Armor Up! A Weekly Series

CEO Joseph Hunter, M.A. - Cycles of Change

Safe Call Now was off to Palmdale, CA this week to visit with Cycles of Change and met with an incredible staff.  What struck me immediately was their CEO Joseph Hunter, M.A. and his view on life, how he prepares his staff and how that translates to providing the most outstanding services to our first responders and their family members.  What really sets them apart is their ability to focus on healing the entire family and not just the impacted client.  He’s right, if the whole system isn’t treated it will break down again.  Their unique multiple modalities of treatment demonstrates to me that they’re not a “one size fits all” type of therapy and that the individual is truly placed first.  Clinical staff relates to clients on a “human” level which is a special gift in this arena.  They have dedicated facilities specific for first responders in California and have an office in Las Vegas as well.

Cycles of Change in conjunction with Safe Call Now offers a "FREE FAMILY PROGRAM" for first responders as well. Stress. Anxiety. Fear. Helplessness. Anger. Combine these emotions with mounting expenses related to property damage, legal trouble and hospital bills, and it’s easy to understand why family members often begin to feel hostile or resentful toward their loved ones.

“We believe that the family suffers just as much as the person that is affected. One of the things that sets us apart is that we are very family focused – we concentrate on getting the whole entire family to recover".

For more information call Darcy Yurek at: 661-902-8005 or email her at dyurek@cocrehab.com

Safe Call Now also launched in Partnership with Rosecrance its “Teen Program” this week.  This is a gap in the healthcare system that’s been overlooked for far too long.  Let's get honest after recent events, sometimes our children struggle. Whether it be with anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse or complex issues they can suffer just like the rest of us. They don't have to as we have a program specifically designed for their needs ages 13-20. Our children deserve this help. For more info and immediate help call:

Lisa Primm at 815-529-3907 or email her at lprimm@roscrance.org
 
Safe Call Now officially accepted and is #honored to be presenting at the Annual NAWLEE (National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives) Conference and LAWPOA Symposium in Los Angeles, CA on August 3^rd, 2018 to the finest members of the international law enforcement community. 

Off to Topeka, Kansas to Keynote at the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association Conference

#ArmorUp

I'm Alive Because I Made One Phone Call...

By Kevin Hagen

You could say my story with my mental illness began several years ago (maybe 15?), but I chose to ignore the signs and figured it was just me. I was bullied in high school and that had an impact on my self-esteem as I was growing up and even in my adult years. I was married for 20 years and for most of those years I was told what a bad person I was and that I was not a very good man. After hearing such things for that long, I started to believe them! I have had tragedies in my life like most people, and some that affected me for many years, like the death of my mother. I believed that I was not worthy of being happy and that I was meant to just be that way so I should live with it. I managed to struggle through life like that for most of my adult life.

My job as a police officer added to the issues I already had. I have seen some very terrible things in my career, and some of them stick with me no matter how hard I tried to forget them. Because I chose to ignore my problems, they just got bigger and bigger: the 800 pound gorilla in the room, if you will. I managed to stuff my feelings and tell myself, “Hey, this is what I deserve, so I just gotta suck it up.” I ended up getting divorced, and I figured that was the answer to all of my problems. Obviously it was not. I went from bad relationship to bad relationship, always finding women that needed help; that way I could be the hero and fix things for them. It never worked that way. I just ended up taking on more and more problems, more and more debt, and finally I could not find happiness in anything, but I figured that is what I deserved.

I felt I had successfully stuffed my problems, but then all of the sudden, I was not ever happy. I lost interest in most things I enjoy; I ignored my children who I only see every other weekend; I pushed my friends away and just isolated myself in my home. 
One night everything came to a head. The hopelessness overwhelmed me. The nightmares came every night, so I was scared to go to sleep some nights. All I could see in front of me was a black wall, and in my mind it was all hopeless and I was lost.

