Conference aimed at managing stress

Stacy J. Willis

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

Metro Police Officer Kenny O'Rourke shot and killed a man one Christmas more than 10 years ago. The man's wife and kids watched it happen.

The suspect was drunk and angry, armed and stomping about in an apartment complex, eventually opening fire on police officers.

Days after shooting the suspect, O'Rourke began having nightmares. "And I got very aggressive. I got six internal complaints filed against me in eight months, after having none before," he said.

O'Rourke went through a long process of psychological evaluation, and was found to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He transferred from patrol to a position at the Clark County Detention Center -- and took up an interest in helping police deal with stressful incidents.

This weekend O'Rourke is participating in the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation conference at the Riviera hotel-casino. More than 300 people -- ranging from police and paramedics to social workers and clergy -- are registered for the event, which lasts through Sunday.

Southern Nevadans representing the city and county fire departments, police departments, child protective services and other trauma-related professions are building a network of peers trained to help one another emotionally process crisis events.

Kathy Lambermont, a Child Protective Services specialist for Clark County, said, "We see shaken babies and sick children and children deaf from being slapped and all sorts of sexual abuse -- it really has a cumulative effect on a person.

"But for a long time, my peers were just sucking it up."

That changed about six years ago, when Lambermont worked a case in which a baby was left in a car and died from the heat.

"It was pretty emotional. And I noticed that my colleagues in the police and fire departments were debriefed about it, and I thought, 'We need that, too.' "

Lambermont contacted the Southern Nevada Critical Incident Stress Management Network and started a program at Child Protective Services.

Today about 20 workers in her department are trained in seven stages of stress debriefing, and have helped their colleagues get through traumatic events such as the Jessica Williams auto accident that killed six children.

"The main idea is just to encourage them to ventilate," Natalie Guesman, a child protective services specialist, said. "It's all voluntary, and we just let people know we're available, and give them an opportunity to vent."

Debriefings usually take place within two days of the traumatic event, and are confidential.

"It's not counseling. We refer them to professionals if they need it. But it often just helps to have peers to talk through the event and the emotion," Lambermont said.

The Rev. Charlie Bolin, Riviera Hotel Chaplain, is a training coordinator for the local network. Although Bolin got involved because he is also a U.S. Air Force chaplain, he said the stress management skills are used at the hotel, too.

"You would be surprised at the incidents that occur here. We have employees who experience suicides (in their families) and domestic violence and other traumas," Bolin said.

"This is a peer-driven program to help professionals help their own, and that's something we should do more of."