This FREE training seminar is designed to assist first responders that have been involved in on-duty critical incidents, cumulative career stress, or traumatic life events unrelated to their law enforcement career, and have had an adverse effect in their everyday life as a result. This is a peer-based program, where peer-to-peer assistance will be accompanied by clinical staff, to assist the attendees in finding healthy ways to cope with stress and manage PTSD. The PCIS has been used successfully in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, as well as many other localities, to help our law enforcement and first responder communities understand and cope with the events that have adversely affected their lives.

This is an experiential workshop for officers and other personnel who have experienced a critical incident. Despite helpful support immediately following a critical incident, there can be long lasting effects. Going through a critical incident has been described as crossing a fence with no opportunity to jump back. A critical incident can rupture an officer's basic worldview often leaving him/her with a sense of vulnerability that the uninitiated cannot understand. The job, the street, and one's weapon may be perceived differently following such an incident.

Patterned on a format that has been used by the FBI for over 25 years, the PCIS will provide education on trauma, patterns of resolution, and field-tested coping strategies that promote recovery and resilience. Peer support is an important element of the PCIS. Discussion of incidents with fellow officers who have "been there" promotes normalization and recovery.

What is a Critical Incident?

A Critical Incident is any event that results in an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and/or loss of control. A critical incident may be a line of duty shooting, getting shot or seriously injured on the job, a high-speed pursuit that ends in tragedy, an event that brings prolonged and/or critical media attention, a personal tragedy and a host of other events (job-related or otherwise).

Who should attend?

LEO’s/First Responders/Emergency Communications Personnel who have experienced a critical incident and that are still experiencing some type of daily impairment or lesser quality of life related to the traumatic exposure they experienced. The incident could have been recent or more distant, but if some level of diminished functioning still exists in your daily/home/family life, this seminar can be of great benefit to you (and your family).

*Spouses/significant others are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend with their LEO/First Responder family member.