HELP

BYLOUCAMPIONE

In October 2007, President McNesby asked for a review of all that the F.O.P. and Law Enforcement Health Benefits was doing with regard to our Behavioral Health programs.

Together we reviewed all of our programs and made a series of recommendations to President John McNesby and to Law Enforcement Health Benefits Administrator Tom Lamb and now we work with current Administrator Jack Gaittens and Assistant Administrator Ray Convery. All of these recommendations were adopted, and we continue to develop programs according to the needs of our membership. For example, L.E.H.B. Health Transformation Program is designed to help us lose fat, develop muscle, and to get into shape. L.E.H.B. is working with Damien Young of Warrior Consultants. All L.E.H.B. members, their spouse, and dependent children 18 years or older, who are on the L.E.H.B. coverage are eligible to participate. This program has helped our members lose more than 3000 pounds of fat and gain 1000 pounds of muscle... Every New Year we make New Year’s resolutions. Every year the most common is to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier. One survey concluded 180 million people make New Year resolutions and 8% keep them. The most common reason for the failure is that we do not change the behavior that is causing us to make the resolutions. The fundamental issue is that the change has to come from within motivational speaker Matthew Kelly describes it as our lives change when our habits change. So, if the resolution is improved health, we strongly encourage you to join our L.E.H.B. trainer Damien Young at d.young@warriorworkoutcamps.com. The benefit of daily exercise also impacts reducing stress, anger, anxiety, depression, if you add prayer and meditation to your commitment, you can also gain a spiritual benefit and in these times, we all desperately need God’s help.

Each of these programs developed as a result of needs of our members and their families.

These resources have been tested and have proven themselves as valuable resources. These programs assist in the healing process, as we have seen lives, marriages, and families restored. We have the wealth of six hundred members of the Police Clergy Program, who represent every denomination and are willing to help with any spiritual concerns. We have approximately eleven hundred providers available: psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers to address mental health concerns. Whatever the need is we can find a resource. Please use the programs, to help let the healing begin, to help get to a safe place.

Father Steve Wetzel leads our Michael the Archangel Chaplains program. This is a non- denominational approach providing spiritual support for you and your family. Father Steve can be reached at 215-629-3622 his office is located at the F.O.P. 11603 Caroline Road.

The Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police, Law Enforcement Health Benefits; and the Department of Health are partnering to bring our members a smoking cessation support and assistance programs

Dr. Trisha Macnair and Dr. Olga Calof summarize years of research in the long-life equation published by Adams Media 2007, conclude smoking reduces life expectancy by eight years. They conclude, cigarette smoking is the single most important cause of preventable disease and premature death in developed countries. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are highly toxic, such as arsenic, formaldehyde, cyanide, benzene, toluene, and acrolein.

The good news is that research shows if you stop smoking you can undue most of the damage.

• Bottles and Badges

AA Support Group Meetings are every Wednesday at 7:00pm, the Fraternal Order of Police 11630 Caroline Road. We can help provide the support you need to stop drinking. If you want help to stop, we are here to help. o Information can be obtained from Rob Lutz 215-239-8015 or Lou Campione at 215-823-9828 • First Responder Addiction Treatment (F.R.A.T.) Program o Livengrin Foundation has been treating Philadelphia Police Officers Since 1966. This program was designed and run by one of our own Lodge 5 members. The staff of the FRAT program is a mixture of active and retired law enforcement, peer and professional counselors. They can help with all addictions or a combination of addiction and mental health concerns. Both inpatient and outpatient needs are addressed with this program. The FRAT program can help get police officers back on the street with better coping skills and more resources to cope with job related stress. o FRAT HOTLINE- 855-372-8435 o Web Page www.responderaddiction.com • Gambling Treatment • Charles P. Mirarchi, III was our go to guy for gambling addiction for many years. C.P. was called home by God on April 16 th after a courageous battle against cancer. We are most grateful to CP for the help he provided to hundreds of our sisters and brother, our prayers are with his family. We have received requests for help regarding gambling, it effects every facet of your life. It can change your perception, strain your relationships, and interfere with your obligations and responsibilities. You may think you can stop any time you want. However, you just cannot seem to do it. Compulsive gambling is an addiction which can be successfully treated if you have the right help.

