The Tennessee Public Safety Network was founded to respond to the increasing stress and trauma experienced by law enforcement officers, other public safety personnel, and their families. We believe that the personal cost of unrecognized and untreated stress faced by these professionals on a daily basis has a profound negative effect on their physical and emotional well being.
The cost of unrecognized and untreated stress to the individual, family, department/agency, and community is very high. This cost includes:
- Higher rates of heart disease
- Shorter life span
- Higher rates of divorce (almost twice the national average)
- Higher rates of alcohol and other substance abuse
- Suicide (three times as many officers are killed by their own hand than are killed in the line of duty).
- Increased sick time utilization
- Depression
- PTSD
Exposure to critical incidents increases a person's risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a highly debilitating condition affecting as many as 30% of emergency service workers. The risk of developing PTSD can be greatly reduced through increasing awareness of stress symptoms and through practicing stress management.
In order to assist and support Public Safety Personnel, the network will provide a variety of services and interventions.
Services may include:
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
- Shoot Teams (Post Shooting Trauma)
- Peer Support
- Assessment and Referral Services
- Relationship/Marital Difficulties
- Communication Skills
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse
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