By: David San Filippoo, Ph.D.
November 11, 2022
- Peer support provide individuals with a safe way to share their issues with someone who personally understands their experiences
- Peer support is a helpful approach to provide law enforcement person personnel and their family member a safe way to ventilate feelings regarding their experience in law enforcement.
- BlueLine Support provides peer support services and information for all active and retired law enforcement personnel and their families.
Welcome to the first BlueLine Support blog. Our intention is to provide meaningful information for all first responders and their families, particularly law enforcement personnel and families both active and retired. Future blogs will reflect different perspectives for self-care for those who serve others in the line of duty.
The mission of BlueLine Support is to provide 24/7 access for Law Enforcement Officers, Support Personnel, and their families to confidential peer-support services and information resources to address their needs for support.
What is Peer Support?
Peer support provide individuals with a safe way to share their issues with someone who personally understands their experiences.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, attest that “peer support encompasses a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences” (SAMHSA, 2017).
What is Peer Support for Law Enforcement?
Peer support is helpful approach in providing law enforcement person personnel and family member a safe way to ventilate feelings regarding their experience in law enforcement.
According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), “the goal of peer support is to provide all public safety employees in an agency the opportunity to receive emotional and tangible support through times of personal or professional crisis and to help anticipate and address potential difficulties.”
BlueLine Support Provides Peer Support
BlueLine Support provides 24/7 peer support services and information to all active duty and retired law enforcement personnel and their families. Access to BlueLine Support peer support services is through a 24-hour hotline [(855) 964-2583] which connects the calling officer with a trained peer support officer. The peer support officer will listen to the caller’s issues and discuss self-care steps with the caller. If appropriate the Peer Officer will recommend a referral to one of our network of Mental Health Professionals.
BlueLine Support offers many resources for first responders and their families. Please come back and visit our website and peruse the resources page and blog. If you have anything to add to our conversation, please feel free to reach out to BlueLine Support @ emailus.bls@gmail.com
References:
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). (n.d.). Peer Support Guidelines. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://www.theiacp.org/resources/peer-support-guidelines
SAMHSA (2017). Peer Support.[Infographic]. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/brss_tacs/peer-support-2017.pdf
About the Author
Dr. David San Filippo is an Associate Professor at National Louis University and the Clinical Director and Board member for BlueLine Support. His counseling and teaching practice focuses on issues related to trauma, death, dying, and bereavement. He also teaches courses related to business leadership and operations. dsanfilippo.bls@gmail.com
#peer support #law enforcement #LEO #1st responder #self-care
