go-54.pdf

\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDERS SUBJECT Stress Management CHIEF OF POLICE Signature on file Proudly Policing Since 1841 Nationally Accredited 1986 NUMBER ORIGINAL ISSUE CURRENT REVISION TOTAL PAGES 54 11/05/2001 11/01/2024 9 AUTHORITY/RELATED REFERENCES FS 112.1815 (6), Educational Training Related to Mental Health Awareness … COT Administrative Policy 705.07, Employee Assistance Program ACCREDITATION REFERENCES CALEA Chapters 4, 22, 35 CFA Chapter 10 KEY WORD INDEX Mandatory Participation Procedure II Mental Health Awareness Training Procedure IV Records and Reports Procedure III Voluntary Participation Procedure I POLICY The Department is committed to providing for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of its employees by requiring members meeting specified criteria, working in certain assignments, and involved in traumatic events to obtain professional counseling services, as well as affording all members access to these services to help them cope with circumstances both on and off the job which may have a negative impact on job performance. DEFINITIONS Contract Service Provider: A local, privately-operated facility, under contract with the City of Tallahassee, which provides counseling services and/or fitness for duty assessments for sworn and non-sworn members at no charge to the member.\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT Early Intervention Program (EIP): A program designed to identify members who may be experiencing unusually high levels of stress and offer assistance before the stress adversely impacts their job performance. EIP Alert: The notification when a member is involved in a certain number of work events (e.g., internal investigations, contact reports, preventable crashes and/or vehicle pursuits) within a twelve (12) month period. An EIP Alert requires a review of the incidents precipitating the alert but does not automatically mandate the affected member's placement in the EIP. Employee Assistance Program (EAP): A program sponsored by the City of Tallahassee through which members and their immediate family may obtain counseling services on a confidential basis to address personal and work concerns. Additionally, the Department may send members for mandatory counseling sessions or fitness for duty assessments by means of the EAP. Fitness for Duty Assessment: A contract service provider’s evaluation of a member’s emotional stability and psychological competence to fulfill the requirements of their work assignment(s) because of either a) a single event or series of events places the member’s fitness for duty into question, or b) the member’s job assignment requires periodic assessments to ensure the member’s fitness to continue in the assignment. Post-incident Assessment: A contract service provider’s counselling session with a member who was involved in a work-related traumatic event (e.g., officer- involved shooting), typically occurring within 72 hours of the incident, designed to assess the member’s emotional state and provide any resources and referrals as may be needed. PROCEDURES I. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION A. Members experiencing medical, psychological, or social problems which may influence their work performance are encouraged to seek counseling services. 1. Under these circumstances, members are responsible for scheduling their counseling appointments. 2. Members may seek assistance from either the Department’s contract service provider or the City’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). 3. Members may obtain counseling service information from their supervisors or from Behavioral Wellness Coordinator. GENERAL ORDER 54 PAGE 2 of 9 STRESS MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT 4. The Department will not request or require the counseling agency to furnish personal identifying information resulting from voluntary participation in counseling services. Metrics may be collected for program evaluation, but no identifying member information will be provided. 5. Any billing statements sent by the contract service provider to the Department will not identify the member(s) receiving counseling services. 6. The fact a member has voluntarily requested professional counseling assistance shall not be utilized by the Department for any purpose. B. Nothing in this policy shall preclude any member from retaining the services of a professional, at their own expense, from an outside source. II. MANDATORY PARTICIPATION At the direction of the Chief of Police or designee, a member shall undergo a fitness for duty assessment and/or enroll in mandatory counseling in the following circumstances. A. Training Process 1. Visits to the Department’s Behavioral Wellness Coordinator shall be periodically scheduled for newly hired police officers as part of the training process. 2. These mandatory wellness sessions, informal in nature, provide an opportunity for new members to obtain help in adjusting to the unusual stresses inherent in providing emergency services. The sessions are not intended to judge the trainee’s fitness to continue in the training process. 3. These counseling sessions shall be scheduled by the member within the time frame mandated by the training program. The Behavioral Wellness Coordinator will not provide feedback to the Field Training Coordinator unless a fitness for duty assessment is recommended or the member does not appear for their scheduled appointment. 4. If a fitness for duty assessment is recommended, the Field Training Coordinator shall forward the information through their chain of command to the Chief of Police. If the Chief approves the recommendation, a fitness for duty assessment shall be arranged as outlined in subsection F below. GENERAL ORDER 54 PAGE 3 of 9 STRESS MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT 5. Members who fail to attend these periodic sessions shall be suspended without pay pending the Department’s decision on their continued employment. B. Special Work Assignments 1. Members assigned to the following work units shall attend a mandatory, Department-sanctioned counseling session on an annual basis: a. Forensics, b. Violent Crimes, c. Special Victims, d. Traffic Homicide, e. Records, and f. Victim Advocate, and g. RTCC Analyst 2. The Department’s contract service provider or an EAP provider shall conduct the counseling session. 3. The member shall schedule these sessions during their birth month. 4. The contract service provider or the EAP shall send only a confirmation to the Department when a member attends their counseling session. a. If, in the EAP counselor’s or contract service provider’s opinion, the member needs to be evaluated for fitness for duty, the Behavioral Wellness Coordinator shall be notified. b. Fitness for duty assessments pursuant to this section shall be arranged as outlined in subsection F below. 5. A member’s failure to schedule or attend a counseling session may result in corrective action and/or transfer from the unit. 6. Tactical Apprehension and Control (TAC) Team. GENERAL ORDER 54 PAGE 4 of 9 STRESS MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER 1, 2024\n\n--- Page 5 ---\n\nTALLAHASSEE POLICE DEPARTMENT a. TAC Team applicants shall undergo a fitness for duty assessment during the selection process to be scheduled at the direction of the TAC Team Commander. b. TAC Team members shall undergo a fitness for duty assessment every two years, during their birth month. c. The fitness for duty assessments shall be conducted by the Department’s contract service provider and shall be scheduled by the applicant or member. d. The contract service provider shall send the results of the assessment, in the form of a conclusory statement, directly to the TAC Team Commander. The TAC Team Commander will forward the notification to Employee Resources for the documentation to be included in the member’s medical file. e. A TAC Team member’s failure to undergo the fitness for duty assessment