More support for mental health for St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office includes Peer Support Teams and a cutting edge reintegration program.
People who take an oath to serve and protect can face stressful situations each day. Jailers, dispatchers, and patrol deputies are often dealing with people who are in crisis.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is making mental health for their people a priority.
There are about 40 people who are part of the Peer Support Teams. Landon Cadigan works in dispatch, and is proud to be on the team.
“It helps us reduce burnout, improve our mental wellness, and we can catch problems early before they become bigger issues,” he shared. “Being on the Peer Support Team really gives me an opportunity to give back to the men and women that I work with every single day.”
People can call someone 24/7, and ask to speak to a team member. You could pick someone who’s not in your division, to protect more of your privacy.
Cadigan they also have options like diffusing, which is a brief meeting after a tough call or shift. Then there’s the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, more of a structured meeting with a trained professional.
And something brand new, called reintegration.
“It’s a voluntary structured process that supports a dispatcher or deputy or jailers returned to work following a critical incident or extended leave due to a psychological injury. St. Louis County is one of less than a dozen law enforcement agencies nationwide that have been trained in reintegration by the Edmonton Police Service, who were the ones that created this model,” Cadigan added.
Also, employees go to wellness checks at least once a year, with the option to attend more.
All designed to help support the people who are the helpers, so they can continue to serve the largest county east of the Mississippi.
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