Law Enforcement Stress Alternatives - Research Proposal Example

Law Enforcement Stress Alternatives Problem ment Stress is a common factor in any workplace where the employee or worker must find meansand ways to cope up with it (Finn et al 5). Researches show that law enforcement is a very stressful occupation that has high consequences of divorce, alcoholism, suicide, along with other mental and emotional problems (Finn et al 6). The stress service programs have actually been in effect for sometime, however, law officers at present consider that they are more under stress now than law enforcement personnel of ten (10) or twenty (20) years in the past (Finn et al 6). Assumptions 1. Law enforcement stress services can offer other services aside from the regular basic counseling. Services like debriefing, stress management training, consultation and peer support can likewise be offered to large and small law enforcement agencies on various jurisdictional levels. 2. Law enforcement stress programs are created to minimize the effects of stress within the law enforcement organization. 3. Stress programs are employed to increase efficiency, productivity and morale among law enforcement officers in the workplace. 4. Stress training involves reduction of inaccurate and unfavorable criticisms from the general public and the media. Sub-problems 1. The first sub-problem is to review and enhance the education and training programs offering stress and critical incident stress management to include suicide awareness and prevention. 2. The second sub-problem is to develop statewide critical incident stress management (CISM) teams that would be situated in each county to improve effort coordination statewide. 3. The third sub-problem is to build-up a call center which has all the pertinent data of all in-patient and out-patient referrals to appropriate specialized professionals who have the knowledge and experience in working with law enforcement officers and their respective families who are having difficulties concerning mental health, financial issues, family concerns, alcohol and drug abuse, spiritual needs, stress, medical related disorders, job burnout, etc. 4. The fourth sub-problem is to be able to create a crisis intervention management plan that would facilitate assistance to law enforcement officers who are in need during and after any traumatic incident. Hypotheses 1. Although stress services program are being offered to the various levels of the enforcement agencies, many law enforcement personnel, especially the older generations question the usefulness of having to undergo psychological counseling that brings about a common stigma within the force. 2. Any form of stress program is not the cure for the fears and anxieties experienced by the law enforcement personnel. Coping effectively depends upon a lot of things including the individual’s personality and characteristics. 3. The workplace is not conducive to effective work performance even with the presence of a stress program due to many work-related reasons that results to poor quality output. 4. While there may be a significant number of stress programs offered, it is not sufficient to make law officers feel naïve about the negative attitudes and comments of the society about the entire law enforcement’s integrity. Definition of Terms Critical Incident Stress: Is the physical, cognitive and emotional reaction of people who experience a traumatic situation (The PTM 1). Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISM): Is a method of providing crisis counseling which includes debriefing of individuals who have been exposed to a traumatic event (MedicineNet.com 1). Employee/Members Assistance Program: Confidential program available to law enforcement personnel that offer 24/7 assistance for self-referred, management referred or union referred officers with the goal of identifying and providing alternative to resolve such problems. Law Enforcement Officer: Any sworn officer in the New York State through the Division of Criminal Justice Services. (Federal, state, county and local municipality). Police Psychologist: A doctor/psychiatrist who helps police officers cope up with stress and other forms of traumatic episodes associated with work that affects their emotional and physical well-being. Suicide: Is the act of causing one’s own death which has a negative and positive impact (MedicineNet .com 1). Support Services: Support services that include Employees and /or Member Assistance Programs, Police Chaplaincy Programs, Peer Officer Support Personnel, Departmental Mental Health Staff. Trauma: An emotional wound or shock often having long lasting effects (wordnet 1) Research Methodology The qualitative research method will be used to do the survey of the major law enforcement agencies all over New York State. Qualitative research is a term generally used for a range of research strategies which evolves in the research of the social sciences. This involves data gathering within the natural settings and the key data collecting instrument will be the researcher. Hence, this will entail the utilization of checklists where the items will include: 1) whether the agency has an existing support services for the rank and file; 2) if such support service exists, is it utilize by their respective personnel?; 3) is a CISM team available in the event that one of their officer(s) is involved in a traumatic incident?; 4) what is the perception of their officers about stress?; 5) are there existing policies that cover a traumatic incident; and 6) was there any suicide case among their respective officers? Further, the qualitative research will have data that are verbal and not numerical, analyzing results through inductive reasoning rather than by statistical procedures. Final Project Outline Introduction: Identification of the Problem Chapter 1: Review of current relevant literature and its effectiveness. Chapter 2: Stress Survey Chapter 3: Review of Alternative programs available and their effectiveness. Internal vs. External Programs. Chapter 4: Peer Officer Support Teams: Do They Work? Chapter 5: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: Standard Responses to Stress. Chapter 6: Police Training Academy: Can they address more effectively? New Recruit Training Family Programming Supervisory Training Chapter 7: Ethical issues with confidentiality with assistance programs, specifically with officers involved in incidents with criminal investigations (example: officer involved in shooting). Chapter 8: Current strategies in the recognition of stress and early detection methods of identification and response techniques. Chapter 9: Recommendations and Conclusions References Finn, Peter and Tomz Julie Esselman. December 1996. Developing a Law Enforcement Stress Program for Officers and their Families. National Institute of Justice: Issues and Practices. 20 June 2009 . MedicineNet.com. 23 January 2004. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISM). 20 June 2009 . MedicineNet.com. 2009. Suicide. 20 June 2009 . The PTM. 2009. Critical Incident Stress. 20 June 2009 Wordnet. 2009. Trauma: wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn. 21 June 2009 . Read More