Suicide and Law Enforcement: Is Suicide Intervention a Necessary Part of Police Training? (From Suicide and Law Enforcement, P 105-113, 2001, Donald C. Sheehan and Janet I. Warren, eds. -- See NCJ-193528)

• NCJ Number: 193538
• Author(s): Dwayne L. Heinsen; Tarie Kinzel; Richard Ramsay
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 9 pages
• Sale Source: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: A paper submitted to the Suicide and Law Enforcement Conference, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA, September 1999.

Annotation

This paper outlines a comprehensive suicide crisis response model for law enforcement agencies and describes a results-driven suicide intervention training program that has been successfully implemented in a wide range of community organizations.

Abstract

The suicide crisis response model has four core components: the domain of people in crisis, the paradigm of police work, the domestic domain of police officers, and crisis management methods. The domain of people in crisis consists of the belief systems, institutional services, personal supports, and individual circumstances of people's lives. These elements sometimes interrelate in ways that lead individuals to the kind of desperation and hopelessness that results in suicidal behaviors. The paradigm of police work defines the parameters of the police profession by its common codes of conduct, chain of command, methods of training, expectations of its officers, and emphasis on the ability to be in control. The domain of police officers consists of the same elements that affect the lives of people in crisis, and they combine in similar ways in the personal and professional lives of police officers. Crisis management methods consist of a wide range of intervention methods to deal with crisis situations. This paper profiles the LivingWorks 2-day ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) program, which is the most widely used and researched suicide intervention skills training in the world. LivingWorks, a public service company, forges strategic alliances with key organizations or individuals at the community level. Organizations are empowered to conduct suicide prevention programs, either through their own registered trainers or through an affiliation with LivingWorks. The result is a suicide prevention program that is "owned" by local communities, with ongoing support from LivingWorks. This paper offers eight recommendations for police agencies in the development of policies for suicide prevention and intervention, including basic suicide intervention skills training, critical-incident debriefing protocols, suicide-bereavement support services, and the identification and management of on-the-job stress.