1. Nathan D. Thompson, Psy.D. azpolicepsych@gmail.com
Training Cops to Have a Sense of HUMOR: Stress Reduction Techniques for Police Officers COPPS 2017
Nathan D. Thompson, Psy.D.

2. Objectives
1. Participants will understand the impact of stress on police officers.
2. Participants will learn ways to help provide training to police officers on how to manage stress utilizing all of their senses.
3. Participants will identify ways to help police officers utilize their resources, including EAP services and peer support to debrief and reduce stress.

3. P.E.R.S.O.N.A.S. Risk factors Prior attempts
Ladder of Lethality
Ethanol or substance abuse
Rational thinking lost or not yet developed
Social supports lacking
Organized plan
No significant other
Availability of lethal means
Sickness

4. Cops Suicide Causes Badge of Life Video Sleep deprivation Depression
Trauma exposure
Isolation
Assumed responsibility
Personally threatened
Badge of Life Video

5. Statistics 2011 – 147 LEOs committed suicide
Suicide rate for LEOs – 17:100,000
Suicide rate for gen. pop. – 11:100,000
Risk increases with tenure (over 10 years experience more likely to commit suicide)
More than ½ of suicides are a surprise to loved ones
The National Study of Police Suicides

6. Code 9 Break down barriers to treatment
Code of silence
Asking for help is not weakness
PTSD is treatable (CBT, CPT, EMDR)
Stress management training during briefing
Protecting careers
Using EAP or insurance
Fitness for Duty
Breaking the Silence Video

7. Prevention Immediate Safety Plan Get professional help
Hospitalized
Someone to monitor
Get professional help
Religion can provide deterrent
Positive Relationships
Reasons to live

8. Common Ways to Manage Stress
Exercise
Rest
Good diet
Social support
Counseling
Prevention!

9. Sense of Humor Everybody Loves Raymond Hard candy (taste)
U-tube (vision)
Music (sound)
Olfactory (smell)
Rock (touch)

10. I.M.P.R.O.V.E Imagery Meaning and Meditation Prayer Relaxation
Combat Breathing
Eency Weency Spider
Waving
I give you peace
Vacation
USE YOUR TIME
Encourage yourself
Community policing
From DBT, distress tolerance

11. Helpful Resources Videos Concerns of Police Survivors
Thin Blue Mind
Pinball of Emotions
Myth of Emotional Opposites
Concerns of Police Survivors
Copsarizona.org
100 Club of Arizona
100club.org
Post Incident Stress & Trauma in Law Enforcement
Pistle.org

12. Questions/Comments
Nathan Thompson, Psy.D. arizonapolicepsych.com
ARIZONA
POLICE
PSYCHOLOGY, PLLC