Bonaccini and Donini: “It is essential to promote the psycho-physical well-being of those who work for the community every day”
The result of an agreement stipulated between the Presidency, the Department of Health Policies and the Modena Local Health Authority – which will coordinate the initiative throughout the regional territory – it aims to provide help to agents subject to situations of work-related emotional distress
September 26, 2023 – Un free psychological consultation serviceaccessible remotely in telemedicinededicated to operators of Local police of Emilia-Romagnaper promote it il psycho-physical wellbeing and provide a concrete support to those who find themselves exposed to events with a strong emotional impact, a potential source of discomfort. It is the goal of new project fruit of the convention that the Emilia Romagna region, in particular the Presidency and theDepartment of Health Policiessigned up with the Modena Local Health Authority. An innovative agreement, which has no precedent in the regional territory, to which the Junta gave the green light in the last session.
Thanks to this experimentation, for which the Region has allocated 30 thousand euros – 10 thousand for 2023 and 20 thousand for 2024 – will be put available to all local police commandsthrough a telemedicine platform, a mental health professional directly, reducing barriers to a minimum, guaranteeing the safety and confidentiality of the process, in order to offer an initial response to the operators’ demand for psychological well-being in a logic of prevention and health promotion. The identification of psychologist via specific tryingas well as its training and clinical supervision, is in charge at the Modena Local Health Authoritychosen as leader because it boasts innovative experience in the area of telemedicine and has conducted, over the years, various training initiatives on psychological well-being aimed at local police personnel.
“The women and men of the local police represent a fundamental resource for our communities and a concrete example of a spirit of self-denial and high civic sense – state the President of the Region, Stefano Bonacciniand the councilor for health policies, Raffaele Donini-. Their work, however, can expose them to situations with a strong emotional impact, defined as critical service events, which can cause states of psychological distress. Through this experimental project we want to guarantee all operators in our region the possibility of accessing initial support, to face the difficulties of the job with a few more tools”.
What the service includes
The service of primary psychological consultation is addressed to all regional local police personnel, aims to provide guidance on pathways and treatments for disturbances of medium and low intensity and facilitate second and third level pathways where high intensity treatments are required. AND free and understands from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 6-8 interviews. The experimentationwhich will be launched at the conclusion of the ASL tender, will end at the end of 2024, and can be subsequently renewed.
The convention
The initiative is in line with regional law 24 of 4 December 2003, “Discipline of the local administrative police and promotion of an integrated security system”, which among its aims also includes the activation of paths and tools for psychological support of local police operators. The project was developed and defined by the Policies for urban and integrated security, culture of legality and local police area of the President’s Cabinet and by the Territorial Assistance sector of the Department of Health Policies. Signatories of the convention to which the Council has given the green light are in fact the head of the Cabinet, Andrea Orlandothe general director of Personal Care, Health and Welfare, Luca Baldinoand the general director of the Modena Local Health Authority, Anna Maria Petrini.