Undercover stress management

[UCagent55]

Hello all,

Just was wondering what kind of stress management you have experienced while working with undercover officers/agents.

I know that here in honolulu, there is no real stress management or anything formal for UC work.

Can anyone share some of their experiences/encounters.

Mahalos,

55

[k9cop21811]

The agents that tought our UC block in the academy worked UC almost exclusively. What they told us was to make sure you have somebody you can talk to about the UC work itself. Most of the work they did was long term UC work, often times away from home, which they stressed made it all the more important to have somebody close by talk with.

I found their advice to be helpful for anyone in LE, working UC or not. I would suggest to anyone to use this board to discuss issues as well. Although the restricted forum would be more appropriate for any kind of detailed discussion.

[ATF SAC]

This is one of the areas where peer counseling works wonders. some very sophisticated training out there for both U/C officers and managers of U/C ops. Overall, an area where some needed attention is being paid. Needs more, but in a lot of agencies, finding out that Joe got pinched for shoplifting as the first sign of a problem are in the past.

[dmclark]

Agree Jack. There are not many agencies that will allow long term UC these days. Alot of it doesn't have to do with the agents, but with the Agency's long term liabilities in a more PC society.

Further, without some relief for those stressors, UCs have some difficulties living the lie and sometimes defining role vs. reality.
(as in Jack's shoplifting example)

Some agencies call for clinical debriefings every 60 days and some could care less. The important thing for the agent is for communication with his peers and some reality checks with management and family.

There's not many assignments today that I recognize as worthy of jeopardizing someone's long term mental health, general welfare and family. However, I also realize that I'm speaking from the retirement platform here and not the crazed case maker I once was. DM