Peer led; Clinician assisted.
NYLEAP (New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our services are provided at no cost to first responders and their families, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, correction officers, dispatchers, and members of the military.
NYLEAP’s mission is to improve the mental health and overall wellness of law enforcement officers and other first responders, both active and retired. We work to reduce divorce, alcohol misuse, PTSD, cumulative trauma/stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide—issues that disproportionately affect the first responder community. We help individuals, couples, and agencies recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and trauma and connect with the support they need.
Through education, training, and evidence-based techniques, NYLEAP equips first responders with practical tools to build resilience, strengthen relationships, and remain effective on the job. Healthier officers and responders are also better positioned to build stronger relationships with the communities they serve—often reducing preventable costs for departments.
Peer support without the stigma
NYLEAP was created by peers, for peers, to reduce the stigma around asking for help by encouraging open, honest conversations about mental health and the impact of trauma. The need is growing: rates of suicide, PTSD, cumulative trauma exposure, alcohol/substance use disorders, and other mental health concerns continue to rise among first responders. In 2022, reported law enforcement deaths by suicide were nearly three times higher than felonious line-of-duty deaths.
Training and support for agencies statewide
Our goal is to equip officers and first responders with the tools needed to provide peer support within their own agencies and across New York State. Having trained peers in each agency helps make peer support more routine—and helps reduce the stigma attached to seeking help.
NYLEAP provides training through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), including courses such as Group Crisis Intervention and Assisting Individuals in Crisis. We also provide annual training and in-service support for peer team members and agencies. As well as, LivingWorks ASIST suicide intervention training courses.
Post Critical Incident Seminars (PCIS)
NYLEAP offers peer-based, clinician-assisted Post Critical Incident Seminars (PCIS) in partnership with other LEAP programs across the country (SC, NC, VA, WV, OH, OK, OR, AR, TX, GA, CA). PCIS provides education on trauma, patterns of recovery, and field-tested, evidence-based coping strategies to promote healing and resilience. Peer support is a core element of PCIS, helping normalize reactions to trauma and supporting recovery.
This seminar format originated with the FBI in 1985 and is now used by LEAP programs nationwide. SCLEAP (South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program) has hosted PCIS programs successfully since 2000. Any first responder who has experienced a critical incident or career-related trauma may attend at no cost.
PCIS is experiential and creates a safe, confidential environment where first responders can discuss and process their experiences with trained peers and clinicians, and begin the healing process in a supportive setting.
Critical Incident Stress Management services
NYLEAP is also available to facilitate Critical Incident Stress Debriefings (CISD) and provide additional Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services for individuals, couples, and agencies.
Why this matters
A peer support team is vital to helping law enforcement officers and other first responders manage day-to-day stress and the individual and group crises that can occur throughout a career. Mental health concerns still carry stigma in society, and that stigma can be even stronger in the first responder community. We have a responsibility to change that—and to provide meaningful resources to those who dedicate their lives to serving others. Through PCIS, crisis intervention, debriefings, and training, NYLEAP’s goal is to restore hope and support long-term healing for first responders across New York.
#breakthestigma #oneistoomany