Size up: What EA professionals should know before working with first responders

Abstract

Law enforcement has always been one of the more stressful occupations in our society that is even more true today with COVID-19 and recent social unrest. It is not surprising that the rates of divorce, substance abuse, Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD and suicide are far higher in law enforcement than in the civilian population. This session will focus on learning successful strategies to engage rank and file officers in services to support their mental health needs. In addition, it will focus on specific skills to increase EAP consultation to command staff regarding training, critical incident response and other organizational issues. This panel is composed of a police officer, an expert EA Professional who works with law enforcement and a family member of a police family. These different backgrounds and orientations each offer their unique perspective with the main objective to enhance EAP services to meet the needs of the men and women who protect and serve our communities.