The Supportive Leader: Empowering Injured and Disabled Officers - 1-Day
Description
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of police officers receive injuries by assault, traffic crashes, training accidents, and assorted misfortunes on duty. Our mission at THE WOUNDED BLUE is to improve the lives of injured and disabled law enforcement officers through support, education, assistance and legislation. Most Americans assume that in the event of sustaining on-duty injuries, law enforcement agencies and the local, county and state governments which employ them would be responsible for taking care of them, financially, medically and psychologically as these injuries are incurred while serving the people they swore to protect. Unfortunately, the reality is often quite different. Officers who are hurt often lose a major portion of their salaries during their healing process (if the injuries are only temporarily disabling) and lose the ability to earn enough to feed their families.
THE SUPPORTIVE LEADER: EMPOWERING INJURED AND DISABLED OFFICERS is an educational workshop created to raise awareness of the impact of leadership decisions, agency policy and existing laws which affect the well-being of law enforcement officers who have been severely injured while actively employed. Included in this program will be a viewing of the feature documentary "THE WOUNDED BLUE: SERVICE – SACRIFICE - BETRAYED", a film which tells the powerful stories of six police officers who inspired the creation of the Wounded Blue charity. The story explores several critical and important issues facing law enforcement professionals today including PTSD, police suicide, and the financial ruin a police officer can incur after suffering a career ending injury in the line of duty. Solutions are also put forth, as the film examines the importance of peer counseling, as well as the need for several legislative changes within a system that is clearly broken.
OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will understand:
- How physical limitations affect the vocational value of a member (unwavering standard of full duty; ability to continue assignment, transfer, promote; accommodation in the workplace)
- How differences in policy for types of police related injuries affect the member (effects on employment status, equivalent recognition of sacrifices)
- How the effects of PTSD and other types of injury-related stress affect the member’s mental and emotional health (removing the stigma of mental health needs for police; emotional impact of status changes within agency; stripping of police identity - uniform, badge, gun, title; cries for help and feelings of abandonment; services/resources/treatment available)
- The financial impact of an injury to member and member’s family (needs beyond reimbursement from Worker’s Comp or insurance coverage; fundraising efforts and prohibitions)
- The need for continued peer support of members and member’s family (family dynamic is overturned, changing roles in family structure)
- What legal remedies should be available for injured members (civil action against assailant/negligent parties; support for action against individuals/agency for discrimination; providing independent counsel to affected member/conflicts of interest)
- Why long-term support from agency and peers is critical (injured “Member Advocate” or similar command support positions; contact after employment ceases)
- The crucial need for training Leaders, Administrators and Officers (understanding what current policy says; identify problem areas – review and close loopholes; entry level training on post-injury procedure; promoting advance planning; refresher training on emergency notification procedures)