P.O. Box 3369
Anaheim, CA 92803-
3369
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
POLICE DEPARTMENT
DATE: JANUARY 23, 2024
FROM: POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT FOR PEER SUPPORT SERVICES WITH THE
COUNSELING TEAM INTERNATIONAL
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 17
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: YES
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement between the City of Anaheim and The Counseling Team International to increase the not-to-exceed amount from $225,000 to $300,000 for peer support services.
DISCUSSION:
The Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire and Rescue are currently utilizing services from The Counseling Team International (TCTI) for short-term counseling of employees and immediate family members to address and mitigate the psychological impacts resulting from traumatic incidents, events, stress, and challenges associated with policing. Their services include but are not limited to critical incident response, critical incident debriefs, critical incident stress management, trauma care and support, and family-related matters. Clinicians work closely with the agency’s Peer Support Team by providing training and advice. Additionally, TCTI provides trained clinicians who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond at any location promptly for critical incidents, including but not limited to officer-involved shootings, mass casualty events, active shooter events, significant injury to employees, suicide or suicidal ideation, and line of duty, employee, or immediate family member deaths.
For the Anaheim Police Department, TCTI has conducted counseling and debriefs in several officer-involved shootings, an employee suicide, calls involving infant deaths where emergency personnel provided CPR, and two recent suicides involving teenaged children of employees. Anaheim Fire and Rescue has also utilized TCTI for critical incident debriefs and individual counseling for their personnel. Additionally, the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire and Rescue have conducted joint debriefings involving critical incidents such as the Las Vegas Route 91 shooting and several calls for service involving the death of young children.
First Amendment to The Counseling Team International Agreement January 23, 2024
Given today’s environment, peer support and counseling services for police and fire personnel, as well as their families, are critical. The California State Legislature has acknowledged the importance of first responder wellness by creating new legislation that supports wellness and Peer Support Teams. A recent Orange County Grand Jury report outlined the importance of Peer Support Teams and the availability of counseling services for first responders.
TCTI clinicians have also been added as a protocol for call outs related to our Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Tactical Negotiations Units (TNU). This is due to some suspects being in some sort of mental distress which led to the need for members of SWAT and TNU to resolve a tactical situation. The team is averaging approximately 40-50 call outs per year which would require the response of a clinician.
The original Agreement with TCTI was approved by Council on September 15, 2020 in an amount not-to-exceed $225,000. Although time remains on the current contract term, the not-to-exceed limit is close to being exhausted before the current term ends on August 31, 2024.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Sufficient funds are available in the Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2023/24 General Fund budget. Funding for subsequent years will be subject to Council’s approval of budget appropriations.
Respectfully submitted,
Rick P. Armendariz
Chief of Police
Attachments:
1. First Amendment
2. Original Agreement