PARTICIPATING AGENCIES AND VAPSA COMMUNITIES
Here are some of the communities and agencies. These communities and agencies recognize that their most valuable assets are their people. Those presented here are on the cutting edge in providing for their officers physical and emotional well being.
Abington Police Department
Albemarle County
Albemarle County Fire Department
Albemarle County Police Department
City of Charlottesville Police Department
The City of Colonial Heights
Colonial Heights Police Department
Colonial Heights Fire and EMS
Colonial Heights Sheriff’s Office
Culpeper Police Department
Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office
Grundy Police Department
Harrison Police Department
Haysi Regional Jail
Meherrin Regional Jail
Middle River Regional Jail
Louisa County Sheriff’s Office
Norton Police Department
Pamunkey Regional Jail
Prince George County
Prince George County Police Department
Prince George County Sheriff’s Office
Prince George County Fire & EMS
Prince William County Police
Powhatan County Sheriff’s Office
Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail
Southside Regional Jail
Sussex County
Sussex Sheriff’s Office
Winchester Fire Department
AGENCY CHAMPIONS
Agency champions are those professionals within the department that both management and the rank and file trust. These individuals are those who have clearly defined themselves as champions of the agency, by being champions of its people. They are the people who manage or offer leadership in their departments peer support program. If your agency is looking to start a program, you may wish to contact these professionals to ask questions and seek collaboration.
PEER SUPPORT IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are pleased to have the following Virginia Code sections relating to Peer Support.
§ 19.2-271.4. Privileged communications by certain public safety personnel.
A. A person who is a member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team, established pursuant to subdivision A 13 of § 32.1-111.3, shall not disclose nor be compelled to testify regarding any information communicated to him by emergency medical services or public safety personnel who are the subjects of peer support services regarding a critical incident. Such information shall also be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.).
B. A person whose communications are privileged under subsection A may waive the privilege.
C. The provisions of this section shall not apply when:
1. Criminal activity is revealed;
2. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is a witness or a party to a critical incident that prompted the peer support services;
3. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to prevent a crime against any other person or a threat to public safety;
4. The privileged information reveals intent to defraud or deceive the investigation into the critical incident;
5. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team reveals the content of privileged information to the employer of the emergency medical services or public safety personnel regarding criminal acts committed or information that would indicate that the emergency medical services or public safety personnel pose a threat to themselves or others; or
6. A member of a critical incident stress management or peer support team is not acting in the role of a member at the time of the communication.
D. For the purposes of this section, “critical incident” means an incident that induces an abnormally high level of negative emotions in response to a perceived loss of control. Such an incident is most often related to a threat to the well-being of the emergency medical services or public safety employee or to the well-being of another individual for whom such employee has some obligation of personal or professional concern.
2012, cc. 148, 320; 2017, c. 609.
The chapters of the acts of assembly referenced in the historical citation at the end of this section may not constitute a comprehensive list of such chapters and may exclude chapters whose provisions have expired.