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Kevin J. McCarthy, Ph.D. Penelope W. Dralle, Ph.D. Wayne Greenleaf, Ph.D.
Louisiana State University Medical Center at New Orleans, Louisiana
Within the State of Louisiana law enforcement personnel traditionally have been plagued by multiple limitations which add to the stress commonly associated with law enforcement work. These factors include low pay, limited training resources and spiraling crime rates in both urban and rural geographic regions. Until recently these officers were largely left to their own resources in coping with the effects of stress both on and off the job. Frequently this resulted in impaired performance on the job and contributed to the disintegration of the family, often resulting in divorce, alcoholism and an increased risk of suicide.
With the development of a specialized program of services, which has included a unique approach to providing volunteer emergency on-site response teams, approximately 8,000 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel and their family members are currently eligible to receive services at no cost to either the individual or agency.
Adapting the Mitchell Model of Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), program personnel have trained a core membership of 100 law enforcement personnel and mental health professionals who provide services statewide to officers requesting assistance. The program was expanded from a nine parish critical incident trauma response program to encompass the State of Louisiana with the assistance of a grant from the National Institute of Justice.
As a separate, but equally important component, the program developed a second track of services for families of law enforcement personnel. These teams received specialized training developed in conjunction with Louisiana State University, School of Medicine in New Orleans. The Family Support Teams offer services throughout the state focusing upon family problems which may be associated with a career in law enforcement.
In the course of the last two years, over 1,000 individuals have received services through the Louisiana Law Enforcement Family Support Program (LLEFSP): The first statewide program providing these services. Additionally, other services which have been developed include law enforcement specific twelve step meetings, stress inoculation training for police recruits and their families, and stress management programs for law enforcement managers and command staff. We recognize that the impact of crime also extends to those who have been charged with the responsibility for ensuring public safety and their families.
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