1. Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program
Kit Cummings Chris Scallon
Blacksburg PD (retired) Norfolk PD (retired)
Law Enforcement Peer Law Enforcement Peer

2. Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program was formed in the wake of the Fairfax County PD’s Sully District Station shootings in 2006 and the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007

3. In the wake of the VT shootings, more than 20 peer team members from North and South Carolina responded to Blacksburg, providing Critical Incident Stress Management services

4. Over the course of one week more than two dozen CISM debriefings were conducted – as many as four simultaneously More than 200 first responders from numerous LE and EMS agencies received CISM services

5. Officers from Fairfax, Blacksburg and Montgomery County were invited by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program to participate in peer support programs in North and South Carolina The Virginia participants witnessed an incredible event – the Post Critical Incident Seminar, or PCIS

6. Within a year, VALEAP was formed and held the first Virginia PCIS event in Richmond VALEAP has since hosted 16 more Virginia events 540 law enforcement professionals have been served at Virginia PCIS More than 1500 Virginia officers have received CISM services from VALEAP peer teams since 2008

7. PCIS Post Critical Incident Seminar
Initially designed and instituted by the FBI in the 1980’s to serve federal officers
PCIS was refashioned for state and local law enforcement by SCLEAP nearly 20 years ago
SCLEAP-model PCIS has been replicated in North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arkansas

8. PCIS Post Critical Incident Seminar
PCIS is a three-day, immersive event offering post-incident training in effective stress management
Participants have access to experienced, specially trained peers and MH clinicians
Truly unique opportunity for healing and fellowship in a culture-friendly environment

9. CISM Critical Incident Stress Management
CISM as an organized practice was developed in the 1970’s
Jeffrey Mitchell studied a high turnover rate in Baltimore Fire Department due to “burnout”
Mitchell developed a debriefing model as a means of dealing with job-related stress

10. CISM Critical Incident Stress Management
CISM has proven a highly effective model
Usually an organized function
Established Virginia CISM teams
Statewide teams – VALEAP CISM
Virginia State Police CISM Team
Regional teams VDH/EMS Multi-Discipline
In-house teams (large agencies)

11. Law Enforcement Peer Support
CISM spectrum of services
Pre-Education
informal communication
Defusing ( group or one-on-one)
Individual Debriefing (one-on-one)
Debriefing as a group

12. Virginia agencies served by VALEAP since 2008
Alexandria Police Department Amherst County Sheriff’s Office Arlington County Police Department Bedford County Sheriff’s Office Blacksburg Police Department Bristol Police Department
Broadway Police Department Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Chesapeake Police Department Chesterfield County Police Department Christiansburg Police Department Craig County Sheriff’s Office Fairfax County Police Department Ferrum College Police Department Floyd County Sheriff’s Office Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Galax Police Department Giles County Sheriff’s Office Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Hampton Police Department Hanover County ECC Harrisonburg Police Department
Longwood College Police Department Loudon County Sheriff’s Office Lynchburg Fire Department Lynchburg Police Department Manassas City Police Department MCV Health Systems Police Department Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center
Montgomery County Clerk of the Circuit Court Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Norfolk Police Department Norfolk Emergency Operations
Newport News Park Police Newport News Police Department Portsmouth Police Department Prince William County Police Department Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Pulaski Police Department Purcellville Police Department Radford Police Department Rappahannock Regional CJ Academy Richlands Police Department
Richmond Emergency Comms Center
Richmond Police Department Roanoke City Fire Department Roanoke City Police Department Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office Roanoke County Police Department
Roanoke County Fire Department Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office Rocky Mount Police Department Salem Police Department Saltville Police Department Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office Suffolk Fire Department Surry County Circuit Court Surry County Sheriff’s Office Surry County Animal Control Virginia Department of Corrections Virginia Department of Probation and Parole Virginia State Police Virginia State Parks Police Virginia Tech Police Department Warrenton Police Department Woodstock Police Department York/Poquoson Sheriff’s Office

13. Becoming a VALEAP Peer:
For LE, the price of admission is pretty high
Clinicians – culturally competent
Chaplains – years of experience

14. Training a VALEAP Peer:
PCIS peer – attendance, at the table
CISM peer/clinician/chaplain must complete ICISF Group and Individual Peer Debriefer

15. Peers and clinicians trained:
Since 2010 conducted 7 ICISF combined peer team trainings
More than 150 LE peers, 100 clinicians trained

16. CISM Critical Incident Stress Management
“We are taught to take care of our uniforms, vehicle, equipment, etc. It’s about time we learn to take care of ourselves and each other.”
Virginia PCIS I participant, 2008

17. CISM Critical Incident Stress Management
Kit Cummings Chris Scallon
Law Enforcement Peer Law Enforcement Peer
Phone (540) Phone (757)