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Policy 337Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/01/19, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police DepartmentPeer Support and Employee Mental Health - 1Peer Support and Employee Mental Health 337.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE The Santa Monica Police Department Peer Support Program is established for the purpose of providing all employees with the opportunity for peer support through times of personal or professional crisis. The role of a Peer Supporter is to help the employee identify his/her own concerns and to assist these individuals by providing confidential mental health and other resources as needed. If a "non employee" citizen/community member is in need of mental health resources, please refer to the local resources listed under the Victim Witness Assistance Program policy. 337.2 REQUIREMENTS Candidates for the Peer Support Program shall meet the following requirements: (a)Must be a full time sworn or civilian employee with the Santa Monica Police Department (b)Must have an expressed desire to be a Peer Supporter (c)Must have no work restrictions involving psychological stress (d)Must not be the subject of a serious or major investigation or suffering serious personal problems (e)Must have a reputation for maintaining confidentiality and using sound judgment (f)Must have Commanding Officer approval (g)The Peer Supporters will interview candidates and submit their recommendations to the Chief of Police for ultimate approval. 337.3 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The duties of a peer supporter shall be, but not limited to, the following: (a)Help a fellow employee identify his/her own concerns and to assist these individuals by providing confidential mental health and other resources as needed. (b)Respond to the scene of a critical incident in which a fellow employee was a witness to a traumatic event or seriously injured. (c)Respond to the scene of an officer involved shooting to provide support and assistance while recognizing the limitations of confidentiality. (d)Contact or visit law enforcement personnel in the hospital or at home. (e)Assist in making notification to families of Department members who have been seriously injured or killed. (f)Provide liaison with mental health professionals in the community. (g)At the direction of the Deputy Chief, or his designee, provide resources to an employee who had been placed on Administrative Leave. Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Peer Support and Employee Mental Health Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/01/19, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police DepartmentPeer Support and Employee Mental Health - 2(h)Assist Command Staff with protocol and resources for dealing with an employee in crisis. (i)In most cases, peer support contacts should take the form of on-duty meetings of relatively short duration. In the event of a crisis occurring off-duty (for the peer supporter), the peer support program supervisor shall be contacted to authorize either the alternating of work shift hours or overtime compensation. 337.4 OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES (a)Participate in in-service training classes (b)Attend meetings and/or monitor meetings (c)Be willing to take training courses to enhance their effectiveness (d)Make referrals in cases where specialized attention is needed, or in cases that are beyond the peer supporters ability to assist 337.5 CONFIDENTIALITY One of the most important responsibilities of a peer supporter is the promotion of trust, anonymity and confidentiality for employees who seek the assistance from the Peer Support Program. Therefore, a communication between a peer supporter and an employee will be kept confidential except for matters mandated by the Department, or law, to report. 337.6 COMMAND STRUCTURE (a)The Peer Support Program will be supervised by a sergeant or lieutenant. (b)Requests for a Peer Supporter at the scene of a critical incident, or officer-involved shooting (OIS), shall be made through the Program Supervisor (Lt./Sgt.). (c)The Peer Support Coordinator shall liaison regularly with a licensed mental health professional and communicate regularly with the program supervisor. (d)The Peer Support Coordinator shall arrange for meetings, training, maintain current referral resources, coordinate activities that may concern the other peer supporters and be responsible for distributing a periodic newsletter. 337.7 ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES The counseling services of a Department approved mental health professional are available to sworn and civilian Department employees and their spouses or domestic partners. Mental health counseling services are to assist with individual, couples, and family problems that are classified as non-industrial. Except in unusual cases, the number of counseling sessions is limited to a maximum of six per year, paid for by the Department. If additional sessions are required, the employee may be required to pay for them. Appointments can be made directly with a Department approved mental health professional. The employee's counseling services will be confidential. Only if the employee is deemed a danger to Santa Monica Police Department Santa Monica Police Department Policy Manual Peer Support and Employee Mental Health Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/01/19, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Santa Monica Police DepartmentPeer Support and Employee Mental Health - 3him/herself or others will the counselor contact the Department. In that case, the employee will be advised before the Department is informed.