Office of Peer Support
Peer Support was created within the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 as an intervention program for officers dealing with both personal and professional crisis. The program began by training officers on how to help other officers that may be experiencing issues.
Once trained, certified peer members are returned to their regular assignments and operate as a confidential source for other officers to utilize. The Peer Support Department is currently working on training additional members throughout the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
The program has been very successful. It expanded in 2012 to include a neutral site at Oak Forest Hospital. The program now utilizes a two-prong approach of trained peer members offering supportive resources while in the field daily, and an Oak Forest location providing a safe space to hold individual counseling with a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, therapeutic groups, training initiatives and special programs for CCSO employees, their families, and retirees as well.
As part of a wellness initiative introduced by Sheriff Tom Dart, Peer Support is continually developing new programs to meet the needs of Sheriff’s Office employees.
Peer Support is located at:
Oak Forest Hospital Complex
15900 S. Cicero Avenue
Building B-12
Oak Forest, Illinois 60452
Contact numbers:
Main Office: 708-633-2588