Parkland LIFE officers provide calming service to patients, staff
‘It’s really simple, we listen’
“Sometimes the darkest challenges, the most difficult lessons, hold the greatest gems of light.” The quote by author Barbara Marciniak could easily describe Roy Johnson’s life. As an officer with the Dallas County Hospital District (DCHD) Police Department, Johnson faces personal and professional challenges on a daily basis. But it’s those challenges that have made him a better officer and a better father.
As one of six mental health peace officers on DCHD’s LIFE (Law Enforcement Intervention for Environmental/Patient Safety) team, Officer Johnson and his colleagues use a proactive intervention approach to calm patients before they become highly agitated or in some cases violent.
“The LIFE program is relationship-based. LIFE officers establish relationships with patients who are high risk using therapeutic communication, which reduces the potential for violence,” said Celeste Johnson, DNP, APRN, PMH CNS, Parkland’s Vice President of Nursing for Behavioral Health. “The officers also provide ongoing support for staff who care for high-risk patients, especially patient care assistants and nurses.”
Their involvement improves communication, increases staff’s awareness of triggers and calming strategies, and enables everyone to be proactive and prevent escalation, she added. With the increased volume of patients with co-occurring behavioral health conditions, the presence of LIFE officers has also reduced staff anxiety while increasing staff and patient safety.
But it’s more than just their presence that has made a difference at Parkland.
“It’s really simple,” Officer Johnson said. “We listen.”
Listening, he said, has been a key component of the LIFE officers’ job. “Sometimes a patient just wants to talk, but more importantly they want to be heard,” said Officer Cranston Young who spent 16 years working in psychiatric hospitals in Kentucky and Indiana. “Providing that type of service is not something we take lightly.”
That commitment to making a meaningful one-on-one connection with patients is mirrored by each of Parkland’s LIFE officers.
For example, Officer Johnson takes subtle cues from patients to break the ice, gain their confidence and get them talking. If a patient is wearing the trademark blue and silver, the discussion may begin with “How about them Cowboys?” A phone cover with an image of Sponge Bob Square Pants may spark a conversation about Patrick, Larry the Lobster or other characters who live in the fictional underwater city. And on occasion its music that brings the two together.
“I’ve been known to quietly sing with a patient who may be humming a tune,” Officer Johnson said. “There’s something about music that can calm the soul.”
That and patience, something Officer Johnson has an unlimited amount of.
As the parent of two autistic sons, ages 22 and 16, Officer Johnson said every day is a challenge, but the coping methods he’s learned at home have helped him on the job, and vice versa. “I was in my first year of college when our first son was born and as children ourselves, my wife and I had to go through a huge learning curve,” he said. “It took education, faith and a lot of prayers to understand the challenges that we all faced together.”
Today, Officer Johnson’s relationship with his sons is thriving and the connections he’s made with patients as part of the LIFE program has given him a sense of satisfaction that goes beyond anything he could have imagined.
“Having a patient say to me ‘I may sound crazy but you sat here and listened, and that just makes my day’ is something that stays with me,” Officer Johnson said. “In fact, it makes my day, too.”
According to DCHD Chief of Police Marlin Suell, special training is a hallmark of the department’s focus on providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who visits or works at the hospital or one of the neighborhood health centers.
“The LIFE officers are an example of our commitment to go ‘above and beyond’ to do everything we can to support our staff and improve the patient experience,” he said. “We’ve even taken the additional step of taking LIFE officers out of the traditional police uniform. Instead of traditional blue garb, LIFE officers are identifiable by their khaki pants and black polo shirts. Even this subtle change has been beneficial to patients and staff.”
Back