Julian Katz is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is a member of CP Mirarchi Counseling services. He can be reached 856-904-7030 email Juliankatzlpc@gmail.com. He has offices at 1526 Wolf St. Phila. Pa. 19145. Green to Blue this is a support group for our members who also serve in the military. It is open to all military personnel components.

For information contact Alfeia Goodwin alfeia.goodwin@us.army.mil, we are working with The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the

University of Pennsylvania. They provide behavioral health care at no cost for veterans and their families, call 844-573-3146. ▪ Psychologist Dr. Paul Dikun o The Doctor is in on Fridays starting a 6:00AM at Law Enforcement Health Benefits at 2233 Spring Garden St. o To make an appointment contact Helen Miller at LEHB 215-763-8290. To make appointment at his office call 215-638-4520, 2824 Hulmeville Road Bensalem, PA.19020 ▪ Internal Employee Assistance Program (Peer Officers) o Available by contacting 215-685-9940 1341 N. Delaware Ave. room 407 ▪ External E.A.P. (Professional Counseling) o External Employee Assistance is provided by Penn Behavioral Health. They are a part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Combined with our Law Enforcement Health Benefits counseling network, which is facilitated by Charlie Baker 215-763-8290, we have available eleven hundred, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Counselors and Social Workers. o Penn can be reached at 1-888-321-4433, 24 hours a day. ▪ Shooters Support Group o The group meets at the Fraternal Order Police o 11630 Caroline Road. This is a support group open to anyone who has been involved in a shooting. Yvette Clark and Jonathan Josey have led this charge. o Any questions concerning the Shooters Support Group please contact, Jonathan Josey 267-235-1539, or Yvette Clark 215-669-1321. ▪ If you have questions concerning any of these programs, contact Lou Campione

In addition to the above listed programs, we have asked for assistance from outside agencies, and they have provided tremendous help to us. These programs include: o Retrouvaille weekend program for hurting marriages, with follow up sessions to assist in continuing the healing and renewal process. Contact 1-800-470-2230. ▪ Focus on the Family o Resources for marriage, family, and parenting. o Contact 1-800-A-Family or www.focusonthefamily.org. ▪ New Life Resources o Dealing with life and addictions. o Contact 1-800-New-Life or www.newlife.com ▪ Family Life Today o Resources for marriage and family. o Contact 1-800-FLTODAY or www.familylife.org. ▪ Project Rachel o Post abortion healing o Contact 215-587-5640 ▪ Boystown.org/parenting

Finally, we would be remiss not to discuss the spiritual component of behavioral health. There have been more than two thousand studies that have concluded a strong spiritual foundation helps us in every aspect of life. This spiritual impact is very present when it comes to marriage; one survey concluded that the divorce rate for those families that pray together each day and attend weekly services was 1 out of 1052 as compared to 1 out of 2 for those who do not. There is an old saying the family that prays together stays together. A recent study concluded if a father practice’s his faith ninety one percent of the time the children will follow. Wow, what a powerful difference a father can make in the life of his children. The Judeo-Christian tradition of the father being the spiritual leader of his family is validated by social science. What a priceless legacy we can leave to our families for all eternity. In his book “When Divorce is not an option: How to Heal Your Marriage and Nurture Lasting Love. ” The author Dr. Greg Popcak concludes “that people don’t just luck into successful marriages; it requires skills which can be taught. ” He contends that if a couple seek a “marriagefriendly” counselor, meaning the counselor is committed to saving the marriage and has had formal training and supervision in martial therapy, they have success rates of 95 percent.

Some of the resources that are committed to saving marriage can be found in Retrouvaille, Focus on the Family, New Life, Family Life Today, and Catholic Counselors.Com. Each of these resources has as a foundation a spiritual commitment to saving your marriage.

If you want to make spiritual exercise a part of your daily routine, then you can start by finding a place to worship, praying, reading religious literature, and listening to religious material. There are Bibles available in daily reading versions offering 365 segments in twentyminute sessions. All of this can help you develop the spiritual muscle that you can depend upon to get you through the stress of our chosen career. There is an old expression that there are no atheists in foxholes. Our careers in law enforcement are the fox hole experience, we need all the help we can get to get through it. We can connect you with six hundred clergy from all faiths, from the Police Chaplains Program for any spiritual need that you may have if we can help contact Lou Campione 215-823-9828.