2017 NJSPBA Mini-Convention

The part of the Mini-Convention when members usually get up to go to the restroom turned out to be one of the most eye-opening moments of the entire week.

The second day of meetings began with the report from Peer Assistance Liaison Mike Pellegrino, who brought the PBA’ s extensive network of mental health professionals to the podium. Starting with Dr. Gene Stefanelli, the PBA’ s Director of Clinical Services, these experts offered motivation for members to account for their mental health and wellness and that of their sisters and brothers.

“ I want to remind you that we have a Peer Assistance Response Team that trains you about what to do if you have officers in crisis and get them help quick, within 24 hours,” Dr. Stef advised.“ More members are coming out and asking for help. Tough cops ask for help. We’ re here for you. Call us. I don’ t care what it’ s about. Just call us.”

Roy Diaz, a retired Detective Lieutenant from Union County Prosecutors Office Local 250 and a clinician with Cop2Cop, emphasized that his group provides the most robust suicide hotline in the country – 50,000 calls taken so far – and a lot more.

“ We offer cops who are clinicians, who can diagnose you and send you to a referral network of more than 200 providers,” Diaz noted.“ We are strictly confidential. We also offer critical incident stress management and a wounded-officer support group. Our focus is to get you back to where you want to be, whether you are dealing with depression, anxiety, marital issues or whatever.”

Jeff Weinstein presented information about Florida House, the facility on nine acres in Deerfield Beach, Florida, that provides addiction and rehabilitation services exclusively for first responders and has been partnering with the NJ State PBA for the past year.

“ We work with your delegates to get you healthy, strong, back on the job and back to your family,” Weinstein related.“ We are working with neuro and bio rehabilitation. It’ s groundbreaking and cutting-edge technology that maps the areas of your brain causing that unmanageability due to addiction, alcoholism, traumas or eating or sleep disorders. Part of the rehab is to rehab the brain and restore it to its original factory settings.”

Actually, mental health and wellness led to another of the most eye-opening sessions of the week. Later on Day 2, Dr. Michael Bizzarro, who assists Dr. Stef with the PBA’ s clinical services and is Director of First Responder Services for Princeton House Behavioral Health, led a discussion about a proactive approach to physical and mental health.

Dr. B shared his personal story of how addiction cost him his job as a Port Authority Officer and how that led him to a hotel room in Long Branch, when he put a 9mm handgun to his head.

“ I lost my job, and in 1975 you really had to screw up to lose your job,” Dr. Bizzarro revealed.“ I’ m thinking,‘ What did I have to live for?’ It had to be an act of divine intervention that I didn’ t pull that trigger.”

Since then, Dr. B has developed a theory that if“ you take care of you,” your likelihood of winding up in rehab will be significantly reduced. To bring that to PBA members and provide the treatment they need, he asked State Delegates to bring a questionnaire back to Local members, asking about the services they believe will help them the most. His goal is to create a series of seminars to provide those services, and even begin some of those seminars at the PBA Convention in September.

“ Take 15 minutes and ask yourself some questions so you can tell us how we can help,” Dr. B requested.“ When that‘ check engine’ light comes on, some people keep driving. Some people stop and have the car checked. If you don’ t address what is bothering you, it’ s not going to go away.” d

34 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2017