees, the belief that all of the departments should provide funding for the program and the belief that the program would be of value to all of the departments.COMMUNITY REACTION Community reaction to the S.E.A.R.S. program was obtained through the use of a six-question questionnaire, which was distributed, for return, to members of the Davison Area community. Community members were provided ample space, following each question, to elaborate their responses. The first question posed to community members asked if they would be in favor of the program. Sixty-seven percent of those community members who returned their questionnaires said that they would be favor of the program. Comments that were expressed dealt with the fact that a peer supporter be familiar with the officers and employees, the fact that a peer supporter would know best who to assist officers and employees, concern that a peer supporter would the ability to assist only with minor non-work related issues, and concerns that a peer supporter may feel an obligation to notify management or supervision of any serious problems that are presented to him or her. The second question posed to community members asked if they believed the program would be particularly beneficial to the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Sixty-seven percent of those community members who returned their questionnaires said the program would be particularly beneficial to the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Comments that were expressed dealt with the fact that a peer supporter is likely to be more compassionate concerning the issues that officers and employees might be dealing with, and with concerns that a peer supporter is likely too close to the officers and employees to offer unbiased opinions or assistance. The third question posed to community members asked if there were services that they felt should be included in or would be particularly beneficial to the program. Responses included family counseling services, substance abuse services, depression coping, and the fact that confidentiality must be stressed. The third question posed to community members asked if there services they felt should not be included in or would not be particularly beneficial to the program. Responses included a belief that no services that are beneficial to the officers and employees should be excluded from the program, and a belief that only professionals should address substance abuse issues. The fifth question that was posed to community members asked if they would encourage officers and employees to participate in the program. Sixty-seven percent of the community members who returned their questionnaires said they would encourage officers and employees to participate in the program. Comments expressed dealt with a belief that officers and employees should seek out any and all assistance that is available to them, and concerns regarding confidentiality. The sixth and final question that was posed to community members asked if they would be willing to allocate or provide monies to financially assist the program s funding. Sixty-seven percent of the community members who returned their questionnaires said they would be willing to allocate or provide monies to financially assist the program s funding.EVALUATION The S.E.A.R.S. program is evaluated through the use of an eight-question evaluation form, which is completed by an officer or employee, after he or she has participated in the program. The program s goal is to provide the officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments with the best possible services and the use of this evaluation form is crucial to achieving that goal. Officers and employees are provided ample space, after each question on the evaluation form, to elaborate their responses. The program s evaluation form includes the following questions:+ Do you feel you were treated in a respectful manner? + Do you feel that the program helped you? + Would you refer us to another officer or employee? + Do you feel that the agency you were referred to helped you? + Do you feel the peer supporter identified with your problem? + Did the peer supporter make effective use of available time?+ Did you feel comfortable, while you were at S.E.A.R.S.?+ What could have been done to better serve you?

332