Why Mental Health Support After A Critical Incident Matters

Law enforcement is an incredibly rewarding career. In the course of serving the community, officers can be faced with difficult situations that affect them physically and emotionally. 

Referred to as “critical incidents,” these difficult events may include situations such as a firearm being discharged or even an individual or officer losing their life. 

The impact

As anyone who’s been through a difficult experience will tell you, the impact doesn’t always hit you right away. 

Without ongoing support and multiple opportunities to process critical incidents with peers and professionals, PTSD can take hold. 

No matter how long you’ve served, critical incidents impact everyone. In fact, repeated exposure to difficult situations can lead to compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress, something Lexington County Chaplain David Perkins refers to as “auto-pilot mode.” 

A comprehensive program

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department takes a proactive, preventive approach when it comes to supporting our team’s mental health.

Though all officers receive training on what to expect in the aftermath of a critical incident at the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy, nothing can prepare you for the reality of experiencing one firsthand. Having the right support in place is crucial. 

Referred to by South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SCLEAP)’s Program Manager Eric Skidmore as a “three-legged stool,” officers have the support of their peers, chaplains and mental health professionals. 

An opportunity to talk 

At the heart of the process is the critical incident debriefing. Not only does this give officers a forum to discuss the event, share their perspective and process their experience, it also acts as a gateway to further support services. 

Four times a year, SCLEAP holds a three-day Post Critical Incident Seminar, giving officers from across the state a chance to receive additional support and training. 

Free professional support

All of us need more support sometimes, and the same is true of our deputies. As well as having Mental Health professionals present at critical incident debriefings, officers can access one-on-one mental health support at no cost. 

Whether it’s talking therapy or cutting-edge trauma processing techniques such as Eye Movement  Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), all sworn officers in South Carolina have access to a $15,000 secondary insurance benefit to cover any co-pay or deductibles related to mental health treatment. 

A whole-person approach 

A difficult experience at work doesn’t just affect us in the workplace, it impacts every aspect of our lives. 

SCLEAP’s pioneering debriefing method invites spouses to join the process, giving them a chance to hear about what their partner has experienced and to understand its impact. 

This 360-degree approach to mental health support is something Pastor David Perkins feels strongly about. 

“My goal for them is that they are the best police officers that we can have in Lexington County,” he says. “But on top of that, I want them to be the best husbands or wives and fathers or mothers they can be.”

Support, not religion 

Chaplain Perkins is one of two chaplains available 24/7, 365 days a year for all members of the department. He describes his role as helping officers to be the best they can be “physically, mentally and spiritually.” 

Though he’s an ordained minister, the mental health support he provides isn’t a matter of faith, but of love and support. 

“I think it’s important for the officers and the people involved to understand that our job is not to push religion on them…but to be able to walk with them when they walk through the wilderness of critical incidents,” he explains.  

A proactive approach

Having structured support from chaplains and SCLEAP as part of the aftermath of critical incidents means officers get the support they need quickly. 

This proactive approach can make all the difference when it comes to mental health. Quick, free access to support stops mental health difficulties escalating, enabling our team to be at their best at work whilst serving our community and at home as a part of their family. 

Question: What do the little sister you never wanted, an impromptu cow wrangler and a former trauma health care professional have in common? 

Answer: They’re all law enforcement officers here at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department!

For our October employee profile, we’re introducing three female law enforcement officers who are excelling in their roles and making sure Lexington County remains the safe place we love to call home. 

Deputy Hannah Joslin 

Confidence, a second family and the gratitude of the community are just some of the things Deputy Joslin has gotten from her role here at LCSD. 

Going into law enforcement was a childhood dream come true for Joslin, the daughter of a retired state trooper. 

Since joining the department in February 2021, her career and skills have gone from strength to strength, challenging stereotypes along the way. 

“There’s a stereotype that only men or taller women can be in law enforcement, and I don’t fit that stereotype,” she explains. 

A high flier in our department, Joslin credits her West Region co-workers, or “second family,” for great early career support and a warm sense of community. 

“I’m like the annoying little sister they never wanted, but they got anyways,” Joslin jokes.

“We all hang out after shift. We go to each other’s houses. We have cookouts, stuff like that.”

West Region and the whole of LCSD are grateful to have Deputy Joslin as part of the family, and look forward to seeing her continue to break barriers and excel in her career. 

Deputy Kalie Natale

From military police soldier to the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Natale’s law enforcement career has been a wild ride since she left her hometown in Ohio at just 19 years old. 

Quickly forming strong bonds with her fellow night shift co-workers, role models such as K-9 Deputy Candi Shealy have inspired Natale to work hard and follow her dreams. 

She says her time at the department has helped her become more patient, find a sterner voice and taught her to improvise when facing the unexpected. 

A middle-of-the-night call about a cow in Swansea even found her putting her lassoing skills and creativity to the test. 

“I guess I’m just not prepared to wrangle cows every day, but I ended up taking some crime

scene tape and making it into a lasso and trying to get the cow,” Natale said. “Thankfully, there was a neighbor across the street who let me use some of her rope, and she let us put him back in the yard.”

No stranger to hard work, Natale is also studying Criminal Justice online at South University with an eye on continuing to progress her law enforcement career in the Major Crimes Unit. 

Deputy Katelyn Knipher 

Rewind a few years and you’d find Deputy Knipher in scrubs, not in uniform. Having earned a degree in biology, she worked in a trauma hospital ER for five years. 

After stepping away from health care, Knipher discovered she could find many of the things she’d loved about medicine through a career in law enforcement. 

“I loved the adrenaline behind it,” Kniphfer said. “I loved helping people, getting to be there for people on their worst days, and I still get to do that”.

Knipher credits her fellow deputies for not only making the switch a success but for helping her come out of her shell and fall in love with her new career. 

Continuing to look to the future, Knipher sees many opportunities to combine her biology background and law enforcement experience in the Narcotics Unit or as a tactical medic on the SWAT team. 

Having gained valuable insight into law enforcement through job shadowing, she wants other people to make the most of these experiences and find a career they love. 

“There are a lot of people who are meant for it and are too scared to go into the field,” Kniphfer explains. “We have an internship program and we have ride-alongs…just come hang out with us for a day.”

A big thank you to Deputies Joslin, Natale and Knipher from everyone at the department and in the community for your continued dedication and service. If you’re inspired by their career stories, you can learn more about who we are and what we stand for on our dedicated recruitment website. You’ll find more information about the different roles in law enforcement, as well as what makes LCSD a great place to work.