The Child Advocacy Center of Putnam County, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and Putnam County Department of Mental Health, in association with the Putnam County Suicide Prevention Task Force have joined together to sponsor this event.
The workshop will be presented by Timothy Whitcomb, sheriff for the Cattaraugus County Sheriff Office in western New York.
PTSD is a mental health condition triggered when a person experiences, witnesses, or learns about a trauma resulting in distressing psychological effects.
Many jurisdictions report clusters of suicides in the first responder population, both active and retired, and it is concluded they had a suicide risk 25 times that of the wider population.
“So many persons who suffer from behavioral health issues do so as a result of trauma," said Mike Piazza, commissioner of Putnam County Departments of Mental Health, Social Services and Youth Bureau. "Illness and disease itself often trigger traumatic experiences. This training will help inspire healing and thus make our community stronger.”
Whitcomb knows firsthand and will share his personal experience on what it is like to work to heal an organization overwhelmed by the loss of a colleague.
He is currently serving his 25th year in law enforcement, where he spent seven years working major crimes in the Criminal Investigation Bureau. He is a recognized expert and national speaker on the impact of trauma, PTSD and suicide within the ranks of helping professionals.
“PTSD is a very important subject that needs to be included in the training for all law enforcement, firefighters and emergency responders," Putnam County Sheriff Donald Smith said. "Unfortunately, these heroes experience tragedies and horrific scenes as part of their daily jobs. It is absolutely essential that they receive training in recognizing and dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and suicide prevention.”
To register, call Elaine Haskell at 845-808-1400, extension 44123 or e-mail [email protected].
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