A MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
 

Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis A United Way Agency

In this issue . . .

Retirement used to be the end of the career road. But not anymore.

Today many would-be retirees are using retirement as a launching pad for new careers that allow them to do what they really want, sometimes for the first time in their work lives.

Americans have added 20 to 30 years in life expectancy over prior generations. For many who are in good health, this represents a "second middle age", a time when they still have abundant energy and ambition.

However, many mentally and physically active people in their 50’s and 60’s are burned out on their first careers. Some never found work they enjoyed, but disciplined themselves to stay with what they were doing because of the needs of their growing families. Others enjoyed their work, but stayed in careers past the time when their enthusiasm waned.

Freed of pragmatic considerations like getting their kids through school and gathering their nest egg for retirement, they are poised for change. They are seeking new careers as well as new lifestyles.

While these "second middle lifers" often need to do something dramatically different, they will sometimes pick up on an aspect of their work or hobbies that has lain dormant for years. The new career is frequently more "from the heart" than their prior work. It frequently contains elements of passion or service to humanity that were missing (and yearned for) in their earlier work.

A high ranking police officer had been coaching Little League baseball for years on his off time. He really enjoyed working with youngsters. He started to get his certification as an elementary school teacher while still working on the police force. Then he "retired" to teaching an 8th grade class in a Catholic school.

This is not an isolated instance of a super-energetic individual who is highly unusual for his generation. A recent Louis Harris poll revealed that 80% of those approaching retirement hope to work after they pass that milestone.

I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to make these kinds of changes start planning well in advance. The career and lifestyle evolution can take several years to think through and turn into reality. And long term financial planning is critical.

The first step in the career/lifestyle transition is to identify elements an individual wants in an ideal work situation, including skills, working conditions, passions, money, etc., as well as items like time for hobbies or living in a warm climate. The second step is conceptualizing solutions and reality testing them. And the third is implementing the vision. This all requires time for reflection, sifting alternatives and making choices.

It is one of the miracles of my own work life to observe clients in this age group transform themselves from bored, sometimes disenchanted individuals to excited, focused human beings with a sense of purpose. The change can lead to a spurt of late-life productivity and work satisfaction that is the envy of many a younger person!

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By Anthony Cuneo, LCSW, MBA, Chief of Clinical Services and Boyd Brown, LCSW,  Emergency Room Unit Manager at Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center.

By Sgt. Steve Aubuchon,  a 27 year veteran of the Overland Police Department.

Within a month of starting my career as a police officer, I attended the retirement celebration of a Lieutenant who was leaving after 30+ years of service. This is the way it is supposed to be, right? Right into retirement after a wonderful career of police service. Within a very short time, I learned that this was not true. In fact most officers wish they could retire from their departments sooner and get on with their lives.

As the years went by, we were able to improve our pension plan to "20 and out." By this time, I was half way there. The trouble was, what do I do when I leave? What in the world could this profession be preparing me for in the real world? I went to school for business courses and found that I was lacking the drive to pursue that career as it just didn’t seem right for me.

As I approached the 20-year mark, a number of events occurred in my life that placed me on my current path. The most significant event was my appointment to be a D.A.R.E. Officer. Upon completing the program and beginning to teach in the schools, I noticed a change in my outlook and motivations. Working with the students provided a lot of personal fulfillment that had been lacking up to this time.

The teaching regimen and added duties of working with the schools as a resource officer were challenging and exhausting. But at the end of the week, I always felt good about what I had done and did not feel as though I was wasting my time in a dead end job. It was after analyzing this situation that I discovered that what I wanted to do after police work was to become a teacher.

The concern with this decision became how I would work and go to school at the same time without short-changing either. As my department has a permanent mid-night shift, the solution was easy. Was I really that dedicated?

I am now in my third year on this shift and my goal is in sight. It has not been easy working the midnight shift and going to school. There are a lot of activities that I have missed out on. The next major hurdle is the student teaching. Although I haven’t quite figured out how I am going to handle that yet, I am sure I will figure it out when that time arrives.

No matter where you are in your police career, start thinking now about what you might like to do when you are eligible for your pension. Once you have thought about it, get working to achieve it. There is any number of solutions to achieving your goals and shift work is no excuse for not achieving them. If you believe it is, you are only cheating yourself.

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Current Issues: Police Suicide

By Elisabeth Caraffa, Ph.D., Director of Psychology and the Director of the Residential Treatment Program at Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital.

Suicide Rates Increase in the Spring

Spring is coming and with it a rise in suicide. January and February have very low rates, however the rates skyrocket in March and April, drop back off, then increase again in September and October.

Suicide rates have steadily increased (by 300%) in the past several decades and the age at which the average suicide occurs has steadily dropped. In 1970, the average age of a suicide was 47, today the average age is under 30. In 1999, suicide became the 11^th leading cause of death, responsible for 30,000 deaths per year.

