Public Safety Trauma Response (PSTR)
An Examination of the Peer Support Programs Available to NYPD Officers
Policing is by nature a violent, high-stress job that can traumatize even those trained to do this work. Yet police rarely seek help because they fear they may not be understood by mental health professionals or will pay a professional price for admitting they have a problem. Getting help "is considered to be a guaranteed way of losing one's gun and shield," said one New York City police officer we interviewed, "which would be like taking golf clubs away from Tiger Woods.”
Peer support, where trained peers offer one another assistance, may be a safe and effective alternative for coping with work-related stress. At the most basic level, peer support allows police and other public safety workers, such as firefighters and emergency medical personnel, to share stressful incidents and to experience empathy, validation and normalization from a trusted, trained colleague. In cases of more severe trauma, peers may use their close rapport to safely and confidentially refer a troubled colleague to professional mental health providers. Researchers have found that peer support networks may help improve work performance, reduce on-the-job suicides, and prevent long-term psychological and physical health problems (Levenson & Dwyer, 2003; Stephens & Long, 2000).
The Public Safety Trauma Response (PSTR) project examined the two peer support programs currently available to New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to address work related stress and trauma in anticipation of and following a terrorist attack or other catastrophic event: Early Intervention Unit (EIU) and Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance (POPPA). Specifically, the study looked at police utilization of the peer programs and how police officers manage cumulative day-to-day work and traumatic stress. Police work exposes officers to multiple traumas across their careers. Therefore, it is important to know what training and psychological interventions are most effective to facilitate optimal work performance within this high risk occupation.
Peer Support Programs for New York City Police Department Officers
Early Intervention Unit (EIU) is a program internal to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and staffed by both uniformed and civilian peer counselors that have received critical incident training. EIU provides referrals to active NYPD officers for relationship problems, health issues, work stress, bereavement, financial problems, and suicide prevention. The unit also offers support groups on relationships, bereavement/loss, and critical incidents.
Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance (POPPA) is an independent, not-for-profit agency, offering confidential services to New York City police officers experiencing personal or professional problems, such as trauma, stress, depression, alcohol abuse, or family troubles. POPPA peer support officers are trained volunteers from the NYPD. The agency also coordinates a panel of psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists and marriage and family counselors, who accept referrals for officers needing mental health treatment.
The PSTR project was funded by the Department of Homeland Security through the NYU Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response.
For learn more about this research, please see Levenson & Dwyer (2003) and Stephens & Long (2000):
Levenson, R. L., Jr., & Dwyer, L. A., (2003). Peer support in law enforcement: past, present, and future. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 5(3), 147-152.
Stephens, C., & Long, N., (2000). Communication with police supervisors and peers as a buffer of work-related traumatic stress. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(4), 407-424.