THE VALUE OF THE RETIREE There must be an investment in the welfare of retirees as well as active duty officers, including mental health presentations. There are a variety of ways this can be done--through the department, the union, benevolent associations, clubs, etc. There is no reason we can think of that departments should be unwilling to share their mental health/suicide prevention programs and information with retirees (so that they can then share them with one another). The great advantage of using Retirees for academy and squad presentations on suicide prevention and mental health is that they are unhindered by peer pressure and the Code. They dont face the problem described by one academy instructor who said he was reluctant to really share of himself and his most helpful (i.e., vulnerable) experiences out of fear he might be working some day with members of the audience. Beyond the mere telling of stories, it is our experience that the retiree has immeasurable value because, after preparation, he/she can talk about what police work really is and explain trauma at a level that active officers are reluctant to do. The retiree is no longer part of the system. The retiree talks with one goal in mind--the best interest of his audience, be it one or many. PEER SUPPORT AND POLICE RETIREES: Additionally, if a department has a peer support officer program in effect, it seems only logical and of minimal expense to also share that program’s criteria so that retiree organizations can establish a “contact system” or “telephone tree” by which word can be passed or contacts made in the event a retiree is in distress or knows of one to whom aid might be given. Police retirees--a forgotten treasure. Retired Police lives Matter
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 03:28:22 +0000
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