In the past, occupations with the highest suicide rates included physicians, health care workers, male guards and female artists. In recent years attention has been given to suicide among police officers. Data indicates that every year, 3 out of 10 officers are attacked while on the job, however police officers are eight times more likely to die by their own hand than by homicide. Other agencies, such as the FBI, also have higher than normal rates of suicide among their agents. And this isn’t limited to the United States. In Paris, France, in 1995, 60 police officers committed suicide, up 50% from the prior decade.

Harvey Stock, a police officer and psychologist, states "Typically, the cop who commits suicide is a male, white, 35, working patrol, abusing alcohol, separated or seeking a divorce and experiencing a recent loss or disappointment." He notes that prior to most police suicides, the officer was drinking heavily.

Alcohol use starts out as a way of relieving the daily stress of the job. This works until the officer becomes increasingly dependent on alcohol as a stress reliever. The increasing amounts of alcohol have a depressant effect which can make an underlying depression worse. The easy access to a lethal weapon adds to the probability that a suicide may occur.

Various explanations are offered for the increase in police suicide. Some of these are: repeated stressors to life threatening danger, exposure to gruesome death, bodily injury, human violence or destruction, fatigue, hunger and sleep deprivation.

Other stressors frequently found are: irregular work hours interfering with home and family life, public criticism, judicial contradictions and inconsistencies. Perhaps their career has stagnated due to few development opportunities or they are under investigation. Most important is the perception that they have lost control—that it is hopeless to try to attain what they want or need.

One writer sums it up this way: "Graduate frequently exposed to blood, gore and danger. Does not unburden these horrors on spouse. Spouse wouldn’t understand. A few drinks with the guys after work helps to unwind. Fellow cops understand. Can’t trust civilians. Can’t admit troubles even to fellow cops; would be considered a wimp. Can’t trust fellow cops. Drinking increases. Spouse takes off. Gun is handy."

• An officer who starts having a high number of off-duty accidents
• A rise in citizen complaints about aggressiveness-verbal or physical
• A change in personality in which a sullen, quiet officer becomes talkative, or a normally talkative officer becomes quiet and withdrawn
• The officer starts giving away prized possessions
• The officer suddenly writes a will
• Use of excessive sick time
• Deliberately places him/herself in danger
• Increased arguments with fellow officers
• Significant weight gain or loss
• Doesn’t sleep well, or sleeps too much
• Lowered interested in normal social activities

Some strategies used by some police departments are:

• Totally confidential counseling/EAP services for officers and their families which includes drug and alcohol counseling
• Suicide awareness training for all officers
• Train officers about the effects of repeated trauma
• Reduce or eliminate rotating shifts
• Utilize a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing model
• Stress Management training
• Assist in retirement planning/second career planning
• Increased recognition of officers

If someone is talking openly about suicide or is insinuating that s/he may commit suicide talk with them in an open, non-judgmental manner. Don’t appear to be shocked and don’t allow yourself to be sworn to secrecy. Offer hope that alternatives are available, but do not offer glib reassurances such as "Everything’s going to be great". Take action and remove means of suicide—weapons or stockpiled pills. Then get help from persons or agencies specializing in suicide.

The United States Air Force noted that during 1990-1994, suicide accounted for 23% of all deaths among active duty personnel, and was the second leading cause of death. In 1995, a prevention program was established in which all personnel were required to attend annual suicide prevention and awareness training. Data collected from 1994-1998 shows that following this training the suicide rate dropped by 60%. A simple training program had significant impact.

Over 350 police officers die each year due to suicide, a preventable health problem. Current research is beginning to find some of the stressors and symptoms related to officer suicide and it is hoped that with time, training and open discussion, the rates will drop significantly.

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Q&A

By Lt. Mike Laws. Lt. Laws has worked for the Overland Police Dept. for over 17 years. He has been a volunteer in the mental health field for several years and has a master's degree in counseling.

A.  Many new career options require some type of retraining, often a college education. A college schedule can be difficult when you are juggling a rotating 24/7 schedule. Fortunately many metro area colleges and universities strive to make it easier for students to balance "real" life with their course work. Let’s look at some of the options.

Rick Steinmann, Professor of Criminal Justice at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, said he sees two basic groups of students in Lindenwood’s accelerated programs. There are younger students (20-30’s) taking criminal justice classes to advance their current career and then there are "more mature" officers (40-50’s) who are taking courses in preparation for something new after police work. Lindenwood accelerates your program by grouping their courses into 3-course "clusters" which meet once a week for 12 weeks and are worth 9 credit hours. The "normal" 3-credit college course meets 2-3 times per week for 16 weeks. Obviously once a week is easier fit into our "weird" work schedules.

Fontbonne University also has accelerated programs for working adults. The OPTIONS Program makes scheduling and registration an easy process, according to Marketing Director Cindy Bluestone. She said when students sign up for an OPTIONS degree program they only have to register one time. Their courses will be laid out for them from the beginning. Again, these are one night per week and you can choose which day when you register so you can plan your schedule in advance. Your classes are always on the same day of the week. Also, when you register, your tuition price is locked in at that current rate. No worries about increased tuition.

