Treating Police Stress: The Work and the Words of Peer Counselors.

Treating Police Stress: The Work and the Words of Peer Counselors by John M. Madonna, Jr., and Richard E. Kelly, Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Springfield, Illinois, 2002.

In most books discussing law enforcement stress, the authors draw on a theoretical basis to begin their discussions. Yet, too frequently, these concepts may not have an easy application in the real-life world of policing. In a number of his publications, Dr. Jim Reese has broken that mold and used the words of practitioners to define and focus an approach to stress in the practical world. Similarly, Drs. Madonna and Kelly explore the world of peer counselors from a counselor's point of view and provide a real-life understanding of the usefulness of such programs in law enforcement agencies.

Even today, the world of law enforcement is an environment in which personal problems are difficult to admit, and the idea of reaching out to a formal mental health practitioner remains alien to a number of officers. Peer counselors--those within the profession with training, credibility, and a deep understanding of the role, responsibilities, and problems of law enforcement officers--can serve as a bridge from the troubles of law enforcement officers to the solutions of their problems. Where early intervention is the key to success, peer counselors are able to react, respond, and mobilize the resources necessary to save the lives of law enforcement officers.

Treating Police Stress: The Work and the Words of Peer Counselors is a "how-to" guide to establishing and utilizing a peer counseling program. It presents a variety of successful strategies and tactics, as well as some not so successful ones. More important, it draws from the words and experiences of those actually charged with providing this invaluable service to law enforcement officers in time of need.

Two points the authors make are particularly compelling. First, stress intervention by peer counselors can have a dramatic effect on the successful resolution of problems experienced by law enforcement officers. However, the selection and preparation of the right individuals to fill such positions prove paramount to program success. Only those who have credibility with other officers, the ability to express empathy and maintain confidentiality, and a sincere willingness to serve their law enforcement colleagues and their families need apply.

Second, commitment for a program that is more than just "window dressing" must radiate from the agency's chief executive and be apparent throughout the chain of command. In the authors' experience, programs have failed because key agency leadership neglected to properly staff, fund, or support these vital efforts.

Is a peer counselor program a wise and cost-effective investment for a law enforcement agency and an absolute necessity for the well-being of its personnel? Will officers make use of its services? An example that the authors cite says it best. When an officer admitted to an assembled group of his peers that he had gone to the agency's stress unit, "he was expecting scorn, suspicion of his ability to be trusted, or condescension at best ... silence followed ... then some began to resume their conversation as if nothing had been said. Still processing what was happening, the officer heard the only direct comment made, 'What took you so long?'"

Reviewed by James D. Sewell, Ph.D. Assistant Commissioner Florida Department of Law Enforcement