ALEXANDRIA, Ky. (WXIX) – The Northern Kentucky Police Chiefs Association is launching a peer support group to help law enforcement officers with the stress and trauma that comes with the job.

The team will consist of law enforcement officers trained in peer support, critical incident response and crisis intervention, as well as a medical consultant who can refer an officer to medical care if necessary.

“We recognize that police officers are tasked with dealing with challenging and challenging events that can have a negative impact on their personal health,” said Alexandria Police Chief Lucas Cooper, who chairs the chiefs association’s Health and Wellness Committee. “Support from a peer experiencing similar challenges can help provide guidance, advice, and connection to resources.”

The peer support team will provide services for:

• post-traumatic event
• trouble sleeping
• Alcohol or drug addiction
• Anxiety and depression
• life difficulties
• feelings of loneliness
• Other situations and conditions that require peer support

an article, The report, published by Walden University’s Department of Criminal Justice, lists five reasons why police officers’ mental health should be a priority:

1. Police officers report higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
2. More police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty.
3. Productivity is negatively affected by poor mental health.
4. Most law enforcement officers do not seek care for mental health issues.
5. Despite the lack of treatment, mental health problems are common among those working in law enforcement.

The law enforcement suicide rate, which reached a record high of 255 deaths in 2019, has steadily decreased over the past five years. Blue HELPAn organization that compiles a list of first responder suicides and aims to reduce the stigma around mental health.

Despite the decrease in suicide reports, mental health is still a big issue among law enforcement officers as they experience more trauma than ordinary citizens.

“The peer support team aims to create a safe and welcoming environment for police officers to voice their struggles and gain a better understanding of how to overcome them,” Chief Cooper said in a press release.

For more information about the peer support team, call 859-578-2021.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report.

Do you have a photo or video of breaking news? To send us here with a brief explanation.

Copyright 2024 WXIX. All rights reserved.