251-peer-support

Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/ 09/30, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Peer Support - 1 Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Custody Manual Peer Support 251.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff recognizes the value of providing resources for employees and their family members to support them in managing both professional crises and other challenges. This policy establishes an in-house Peer Support Program and implements a Peer Support Team for employees and their immediate family members. The Peer Support Program aims to prevent and/or lessen the potential negative impacts of stress upon members by providing emotional support, information, and assistance and identifying available referral options. 251.1.1 DEFINITION The Peer Support Program offers employees assistance and appropriate support resources when personal or professional challenges negatively affect their work performance, family, or self. This communication is confidential, providing it does not violate any law or Sheriff's Office regulation. The program is designed to: (a) Provide emotional and tangible support during and after personal or professional challenges and help anticipate and address potential difficulties. (b) Promote trust, allow anonymity, and reserve confidentiality for persons using Peer Support within the program's guidelines. (c) Develop members who can identify personal conflicts and provide guidance or referral to professional/or alternate resources as required. (d) Maintain an effective peer support program, including mandatory training for team members, specifically regarding appropriate responses. (e) Check on the well -being of employees with illnesses and/or injuries, including those of family members, and provide support where desired or needed. 251.2 MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Peer Support Team is to provide all members of the agency and their immediate family members the opportunity to receive emotional and tangible peer support through times of personal or professional challenges and to help anticipate and address potential difficulties. The Peer Support Team comprises trained colleagues available to help augment existing employee assistance resources but not replace them. 251.3 ACCESSING PEER SUPPORT The Peer Support Team is available to all employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Peer Support Team roster can be accessed by calling the Operations Desk, asking a supervisor, looking on the internal Intranet Peer Support tab, or using the Cordico Application. 251.4 PROCEDURE During times of professional or personal challenge or crisis, an employee may be reluctant to seek professional help and may be more comfortable talking to a peer or coworker. Therefore, Policy 251 Docusign Envelope ID: 340F79B1-69B8-45C0-8A91-4F68D16A38A2 Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Custody Manual Peer Support Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/ 09/30, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Clara County Office of the Sheriff Peer Support - 2 the Sheriff's Office will organize and maintain a team of trained peer support personnel available to help fellow employees through times of need. Participation in the program is strictly voluntary. Team members will be referred to as "Peer Supporters." They will not be considered professional counselors and will not replace available professional counseling or therapy services. The role of the Peer Supporter will be to listen, assess, and provide referrals to peers for professional services or resources as needed. Peer Supporters will be available to: (a) Provide a support network of employees willing to aid employees who express a need for assistance. (b) Effectively listen to another employee's thoughts or feelings after a critical incident, challenge, or crisis. (c) Respond to an employee's request for peer support or assistance. (d) Coordinate a critical incident stress debriefing. (e) Provide information on other resources, including those available through the Employee Assistance Program/Concern. Peer Supporters who may be involved in conducting any administrative or criminal investigation or administrative discipline relating to an employee seeking assistance shall avoid any conflict of interest. There will always be a designated Peer Support Team Lead on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with an assigned cell phone. Any employee can contact the Operations Desk for the designated telephone number. Two Peer Support Administrators, a lieutenant from the Custody Division and a lieutenant from the Enforcement Division, will be available to assist the Peer Support Team with administrative tasks, including coordinating training, drafting policies and proc edures, ensuring Peer Support Team member compliance, and providing referral information to team members. 251.5 CONFIDENTIALITY (a) One of the most important responsibilities of a Peer Supporter is promoting trust, anonymity, and confidentiality for employees who seek the assistance of the Peer Support Team. Therefore, communication between a Peer Supporter and an employee is confidential, except for required reporting matters, such as the following: 1. Danger to self 2. Danger to