“Supervisors and officers are the first on scene at many tragic and violent incidents,” says Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli. “They make decisions in split seconds under stressful conditions to protect our citizens and courts. Through this training, we hope to promote balance and enhance the well-being of those who protect and serve.”
Training sessions are scheduled to begin in September and will be led by Michael Bizzarro, PhD, LCSW, Clinical Director of First Responder Treatment Services and a former police officer and military veteran, and Kenneth Burkert, Peer Support Specialist for First Responder Treatment Services and a retired Union County corrections officer. The training is the first of its kind offered by a New Jersey sheriff’s office.
“Part of our goal is to assist officers in identifying signs of stress in their peers,” says Dr. Bizzarro. “In a group of individuals who always run toward danger to protect others, there is often an inability to notice when troubling events have taken their toll. Our training can help officers detect problems before they become tragedies.”
First Responder Treatment Services has treated more than 900 individuals since it was initiated in 2013. This inpatient offering at Princeton House provides customized care for law enforcement officers, firefighters, military personnel, EMTs, and other first responders who are dealing with behavioral health and substance use disorders.
For more information about First Responder Treatment Services, visit princetonhouse.org/firstresponders or call 800.242.2550.
Article as seen in the Fall 2018 issue of Princeton House Behavioral Health Today.