Peer Support & Vicarious Traumatization

By Sgt. Christopher Scallon - Institute for Responder Wellness

Originally posted 5/23/16 on the International Association of Chief’s of Police blog 

Law enforcement has found itself adrift within the “perfect storm” of public mistrust, increasingly violent encounters, and the one-dimensional social media soapbox. The struggle to maintain our bearing, for the purposes of establishing some semblance of order and trust amidst such disdain is taking its toll. The vast majority of law enforcement professionals are just that…professional. It is because of these professionals that I am honored to be a part of an internal system tasked with addressing the inherent exposure to trauma by officers experienced on all fronts; peer support.

As a trauma survivor of a deadly force encounter, I can attest to the need for peer support. At the time, no formalized peer support unit existed for me to utilize. However, friends and a strong wife (also in law enforcement) helped me to find my way again. It was during my shooting review board that a respected supervisor pulled me aside and assured me that I would recover and I would eventually use my personal experience to help others.

Challenge Accepted!!! 
The next few years were dedicated to obtaining the academic qualifications, certifications, and revisiting my experiences with the new eyes of a trauma-informed professional. I became a peer for several non-profit organizations and reached out to anyone I knew was involved in a critical incident. Unfortunately, my greatest opposition to providing help was the stigma associated with asking for it. It was clear, I needed to become a champion for change by sharing my uncensored experiences. I requested to teach a block of instruction for all new recruits titled, “Survival Mindset: Preparing for and Learning to Survive Trauma.” Pleasantly surprised, I was met with an overwhelming interest and acceptance of the concepts. A single class evolved into a sought-after presentation to surrounding police academies, and eventually around the country.

Fire Services Psychology Association

Fire Services Psychology Association

Education, Research, and Service

The transformative educational and treatment experiences at The Fire Service Psychology Association are designed to help firefighters grow both in and out of the job. Our focus is to empower mental health clinicians to understand the unique needs of firefighters and their families and provide direct trainings and services to departments. Founded in 2017, The Fire Service Psychology Association is located in Southern California and offers services to departments, families, and individuals. We are dedicated to empowering the fire service through advancing the field of psychology through research. Whether you are a mental health clinician, fire department leader, or someone looking for services, we welcome you. Join us!

The Fire Service Psychology Association provides an innovative approach to supporting the behavioral health of fire service members. We believe through effective education and intervention, we can develop and maintain psychological health for years to come. Founded in 2017, our organization is located in Southern California although we offer services to fire department members across the country.  Our staff is comprised of members specifically trained to treat fire service members.  Are you ready to learn more? Contact us at (626) 765-4951.

The Hidden Dangers of Working Sex Crimes

By Safe Call Now's Dr. Laura Brodie

Working sex crimes is a necessity to protect the innocent and vulnerable.  The sexual crimes of human trafficking, child pornography, prostitution and child molestation are crimes that devastate victim’s lives and destroy trust. Individuals working these crimes do so in order attempt to stop the devastation.  However, there has been little attention given to the psychological damage that can be created by performing these investigations.

The human brain was not designed to undergo the trauma of a sexual crime.  Looking at images, listening to victims and interrogating perpetrators of these offenses leave marks on the psyche that are somewhat subtle at first, but can develop into psychological difficulties that are more profound. There Is a phenomena of secondary trauma that can occur where the investigator develops symptoms similar to the victim.  A development of the feelings that the world is not safe creates fear, which may manifest itself in anxiety, depression, isolation or numbness as a reaction to the atrocities the officer has to endure in the course of an investigation.

We as humans are relational beings and intimacy is part of our psychological make up.  When someone is exposed to the perversion of intimacy it can result in changes in their own relationships, anywhere from repulsion of intimacy itself to believing everyone is sexually disturbed and it’s just a matter of time before it occurs.  The violation of something so private as feelings regarding relationships is tragic. Wanting to help others and save victims turns the helper into another victim of the perversion. 

Few if any departments recognize the toll sex crimes plays on the ones doing the investigations.  There is little if any down time between cases and debriefing is not a thought. The accumulation of numerous accounts of these types of crimes can result in a build–up of trauma and numbness to others develops as a self-protection mechanism.  The problem with this numbing is that it is not under conscious control and not only happens on the job but carries over to personal relationships.  There is rarely a discussion how the job affects the home life of law enforcers in general, let alone what sex crime work does to the private lives of the investigators. 

Investigators need to protect what they have at home because that is who will be there at the end of the day.