6Vol. 16, No. 5, September/October 200935% (n=8) of the agencies to help officers who are go<strong>in</strong>gthrough a divorce, <strong>and</strong> 39% (n=9) <strong>in</strong>dicated “other.”For example, the Baytown Police Department uses peercounselors <strong>in</strong> multiple situations employ<strong>in</strong>g any techniquethat the situation warrants, whereas the Beaumont <strong>and</strong>University Park police departments employ peer counsel<strong>in</strong>gwhen deemed appropriate. Further, the Corpus Christi <strong>and</strong>Lubbock police departments use peer counselors uponrequest by a fellow officer, <strong>and</strong> the Travis County Sheriff’sOffice as well as the Texas Department of Public Safetyutilize their help when there is either an <strong>in</strong>cident <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>gthe death of a child or OIS. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, the TexarkanaPolice Department employs peer counselors to <strong>in</strong>tervenewhen fellow officers have drug or alcohol abuse issues.Situations when confidentiality between the peercounselor <strong>and</strong> officer can be waived. Although the majorityof agencies reported that confidentiality between the officer<strong>and</strong> peer counselor can be waived or broken, most providedspecific situations that warrant the waiver. To illustrate,Chapter 33.02H the Corpus Christi Police Department’sPolicy states:Confidentiality <strong>and</strong> Autonomy1. Strict confidentiality shall be ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed betweenpeer counselors <strong>and</strong> the officer.2. There is no confidentiality <strong>in</strong> situations <strong>in</strong> which anofficer be<strong>in</strong>g counseled has been <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> violationsof the law or their oath of office. Peer counselors arerequired to report these facts to the Chief of Police.Although only three agencies responded that confidentialitycould not be waived or broken, there is no legal basis forconfidentiality. In other words, each department establishesits own policy. Eighty percent of the agencies stated thatconfidentiality can be waived or broken if there is a threatof imm<strong>in</strong>ent danger to the officer or others. The Amarillo,Baytown, North Richl<strong>and</strong> Hills, Plano, <strong>and</strong> Richardsonpolice departments, as well as the El Paso County Sheriff’sOffice <strong>and</strong> the Texas Department of Public Safety, allwaive confidentiality if there is an admission or discoveryof crim<strong>in</strong>al activity. In addition, the Baytown PoliceDepartment will waive confidentiality when there is a needfor an officer’s greater mental health care.ConclusionIt is suggested that MH/SM programs can make a difference<strong>in</strong> both an officer’s retention <strong>and</strong> quality of life. By the1980s, statistics revealed that 70% of officers <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong>a fatal shoot<strong>in</strong>g left law enforcement with<strong>in</strong> five years afterthe <strong>in</strong>cident; larger departments have s<strong>in</strong>ce reduced thatfigure to 3%, with smaller or less funded departments los<strong>in</strong>groughly 33% of its officers with<strong>in</strong> five years (Miller, 2006).This dramatic decl<strong>in</strong>e is due, <strong>in</strong> part, to police adm<strong>in</strong>istratorswho express more acceptance of MH/SM programs thatassist officers <strong>in</strong> cop<strong>in</strong>g with the constant stress associatedwith police work.ReferencesBlau, T. (1994). Psychological services for law enforcement.New York: John Wiley & Sons.National Institute of Justice. (2000). On the job stress <strong>in</strong>polic<strong>in</strong>g: Reduc<strong>in</strong>g it, prevent<strong>in</strong>g it. National Instituteof Justice Journal (NCJ Publication No. 180079).Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.Des<strong>in</strong>ger, E. (2002). Executive summary of the LawEnforcement Assistance <strong>and</strong> Development (LEAD)program: Reduction of familial <strong>and</strong> organizationalstress <strong>in</strong> law enforcement (NCJ Publication No. 192276).Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.F<strong>in</strong>n, P., & Tomz, J. E. (1996). Develop<strong>in</strong>g a law enforcementstress program for offi cers <strong>and</strong> their families. NationalInstitute of Justice: Issues <strong>and</strong> Practices (NCJPublication No. 163175). Wash<strong>in</strong>gton, D.C.: U.S.Department of Justice.Madonna, J., & Kelly, R. (2002). Treat<strong>in</strong>g police stress: Thework <strong>and</strong> the words of peer counselors. Spr<strong>in</strong>gfield, IL:Charles C. Thomas.Matteson, M., & Ivancevish, J. (1987). Controll<strong>in</strong>g workstress: Effective human resource <strong>and</strong> managementstrategies. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Miller, L. (2006). Practical Police Psychology: <strong>Stress</strong>management <strong>and</strong> Crisis Intervention for LawEnforcement. Spr<strong>in</strong>gfield, IL; Charles C. Thomas.Murphy, L. R., Hurrell, J. J., Sauter, S. L., & Keita, G. P.(Eds.). (1995). Job stress <strong>in</strong>terventions. Wash<strong>in</strong>gton,DC: American Psychological AssociationTerrito, L,. & Sewell, J. (1999). <strong>Stress</strong> management <strong>in</strong> lawenforcement. Durham, NC: Carol<strong>in</strong>a Academic Press.
<strong>Mental</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Stress</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Programs</strong> <strong>in</strong> Polic<strong>in</strong>g7Thank you to the follow<strong>in</strong>g agencies for participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> this bullet<strong>in</strong>:Allen Police DepartmentAmarillo Police DepartmentArl<strong>in</strong>gton Police DepartmentBaytown Police DepartmentBeaumont Police DepartmentBexar County Sheriff’s OfficeCarrollton Police DepartmentCollege Station Police DepartmentColleyville Police DepartmentConroe Police DepartmentCorpus Christi Police DepartmentDallas Police DepartmentDuncanville Police DepartmentEl Paso County Sheriff’s OfficeEuless Police DepartmentFarmers Branch Police DepartmentFrisco Police DepartmentGrapev<strong>in</strong>e Police DepartmentGreenville Police DepartmentHaltom City Police DepartmentHarl<strong>in</strong>gen Police DepartmentHarris County Sheriff’s OfficeHuntsville Police DepartmentHurst Police DepartmentIrv<strong>in</strong>g Police DepartmentKeller Police DepartmentKerrville Police DepartmentKilleen Police DepartmentLongview Police DepartmentLubbock Police DepartmentLufk<strong>in</strong> Police DepartmentMidl<strong>and</strong> Police DepartmentMontgomery County Sheriff’s OfficeNorth Richl<strong>and</strong> Hills Police DepartmentOdessa Police DepartmentPasadena Police DepartmentPlano Police DepartmentPotter County Sheriff’s OfficeR<strong>and</strong>all County Sheriff’s OfficeRichardson Police DepartmentRichl<strong>and</strong> Hills Police DepartmentRoanoke Police DepartmentSan Angelo Police DepartmentSan Antonio Police DepartmentSan Marcos Police DepartmentTemple Police DepartmentTexarkana Police DepartmentTexas City Police DepartmentTexas Department of Public SafetyTravis County Sheriff’s OfficeTyler Police DepartmentUniversity Park Police DepartmentVictoria Police DepartmentWaller Police DepartmentWhite Settlement Police DepartmentWichita Falls Police Department
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