Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program Kit Cummings Blacksburg

Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program Kit Cummings Blacksburg PD (retired) Law Enforcement Peer Chris Scallon Norfolk PD (retired) Law Enforcement Peer

Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program was formed in the wake of the Fairfax County PD’s Sully District Station shootings in 2006 and the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007

In the wake of the VT shootings, more than 20 peer team members from North and South Carolina responded to Blacksburg, providing Critical Incident Stress Management services

Over the course of one week more than two dozen CISM debriefings were conducted – as many as four simultaneously More than 200 first responders from numerous LE and EMS agencies received CISM services

Officers from Fairfax, Blacksburg and Montgomery County were invited by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program to participate in peer support programs in North and South Carolina The Virginia participants witnessed an incredible event – the Post Critical Incident Seminar, or PCIS

Within a year, VALEAP was formed and held the first Virginia PCIS event in Richmond VALEAP has since hosted 16 more Virginia events 540 law enforcement professionals have been served at Virginia PCIS More than 1500 Virginia officers have received CISM services from VALEAP peer teams since 2008

PCIS Post Critical Incident Seminar Initially designed and instituted by the FBI in the 1980’s to serve federal officers n PCIS was refashioned for state and local law enforcement by SCLEAP nearly 20 years ago n SCLEAP-model PCIS has been replicated in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arkansas n

PCIS Post Critical Incident Seminar PCIS is a three-day, immersive event offering post-incident training in effective stress management n Participants have access to experienced, specially trained peers and MH clinicians n Truly unique opportunity for healing and fellowship in a culture-friendly environment n

CISM Critical Incident Stress Management n n n CISM as an organized practice was developed in the 1970’s Jeffrey Mitchell studied a high turnover rate in Baltimore Fire Department due to “burnout” Mitchell developed a debriefing model as a means of dealing with job-related stress

CISM Critical Incident Stress Management CISM has proven a highly effective model Usually an organized function Established Virginia CISM teams n n n n Statewide teams – VALEAP CISM Virginia State Police CISM Team Regional teams VDH/EMS Multi-Discipline In-house teams (large agencies)

Law Enforcement Peer Support CISM spectrum of services n Pre-Education n informal communication n Defusing ( group or one-on-one) n Individual Debriefing (one-on-one) n Debriefing as a group

Virginia agencies served by VALEAP since 2008 Alexandria Police Department Amherst County Sheriff’s Office Arlington County Police Department Bedford County Sheriff’s Office Blacksburg Police Department Bristol Police Department Broadway Police Department Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Chesapeake Police Department Chesterfield County Police Department Christiansburg Police Department Craig County Sheriff’s Office Fairfax County Police Department Ferrum College Police Department Floyd County Sheriff’s Office Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Galax Police Department Giles County Sheriff’s Office Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Hampton Police Department Hanover County ECC Harrisonburg Police Department Longwood College Police Department Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Lynchburg Fire Department Lynchburg Police Department Manassas City Police Department MCV Health Systems Police Department Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center Montgomery County Clerk of the Circuit Court Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Norfolk Police Department Norfolk Emergency Operations Newport News Park Police Newport News Police Department Portsmouth Police Department Prince William County Police Department Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Pulaski Police Department Purcellville Police Department Radford Police Department Rappahannock Regional CJ Academy Richlands Police Department Richmond Emergency Comms Center Richmond Police Department Roanoke City Fire Department Roanoke City Police Department Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office Roanoke County Police Department Roanoke County Fire Department Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office Rocky Mount Police Department Salem Police Department Saltville Police Department Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office Suffolk Fire Department Surry County Circuit Court Surry County Sheriff’s Office Surry County Animal Control Virginia Department of Corrections Virginia Department of Probation and Parole Virginia State Police Virginia State Parks Police Virginia Tech Police Department Warrenton Police Department Woodstock Police Department York/Poquoson Sheriff’s Office

Becoming a VALEAP Peer: • For LE, the price of admission is pretty high • Clinicians – culturally competent • Chaplains – years of experience

Training a VALEAP Peer: • PCIS peer – attendance, at the table • CISM peer/clinician/chaplain must complete ICISF Group and Individual Peer Debriefer

Peers and clinicians trained: • Since 2010 conducted 7 ICISF combined peer team trainings • More than 150 LE peers, 100 clinicians trained

CISM Critical Incident Stress Management “We are taught to take care of our uniforms, vehicle, equipment, etc. It’s about time we learn to take care of ourselves and each other. ” n Virginia PCIS I participant, 2008

CISM Critical Incident Stress Management Kit Cummings Chris Scallon Law Enforcement Peer Phone (540) 230 -9838 kcummings@valeap. org Law Enforcement Peer Phone (757) 328 -5672 skydivn 50@gmail. com www. valeap. org