Shamokin Dam Police Chief Timothy Bremigen is happy that his #officers will have a chance to go through #mentalhealthtraining through the Police Peer Support Program.
- Robert Inglis/The Daily Item
Robert Inglis/The Daily Item Scott Rood, a Mount Pleasant Mills resident and a East Pennsboro #police sergeant who has served as a peer for 12 years, talks with Snyder County emergency personnel about the #Police Peer Support Program.
Govan Martin, a retired state #policeofficer and consultant at Access, talks with Snyder County #emergencyresponders about the #Police Peer Support Program.
Chrystal McCorkel, program manager at Access Employee Assistance Program, talks about the #Police Peer Support Program.
When a lone gunman shot 10 young girls, killing five, inside an Amish one-room schoolhouse in Lancaster County on Oct. 2, 2006, before killing himself, a group of trained #police peers was ready to help their colleagues who responded to the traumatic scene.
“Every trooper that responded to that scene was contacted and we’ve followed up with them on anniversaries,” said Govan Martin, a retired state #policeofficer who has been working with Access Employee Assistance Program providing peer support to #officers for several years.
The #NationalAllianceonMentalHealth reported that one in four #policeofficers had #suicidalthoughts in 2019 and more #officers die by #suicide than on the job. The fear among many #officers, according to the #American #PoliceOfficers Alliance, is that they will not be able to perform their work duties if they are deemed mentally unhealthy.
Raising awareness of the #mentalhealth of #policeofficers has been an increasing issue nationwide in recent years, but the #Police Peer Support Program has been assisting Harrisburg-area law enforcement and their relatives for more than 25 years, providing an understanding and compassionate ear or a professional referral to help them cope with job and family stresses, substance dependency, burnout and other #mentalhealthissues.
Now the program is available to #firstresponders in Snyder and Union counties.
At the suggestion of Shamokin Dam #Police Chief Timothy Bremigen, Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch began looking for peer support services to help Valley officers work through issues ranging from #divorce to #alcoholism to #depression.
He found grants were available through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and applied.
Late last year, Snyder County was among 65 recipients nationwide that received a portion of $7 million in grants. The two-year, $109,000 grant awarded to the county was only one of two in Pennsylvania, along with the city of Philadelphia.
“I hope the program saves lives,” said Bremigen, a 27-year career #officer.
Scott Rood, an East Pennsboro Township #Police sergeant, has served as a peer in the Harrisburg area for 12 years and said he’s witnessed the program’s effectiveness in keeping #officers connected, healthy and on the job.
“Most cops only live about five years past retirement due to the #stress,” he said, adding that stresses facing law enforcement also affect spouses and #children.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
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The peer program is designed to address those issues by providing assistance to the entire family. Rood said there’s been an increased understanding about #mentalhealth, not only of offenders, but the #firstresponders who handle emergencies often involving them.
“In the past, we’ve had a lot of #officers who did destructive things that ended their careers,” said Rood, a Mount Pleasant Mills resident. “Twenty years ago it was normal after your shift to go to the bar. Now, it’s more normal to talk about the crash you went to where a #kid has died.”
He recalled one incident involving an EMT responding to a report of a man who had injured his arm. The injury was much more gruesome and serious than expected, Rood said, and about a week later the EMT required medical assistance due to suicidal thoughts stemming from the incident.
Had the program been available to that #firstresponder, he said, the need for medical intervention may have been avoided.
By providing a confidential service where law enforcement can talk about the issues they face, the work or home-life stresses that burden them or get referrals for professional help, Rood said, many are able to address problems before they spiral out of control.
He and 10 other peers from eight participating departments in the Harrisburg area had 392 contacts with #officers and their families in the past six months.
An October 2020 survey study of 434 #policeofficers working in major U.S. cities by JAMA Network Open, a monthly medical journal published by the #AmericanMedicalAssociation, found that 12 percent had a lifetime #mentalhealthdiagnosis and 26 percent reported current symptoms of #mentalillness. Only 17 percent had sought #mentalhealthcareservices in the past year, but #officers said they would be more likely to get help with assurances of confidentiality.
#Rural #officers face similar difficulties, Rood said, because they are often more isolated and working shifts on their own.
“When I show up on a call, there are usually three to four other guys on the same call,” he said. “Here, in a small community, it’s usually just” one #officer.
That’s why it’s important to have an opportunity to speak confidentially with someone who has a similar work background and experience, Rood said.
“The biggest barrier is finding people they trust and know it won’t hurt their career,” said Piecuch on why he favors the peer program offered through Access which provides trained peers from in and outside a department’s jurisdiction. “They can speak with a peer they know or a peer they don’t know.”
Alec Persun, a Central Susquehanna Regional 911 Center dispatcher, is interested in training to be a peer.
“#Mentalhealth has become a big issue, especially during #COVID,” he said. “During eight hours in the 911 Center you hear a lot of crazy calls and you can’t always leave it at work. I think it will be useful to have people who have done the job to be available.”
Piecuch said he’d like to eventually expand the program to include peer training for fire and EMS #firstresponders in the Valley.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
