The Evanston Police Department is comprised of 135 agency members, with 15 peer support members, serving law enforcement officers and dispatchers. Their Peer Support program originated in 2006. Members are trained through the Chicago Police Department 40-hour peer support curricula, as well as the BRAVE Center and We Never Walk Alone. Members are required to attend an 8-hour in-service annually with guest speakers and social workers. Aside from peer support, other wellness programs that the department offers includes EAP, an in-house chaplain, and annual mental wellness checks.
The department’s peer support coordinators are available to coordinate assistance to outside agencies for one on one peer support requests, critical incident response, and program development or implementation collaboration.