They have to override their initial gut instinct to curb leave and punish those on medical leave, hence creating an atmosphere where sick members will refuse to get treated or take time off in fear of damaging or losing their career. I continued on in front line policing for three years in a 142 member detachment after being diagnosed and all this during ongoing treatment. I was too afraid to take time off and lose my spot on the motorcycle unit. In the end I crashed and burned beyond all recognition and to the point where a medical discharge was the only viable option for me 22 months after going ODS! Perhaps if I had not been working in fear and been put on a modified work schedule and removed from the collision reconstruction team and just assigned traffic enforcement duties then maybe I would still be there. I saw others around me being bullied and cajoled to keep on working and to ignore the work restrictions placed on them “for the good of the force”. So I toiled away and slowly eroded all the good that my therapist was doing, by exposing myself to a trigger rich environment and by engaging in new trauma on a weekly basis. The force can save so many careers in the future by encouraging early intervention by training front line officers and managers to spot the telltale behaviors and then to reduce the work load and get the member assessed and treated. Thirty days ODS and therapy at the onset can probably prevent two or more years ODS if there is no intervention at all. Members are human beings, because of our compassion and our mandate we would not leave a citizen in need on the side of the road in pain or in harm’s way. No we would use the provisions and tools at hand to ensure they got the help they needed, victim services, medical attention, mental health care voluntary or involuntary care, why do we not do the same thing for the men and women who serve beside us? It seems to me members are NOT first, and that has to change. leave no one on the ground and leave no one behind, one for all and all for one. (Corny I know but it fits) Intervention and prevention are less costly then ignoring the problem and bullying people into line with ridicule, shame and menial assignments. David J Hale
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 17:21:53 +0000
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