There are several colleges in the area with some type of accelerated programs. Another option is Maryville University. They have additional flexibility built into the program. Here you can take classes on Saturdays or Sundays instead of only weeknights. Classes run for 8 weeks and you can choose between consecutive or alternating weeks, whichever fits your schedule best. Claudine Chastain of the weekend/evening college also mentioned an added benefit for officers whose departments have tuition assistance (TA). She said Maryville does not require "up-front" payments if you are on a TA program.

As you can see there are alternatives available for officers with varying schedules. You may also find out that you have college credits you did not know about. Many colleges offer students college credit for training they have already had. For example, Columbia College gives officers college credit for their police academy training (12 or 24 credits depending on your program). With all these options out there, there is certainly no harm in checking out the possibilities and it could pay off in big ways. You not only prepare yourself for your future, but putting that degree under your Sam Browne will build up your self-esteem right now. Look into it!

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Open Mind is a column produced by the Mental Health Association, which appears weekly in many Suburban Journals.  Click here for the reprint above and access to the entire Open Mind Archive on this website.

I didn’t give much thought to retirement as a young police recruit in the late 60's. The nation had just been rocked by the slaying of Martin Luther King, and my immediate future plans centered around patrolling a foot beat in the old Pruitt-Igoe housing project. I guess I pictured myself as a crusty old cop who had done his time and then reluctantly pulled the pin. I considered any retirement to be a means to have the flexibility to do other things with my extra time.

I retired from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the summer of 1999. I was a criminal investigator for the prosecutor’s office, a job I loved. But in eighteen years in the same assignment, I felt that I had seen it all and done it all. I took advantage of St. Louis County’s "rule of 80", an early retirement program for employees who have reached a tally of 80 points when adding age and years of service.

My wife Lynda, a St. Louis County Police Officer, is nearing her early retirement milestone. Lynda has helped me find the confidence and courage to follow my dreams, and take on a wide range of jobs. I started my own business, Fireball Investigations, just after retiring. (By the way, I don’t do arson investigations. Fireball was a nickname my Grandma gave me when I was a little league fast-ball pitcher.) As an investigator in the private sector, I find my list of "don’ts" is longer than my list of "do’s". I don’t do criminal work, I don’t engage in surveillance work, and I don’t mess with domestic cases. Nonetheless, I take on many other types of civil investigations that keep me busy. But through the early stages of retirement, I couldn’t help having the exhilarating feeling of being able to do anything I wanted. In addition to my business, I have taken on other part time jobs as a courier, banquet bartender, and am currently slated to be a "driver’s helper" during the Christmas holidays for a major delivery company. Undoubtedly my most interesting side job to date has been my one year mission for the United Nations in Kosovo, Former Republic of Yugoslavia. I was an International Police Officer assigned to a municipality on the Serbian border. I can say without hesitation that police work takes on a whole new dimension when you stop a car at night, hear the sustained roar of an engine, and realize that an Apache helicopter is hovering overhead as your backup. I had a fairly tough job selling this escapade to Lynda, even though she is in law enforcement. I finally convinced her not to think of it as my being gone for a year, but rather a series of three-month periods, separated by great vacations. Lynda certainly didn’t mind the treks to France, Germany, and finally Spain.

I am gratified that my retirement is all about options, flexibility, and diversity. I anticipate this trend continuing for Lynda upon her retirement. In addition to her law enforcement experience, Lynda is a forensic document examiner with more than ten years experience in that field. She plans to expand her home-based business, Documents in Dispute, but is intent on maintaining a balance to allow time for other pursuits. Lynda’s dream job would be something on the order of driving a busload of "blue-haired ladies" to Tunica on gambling junkets. And, why not? After all, she can do anything she wants!

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We have begun archiving past issues of Street Talk on this website. 

Click here for the April 2002 issue.

Click here for the July 2002 issue.

Click here for the October 2002 issue.

Following is a dated index of previous articles that have appeared in Street Talk.  To get a copy of any article or a previous issue, please call LaDonna Haley at 314-773-1399.

"It Worked for Me" (Officer Gorman)

Holiday blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

What should I know about Bipolar Disorder?

"When it finally hit home – part 1" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)

Public policy, mental health, your work

Liability issues for officers and departments

In the Limelight: Hazelwood PD

At Your Service: St. Patrick Center

I’d like you to know (helpful hints)

Dealing with frequent callers

"When it finally hit home – part 2" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)

Officer and Department of the year awards

At Your Service: Provident Counseling

Q&A: All about EAP’s

Know your mental health options

What does confidentiality really mean?

Rethinking our strategies (John Bozarth)

Anger management

Helping peers in distress

In the Limelight: Ballwin and Hazelwood PD’s

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