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Police Counsellor Trying Assist With The Stressors Of The Job
posted (May 25, 2016)

So Now, what is being done in the police department to help officers like Gonzalez and Nah? Well as you heard, there is an Employee Assistance Program which provides counseling to police officers. Today we spoke to the coordinator of the program Shawn Vargas and he highlighted some of the stresses that police offices face and he also discussed how to manage that stress.

Shawn Vargas - Coordinator, Employee Assistance Prog.
"It's a high stress job. There are several factors that police officers have to contend with. Many among them is putting your life at risk on a daily basis and so as to some of the challenges that they are faced among the general public on their job it's the idea of walking to know that you might be a target; now that's a level you have to work with. It is important for us to understand ourselves, it is important for us to understand our body; our body tells us a lot in terms of dealing with stress and coping with personal challenges. So if you believe that you are a point, at a breaking point then it is best to get professional help. It is best to get professional help for guidance and professional help is available through the employee assistance programme."

Vargas told us that 90% of suicide cases are caused by untreated stress and depression. Just to note, the 2 officers who witnessed Gonzalez’s suicide were also counseled under this program. 

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