Originally published: . Volume 12, No. 7. Source pages: 8.
SB 66 was amended on the Senate floor the governor signed it in June to become Act 283, the Peace Officer and Public Safety Personnel Peer Support and Mental Health Wellness Act. According to the new law, "Peer support program" means a program established by a governmental entity to provide peer support services to peace officers and public safety personnel. "Peer support member" means a person specially trained and certified to voluntarily provide confidential emotional and moral support and assistance to peace officers and public safety personnel and who is approved as a peer support member by the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, but need not be a peace officer or a licensed counselor or mental health professional. "Peer support session" means any communication by a peace officer or public safety personnel with a peer support member, primarily through listening, assessing, and assisting with problem-solving, and may include referring a peace officer or public safety personnel for professional intervention or treatment that is beyond the scope of the peer support member, and includes a group session following a critical incident experienced by a group of peace officers or public safety personnel. "Peer support training" means training in peer support and critical incident stress conducted by the Southern Law Enforcement Foundation, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc., or an equivalent program as approved by the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. New law provides that any governmental entity that establishes a peer support program must ensure that peer support members successfully complete the training required by new law before being designated as a peer support member. New law applies only to peer support sessions conducted by an employee or agent of a governmental entity who has both successfully completed peer support training and, at the time of the peer support session, has been designated by a governmental entity to act as a peer support member.
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