Post Critical Incident Seminar - Erie Co. - Free Law Enforcement Training

This message is being sent on behalf of The New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program (NYLEAP)

The New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program (NYLEAP/www.nyleap.org) in partnership with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Public Safety, is pleased to announce the delivery of a Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) to assist NYS first responders.

This FREE training seminar is designed to assist first responders that have been involved in on-duty critical incidents and have had an adverse effect in their everyday life as a result. This is a peer-based program, where peer-to-peer assistance will be accompanied by clinical staff, to assist the attendees in finding healthy ways to cope with stress and manage PTSD. The PCIS has been used successfully in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, as well as many other localities, to help our law enforcement and first responder communities understand and cope with the events that have adversely affected their lives.

This training will be conducted: July 19-21, 2021 in Erie County.

Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS)

This is an experiential workshop for officers and other personnel who have experienced a critical incident. Despite helpful support immediately following a critical incident, there can be long lasting effects. Going through a critical incident has been described as crossing a fence with no opportunity to jump back. A critical incident can rupture an officer's basic worldview often leaving him/her with a sense of vulnerability that the uninitiated cannot understand. The job, the street, and one's weapon may be perceived differently following such an incident.

Patterned on a format that has been used by the FBI for over 25 years, the PCIS will provide education on trauma, patterns of resolution, and field-tested coping strategies that promote recovery and resilience. Peer support is an important element of the PCIS. Discussion of incidents with fellow officers who have "been there" promotes normalization and recovery.

What is a Critical Incident?

A Critical Incident is any event that results in an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and/or loss of control. A critical incident may be a line of duty shooting, getting shot or seriously injured on the job, a high-speed pursuit that ends in tragedy, an event that brings prolonged and/or critical media attention, a personal tragedy and a host of other events.

What are the benefits of attending?

An opportunity to:

• Share one's experience with one's peers
• Give and receive support
• Share in sessions with law enforcement/first responder related mental health professionals utilizing proven trauma recovery methods
• Learn coping strategies that will enable recovery from past critical incidents and strengthen one's ability to deal with future incidents.

Who should attend?

LEO’s/First Responders/Emergency Communications Personnel who have experienced a critical incident and that are still experiencing some type of daily impairment or lesser quality of life related to the traumatic exposure they experienced. The incident could have been recent or more distant, but if some level of diminished functioning still exists in your daily/home/family life, this seminar can be of great benefit to you (and your family).
This seminar has a maximum class size of 30 participants. Applicants should be those individuals who are seeking to learn new/additional coping skills, further their knowledge of PTSD and its affects, and are willing to be active participants in the large/small group and individual seminar exercises.

Please note, registration does not guarantee attendance.

Spouses/significant others are strongly encouraged to attend with their LEO/First Responder family member.  This Seminar will include approximately 30 participants plus peer-team members. Peer-team consists of trained law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals.

PCIS course registration link: https://hopecommunitychurch.wufoo.com/forms/plazidr073uftj/

If you any questions regarding the training, please contact NYLEAP President Jim Banish by email at [email protected] or by phone at (518) 593-7579.