The South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SCLEAP) exists as a partnership between four state police agencies in South Carolina: the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole Services, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Shortly after the leadership of these agencies signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding, the state legislature took action, which mandated the existence of SCLEAP and made the critical incident support services of the program available to any local law enforcement agency upon request.

The work of SCLEAP is governed by formal guidelines at three levels: South Carolina Code of Laws, § 23-3-65; the Memorandum of Understanding signed by all state police partners on January 21, 2000; and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Policy 3.38. Additionally, the work of SCLEAP is governed by policies internal to the other three member agencies, as well as course training guidelines provided by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

The work of SCLEAP may be likened to a wheel with many spokes extending in a multitude of directions. The hub of the operation is a two-person staff supported by over 250 trained volunteers. These include peer support team members, chaplains, mental health professionals, and spouses. The largest spoke in the wheel involves Critical Incident Response and Peer Support to officers in all 46 counties of the state. Other spokes include:

§        Chaplaincy Training and Pastoral Support of Employees;

§        Marriage and Family Counseling and Referral;

§        Annual Seminars on Post Traumatic Stress Reactions;

§        Annual Survivor Seminars for Survivors of Troopers Killed in the Line of Duty;

§        A Peer-Based Addiction Intervention Program;

§        Peer-Based Support for Police Officers Returning from War Zones in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

§        Confidential Psychological Referral Services for Employees and their Family Members.

All of the services may be accessed formally, 24-hours a day, through the State Police Telecommunications Center, or informally by contacting the SCLEAP offices directly. Contact information is widely available through the SCLEAP website, email communication directly to law enforcement administrators, and brochure distribution.

In the past year, the services of SCLEAP have been used in Critical Incident Responses for 16 officer-involved shootings in five city police departments, five sheriff’s departments, and three state police agencies. SCLEAP has also provided two-day Critical Incident Training on seven occasions, as well as conducted two Post Critical Incident Seminars. It also has been called upon to provide Critical Incident and Peer Support for the suicide of an officer, the suicide of an officer‘s spouse, multiple incidents involving the death of children, and a host of other work-related and personal incidents.

Additionally, SCLEAP has provided a statewide two-day training for law enforcement chaplains, hosted an annual three-day Survivor Seminar in October of 2004, and assisted the Virginia State EMS office with Critical Incident Training. The staff and volunteers have made more than 30 pastoral visits and provided counsel and/or referral to over 50 employees of the member agencies.

While results are difficult to measure in the field of human services, a cursory review of the data reveals the following:

• Statewide requests for Critical Incident and Peer Support Services are increasing each year, from one request in 1997 to 26 requests in 2004.
• Requests for training from state and local law enforcement are increasing, from one request in 1997 to 13 requests in 2004.
• Volunteer participation is on the rise, from 20 volunteers in 1997 to 250+ volunteers in 2005.
• The Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) has come to be expected by the 260+ state and local law enforcement agencies in South Carolina. In July of 2005, SCLEAP will host their 6^th annual PCIS.
• Private support of SCLEAP, through an independent 501[c]3, has steadily increased to over $30,000 per year. Citizens of South Carolina voluntarily contributed over $14,000 to SCLEAP in 2004, the first year of a tax check-off opportunity on the SC 1040 Form.
• Well-established partnerships now exist between SCLEAP and South Carolina Educational Television, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Virginia Department of Health – Office of EMS.
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For more information on SCLEAP visit their website at www.scleap.org or contact J. Eric Skidmore, Director of SCLEAP, at (803) 783-3024.