Police Suicide Awareness

The single most lethal aspect of police work is suicide. Some estimates show that the suicide rate for law enforcement officers is two to three times that of the general public. And three times as many officers kill themselves compared to those killed by criminals in the line of duty. This information-packed course will give you a comprehensive understanding of the police suicide problem and enable you to establish appropriate training programs within your agency. You will also learn about critical incident stress management, post-traumatic stress disorder, other psychological stressors affecting law enforcement. We will identify the symptoms that may indicate when an officer is suicidal along with methods for breaking the “blue wall of silence” and responding with the appropriate help and resources that are needed. And you will learn about developing the appropriate policies and training programs that will allow your agency to take a proactive approach to this terrible problem.

Topics include:
• Historical roots of law enforcement's response to suicide
• Stress in law enforcement
• Identifying the suicidal officer
• How to handle a suicidal officer
• Communications skills for dealing with a suicidal individual
• Developing policies and resources
• Developing pro-active line and management level
   training programs
• Helping co-workers and family members when a suicide does occur
Audience: Sworn and civilian members of law enforcement and corrections agencies, mental health professionals supporting law enforcement, police chaplains, peer support personnel, Crisis Intervention Team members, and hostage negotiators

Crisis Intervention Training Helps Police Understand Mental Illness, by Ms. Avery
http://www.salisburypost.com/article/20131018/SP01/131019613/0/SEARCH&slId=1

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Content copyright 2013. All rights reserved, NSF.

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