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GOOD WORKS - Warren Hays is Sonoma County’s Senior Chaplain and oversees the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy which was recognized for its contribution to public with one of the County’s first Jefferson Awards. photo by Matthew Hall
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Law Enforcement Chaplaincy provides comfort in times of need
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Published May 3, 2007
Byline: Matthew Hall, Sonoma West
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Volunteer organization recognized by Board of Supervisors
When faced with a dangerous situation, residents of Sonoma County can count on the response of their local law enforcement agency, fire department and medical personnel, but the all-volunteer Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Sonoma County also responds, delivering comfort and support during some of life's most harrowing experiences.
The chaplaincy was recently awarded a Jefferson Award for their work and is currently recruiting for a new a new chaplain class starting in the fall.
Senior Chaplain Warren Hays said the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Service of Sonoma County is a volunteer, interfaith service that works with emergency responders such as law enforcement, medical and fire personnel to provide counseling services in tragic situations. The group responds to crime scenes, accidents or homes of victims across the county 24 hours a day. The service is funded through grants, donations, and fundraising efforts including a pasta dinner and auction.
Chaplains respond to emergency situations at the request of other responding agencies and their primary role is to provide comfort to individuals in the midst of traumatic circumstances. Sometimes they are just a comforting presence but they also deliver death notifications to friends and family, providing a comfort to community members while freeing officers to pursue their investigations.
Prospective chaplains attend an academy for four hours a week from September though April. During classes, students are taught listening skills, told about the culture of law enforcement, given the skills to handle death notifications and hear from trained experts in the field. The course is a mix of presentations, guest speakers, classroom instruction and role-playing exercises designed to ensure candidates are capable of fulfilling the demanding requirements.
Hays, who is also the pastor at Alexander Valley Christian Fellowship, said the academy has strict requirements for graduation that include psychological and personality evaluations along with a background check. He said the standards had to be high in order to insure that Chaplains could handle the intense nature of their work.
"We see a whole other side of community life," he said. "We deal with death, the seriousness of life and what life is about."
In order to provide a support network for the chaplains themselves, the service operates a buddy system with each chaplain having the ability to call someone else within the service to talk about their experiences. Hays said the system is a guard against post traumatic stress disorder in chaplains, which can overcome chaplains if left unchecked.
Beverly Lieberman said she has been a chaplain for more than three years and became involved in the program after meeting a female chaplain and hearing about the program through Rotary. "I decided to apply because I found it very intriguing to do that type of work as a first responder," she said.
She said the time in the academy helped her decide the work was for her but that despite the good training, death notifications were still the most difficult part of the job. "That's the hardest thing we do," she said. "To tell them someone that they know and love has died, it's really tough."
Hays said the Chaplain experience was life changing for many of the candidates to finish the course.
"Makes me appreciate what I have," said Lieberman. "I learned so much more about what (law enforcement officers) do for us every day. What I experience maybe a few times a year they experience every day, gives me great appreciation for them."
The Jefferson Awards program began in 1972 when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr., and Bobby Kennedy staff member Sam Beard decided to highlight individuals or organizations for their exemplary public service. Jefferson Awards are distributed on the local and national levels, with local winners being eligible for consideration at the regional and national levels.
National awards have been presented to such well-known individuals as Cesar Chavez, Lance Armstrong, and Henry A. Kissinger. The county said the chaplaincy service was a model of providing invaluable support that strengthens and augments public service.
Sonoma County adopted the Jefferson Awards for the first time this year to recognize individuals, nonprofit organizations, boards, commissions and advisory bodies for "Excellence in Community Leadership and Community Involvement." The County received 44 nominations and the Board of Supervisors chose the final recipients.
For more information on attending the chaplain academy contact Warren Hays at 479-0201.
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