Brookline Police Join Critical Incident Stress Management Team

BROOKLINE, MA – The Brookline Police Department is joining a newly created law enforcement initiative that focuses on officers' resiliency and wellbeing when responding to critical incidents.

BPD is one of eight greater Boston departments to join the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team, a program founded and facilitated by the Cambridge Police Department.

In addition to the Brookline and Cambridge agencies, officers from Arlington, Belmont, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville and Watertown have signed on to the team. Members of the regional group will serve as peer support officers who may have been affected by critical events.

Each participating department has up to five officers trained in Critical Incident Stress Management acting as liaisons; these officers will attend group crisis interventions, demobilizations and debriefings as needed, help mediate conflicts and provide ongoing support.

"Police officer wellness is extremely important. This team will provide an opportunity for an officer who has just experienced atraumatic event to talk with people who understand what they went through and what they will experience in the coming days and weeks," Brookline Police Chief Dan O'Leary said in a statement. "This is a unique opportunity to support officers as they process their feelings and concerns stemming from an incident they dealt with. Our officers deserve this and more."

Image via Brookline Police Twitter