Intervention Services

Providing culturally competent counseling for first responders and public safety personnel is of utmost importance when it comes to understanding the unique stressors associated with these professions. Dr. Roland has been working with public safety employees and their families for over 20 years, and as a result has expertise in working with the specific needs and experiences of this population. Direct, cognitive based approaches are used with a strong emphasis on understanding how physiology impacts psychological functioning, particularly as it relates to the stressors that are everyday componentsof the work of peace officers, firefighters, dispatchers and other personnel working with these first responders. Common reasons for public safety personnel seeking therapy include mood impairment, depression, anxiety,and both acute and long-term stress reactions. Relationship counseling is also a frequent focus of treatment whether it is working with individuals or couples. Family treatment is an option, although dependents/minors are seen in limited circumstances. Organizational issues and stressors are addressed as well, recognizing that working in complex, fast paced and high stress environments present distinctive challenges to individuals. Confidentiality is critical in this work, and we work hard to maintain our client’s confidence in their privacy. In cases where individuals are referred in by supervisors or co-workers, issues of confidentiality are clearly discussed and delineated so that both employees and employers know what information will or will not be disclosed during the course of treatment. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment please contact the office to see if you are a covered entity based on the services delineated in your employer’s contract. Private patients may be accepted, however these are fee based and insurance is not accepted.

A critical incident (CI) is any experience that overwhelms a person and may provoke unusual responses for that individual. It’s important to remember that different things can impact the way people experience events as CI’s, and that what may be impactful for one individual may not be for another. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is one tool that public safety agencies can employ to help personnel, who as a course of their duties, may be impacted by a CI. Critical incidents in public safety work are fairly common and can impact people from first responders to support personnel. Examples of CI’s include traffic collisions with multiple fatalities, a child or baby who has “coded,” a particularly graphic crime scene, an officer involved shooting or a severe child abuse case. While we easily consider first responders in these incidents, it is important to remember that there are multiple individuals who may be impacted by these events beyond the first responders: • Dispatchers and call takers who field the initial and successive calls, and provide updates and on-going communications during incident response. • Evidence technicians or crime scene investigators who must carefully and painstakingly collect and catalog evidence, at times spending extended periods of time on-site where they are exposed to the crime scene. • Community Service Officers who maintain perimeters, handle the public who may be angry. • Records clerk who transcribe dictation about the case and put together comprehensive reports. A critical incident stress debriefing is a group psychoeducational intervention with the goal of reducing the distress associated with a CI. Through group discussion validation of feelings, normalizing of experiences and education about reactions to these events can help individuals better navigate their reactions to the CI. CISD’s are best conducted within 72-96 hours post-incident; however this does not preclude interventions that require more time before they can be conducted. Please contact the office if you would like to know more about these interventions. Prior planning in this case can be very helpful so that WHEN you have an event that can benefit from a CISD, your department and staff are ready to put a plan into action.

Debriefings following an officer involved shooting are, for many agencies, a standard part of the post-incident protocol. It is suggested by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Psychological Services Section (IACP-PPSS) that “Post-shooting and other critical incident interventions should be conducted only by licensed mental health professionals trained and experienced in working with law enforcement personnel and familiar with officer-involved shootings and other critical incidents” (Officer Involved Shooting Guidelines, 2013). Dr. Roland has conducted over 1000 of these debriefings for both individuals and groups and has the expertise to offer culturally competent interventions. The goal of the contact is to reduce the impact of these events, mitigate potential impairment, educate individuals as to the normal reactions and experiences following these incidents, and provide support in returning the employee to work so that they may continue with their careers. An OIS debriefing is a confidential session that is solely for the purpose of the involved employee’s well-being. These are NOT fitness-for-duty evaluations, and feedback about an employee’s status or “clearing them back to work” is not part of the process. Follow-up sessions can be offered as needed. It is important to remember that individuals can have varying reactions to these events, and a post-shooting intervention is tailored to meet the needs of the employee. Services can also be provided for spouses and significant others, as these critical incidents impact families and loved ones as well. The recommendations in the IACP-PPSS OIS Guidelines are followed in this office, and can be found at www.theiacp.org. Please consider using this resource to help plan your agency’s response to an OIS ahead of the occurrence, so that when your personnel need help you are ready to offer them assistance with an efficient and seamless process.