When a line of duty death occurs in an agency, all eyes are on the chief to lead the agency and the family through the tragedy.  This is easily the most challenging thing any chief could face.  There are many moving pieces of the response.  This training will provide a high level overview of what every chief and command officer needs to know from an administrator's perspective about supporting the family, planning a law enforcement funeral, supporting the co-workers, social media, fundraising, benefits, trial support, follow-up, and memorials.  The session will also talk about the self-care needed for the commanders following this challenging event.

Drawn from his many years of experience with officer-involved shootings, line-of-duty deaths, and 'everyday traumas', Dr. McDougall engages the audience in discussions and debates regarding incidents that can cause cumulative trauma and complex PTSD.  Videos of clinical interviews with officers will take the audience inside the clinician's office to experience the numerous ways in which officer's lives are impacted by cumulative trauma.  Unlike PTSD, cumulative trauma can be more covert but can often be the primary factor behind officer burnout, substance abuse, depression, and even suicide.  Suggested guidelines and procedures for smaller agencies will be a primary area of focus for this presentation.

Our profession has taken great steps forward in coming to terms with the fact that self-destructive behaviors, including suicide, are a real issue facing our personnel that cannot be ignored.  When we know there is such a condition, working towards early interventions becomes the goal.  Early Warning Systems (EWS) are becoming more common in police organizations, and in some areas they are mandated.  This program identifies ways to expand upon the concept of an EWS to include considerations that address the whole officer, in addition to the standard process of identifying behaviors & numbers of occurrences.  A more holistic approach provides opportunities to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate underlying conditions that could lead to EWS flags.

Police work takes its toll on the mind, body, and spirit, causing overuse of sick time, injuries, and mistakes.  Just as we maintain our equipment or vehicle fleet, diligence mast be applied in leading and maintaining our force.  Join the efforts to shift stigma on self-care and wellness to culture where resiliency building is a part of everyday work. Hear from a Deputy Chief, a Commanding Officer, and Police Psychologists in how they have partnered together to implement intentional excitement around wellness in a high crime, impoverished area. Don't reinvent the wheel; learn from our successes and mistakes! Take away hard-earned tools and strategies you can implement as a leader in your agency to promote the resiliency of your personnel.