February 8-10, 2010

Goal: Turning vulnerability into strength through learning, utilizing and offering peer support.

This is an experiential workshop for officers who have "been there."
Despite the best support immediately following a critical incident, there can be long-lasting effects. Going through a critical incident is like crossing a fence with no opportunity to jump back. A critical indicent can rupture an officer's basic worldview. Officers are vulnerable and have to come to grips emotionally with a reality that the uninitiated cannot understand. The job, the street, and one's weapon are perceived differently after a critical incident.

The PCIS will provide education on trauma, patterns of resolution, and field-tested coping strategies to promote recovery and resilience. Peer support is an important element of the PCIS. Discussion of incidents with fellow officers who have "been there" promotes normalization and recovery. This seminar format has been in use by the FBI for over 25 years.

What is a critical incident? A critical incident is any event that results in an overwhleming sense of vulnerability and/or loss of control. These include line-of-duty shootings, getting shot or seriously hurt on the job, high-speed pursuits that end in trafedy, events that bring prolonged and critical media attention, personal tragedies, and similar situations.

What will I get out of this? You will have an opportunity to share your experience with your peers, give and receive support, attend sessions with law enforcement related mental health professionals using proven trauma recovery methods, and learn coping strategies that will enable your recovery from past critical indicents and strengthen your ability to deal with future incidents.

While several state police organizations around the country offer PCIS-type programs for their own agency, there is currently no program which is regional or statewide in scope and is offered to any officer in the state. The facilitators will be law enforcement peers, mental health professionals, and law enforcement chaplains.We are planning a PCIS retreat which would include 35 participants and 15 facilitators. We may not be able to include everyone who wishes to participate in the program, so as the course fills up, a waiting list will be started. This program is offered to any sworn officers from South Carolina, including SLED agents, SCDNR officers, SCDPS officers, SCDPPP agents, other state police personnel, sheriff's deputies, offiers from local police departments, and federal agents based in South Carolina.

Spouses and significant others, and 911 telecommunicators are also invited to attend the 2009 PCIS offerings.

Date: February 8-10, 2010
Location: 5503 Sunset Blvd., Lexington, SC

Recertification credit is available through SCCJA for sworn officers.

For more information, call J. Eric Skidmore, 803-252-2664 or cell 803-206-8961

Download Registration Form in PDF format.

Download fact sheet and schedule in PDF format. View a list of law enforcement agencies whose officers have participated in past PCIS seminars.

Sponsor: The South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program