A heartfelt letter to the Sydney Morning Herald from the mother of a proud Police Officer suffering from PTSD Injured officers need more support to exit police force My son has worked as a police officer for 23 years (Experts warn pressures on frontline police a mental health risk, November 18). He is now embarking on the convoluted and confusing process of medically exiting the NSW Police Force. He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the symptoms of which render him the person least qualified to manage the process. To be fair, each of the many separate bodies with a stake in the process appears committed to managing their part in it to the best of their ability. The problem emerges from the fact that it is the patient who co-ordinates the process. A man who only knows policing, and who is suffering from high levels of stress and anxiety, unable to concentrate, with a severely impaired memory, is now required to learn and manage the intricacies of human resources, workcover, insurance claims, doctors, salaries, income protection, psychologists and psychiatrists to name a few. The net result is a significant increase in his stress levels while limiting the efficiency of the process. The NSW Police Force and other police forces should adopt the Australia Defence Force model in which a case manager is appointed to manage this daunting process from beginning to end, allowing the patient to concentrate on recovering some quality of life. Megan Maxwell Wollongong To see the original letter, please go the following link and scroll down the page. smh.au/comment/smh-letters/turnbull-has-a-strange-way-of-making-savings-20141119-11pouv.html#ixzz3JlJLkPiP
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 02:53:40 +0000