§ 23-3-65 — South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program to provide counseling services and other support services.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shall administer the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SC LEAP). The purpose of this program includes, but is not limited to, responding to and providing counseling services to all requesting law enforcement agencies and departments in the State which have experienced deaths or other tragedies involving law enforcement officers or other employees as well as providing counseling services to law enforcement officers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma and stress-related disorders, and providing any other critical incident support services for all South Carolina law enforcement agencies and departments upon their request. The SC LEAP also may utilize local critical incident support service providers including, but not limited to, chaplains, mental health professionals, and law enforcement peers. In consultation with the professional staff of the SC LEAP and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Chaplains' Association, the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy shall develop a course of training for the critical incident stress debriefing and peer support team.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 379, SECTION 2; 2017 Act No. 46 (S.173), SECTION 3, eff May 19, 2017. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 46, SECTION 3, in the second sentence, inserted "as well as providing counseling services to law enforcement officers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma and stress-related disorders", and made nonsubstantive changes.