Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

If you feel that they have not yet reached that critical stage, or are unsure of their intentions, here are some suggestions:
Ask the person if they are suicidal; ask how and when they plan on killing themselves. Most people who are suicidal will tell you exactly what their plans are.
Be yourself. Anything else feels phony and won't be natural to you or the person who is talking to you.
What you say or don't say is not as important as how you say it. If you can't find the right words, but feel genuinely concerned, your voice and manner will show this.
Listen without judging. Listen without giving advice or telling them how to "fix" the problem. If you aren't a counselor or professional this will probably be resented.
Instead of giving him your own recipes for happiness, try to see what he thinks would help. Try to understand what he is going through.
If the person is a Metro employee or family member you can call PEAP for assistance. But again, if you believe the person is an immediate threat call for patrol response
first.
Do not forget to respect your limitations in what you can and cannot do as far as helping the suicidal person is concerned.
Do not try to help by doing everything for him. He may think that he is no longer able to take action and feel like he is losing control. He may try to get control back by committing suicide.
Remember that you are not responsible for what he does. He is the one who decides to kill himself, not you, regardless of what he may say.
Don't ignore warning signs when you see them. Don't stay silent because you fear getting someone in trouble with the department.

What is Metro's crisis intervention policy?

The Employee Crisis Intervention Policy (5/110.30) is designed to identify and support the employee whose behavior indicates that they are an immediate threat to themselves or others, and to ensure safety in the workplace for all Metro employees. It is initiated by the employee's chain of command and is administered through the Health & Safety Office.

The policy is non-punitive in nature and clearly outlines employees and supervisors responsibilities in these matters. Remember: when an employee is clearly intent on harming themselves or someone else, getting them immediate help is critical.

PEAP is involved to ensure the employee receives emotional support throughout the process. PEAP does not evaluate employees, recommend the use of the crisis intervention policy, keep records or determine if an employee is fit for duty. We are not licensed counselors or therapists.

he Policy Is NOT...
No policy can force an individual to get help if they don't want it or don't think that they need it. It is not a long-term fix for the issues in someone's life. The policy simply ensures that our employees in the workplace are fit for duty and that they get the help they need.

Is it confidential?
The employee's chain of command must be notified and written records of an employee's fitness for duty will be kept. Per Department Policy 5/110.30 (Employee Crisis Intervention) any documents or forms relating to the enactment of this policy will be maintained in a secure file in the Health & Safety Services Section.

Is PEAP Confidential?
PEAP does not keep records of who we see or what we talk about. Per Department Policy 5/110.22 (Police Employees Assistance Program) any information discussed with participants of the PEAP program will be considered privileged and confidential with the following exceptions:

A. The person is an immediate threat to self or others.
B. The person admits to a felony crime (including illicit drugs).

These are the only instances when information shared with PEAP will not be kept confidential. Talking about suicidal feelings is very different from a crisis situation where someone is close to acting on those feelings.

Don't ignore warning signs merely because you are afraid of getting the employee in trouble. Remember that these people don't want to die, they want help.

The information in this article was gathered from the book "Death With No Valor", by Robert Douglas and his work with Concerns Of Police Survivors in their training "The Trauma Of Law Enforcement Death".What is the department's crisis intervention policy?