Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Support Services

Expert Care for Officers After the Most Critical Events

An officer-involved shooting is one of the most significant events an officer may experience in their career. Even when the use of force is clearly justified, the psychological impact can be profound. Rafilson & Associates provides confidential, non-evaluative post-critical-incident counseling designed to support officer well-being, stabilize stress reactions, and promote healthy recovery following an OIS or other deadly-force incident.

Our approach recognizes that post-shooting reactions are common, normal, and highly individual. Officers may experience a range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and sleep-related symptoms in the days or weeks following an incident. Early, skilled intervention can reduce distress, prevent longer-term impairment, and support a successful return to duty.

Purpose and Scope of Services

Rafilson & Associates’ OIS services are supportive interventions not fitness-for-duty evaluations.

The sole purpose of these sessions is to provide education, normalization, and coping strategies following a critical incident.

No diagnostic conclusions are made
No fitness determinations are rendered
No clinical reports are generated
Session content remains confidential, except where disclosure is legally required

Agencies receive confirmation of attendance only.

What to Expect

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

Our OIS counseling services are designed to meet statutory and policy-based requirements while remaining clinically sound and officer-centered. In Oregon, services align with ORS 181A.790, which requires at least one confidential counseling session following an officer-involved shooting. Comparable best-practice standards are applied for agencies in other jurisdictions.

Sessions are available via secure telehealth or in person, allowing for timely access regardless of location.

2. When Additional Support Is Needed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

Most officers experience temporary stress reactions that resolve with time and support. In some cases, symptoms may persist or intensify. When clinically indicated, we provide referrals for additional counseling or treatment while maintaining a clear separation between supportive services and evaluative processes.

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

Rafilson & Associates approaches post-shooting support with a core belief: needing support after a critical incident is not a weakness—it is a professional reality of the job. Our role is to help officers stabilize, recover, and move forward with confidence, clarity, and dignity.

Education about common post-shooting reactions and recovery phases

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Guidance on self-monitoring and available resources

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Oregon Statutory Requirement

ORS 181A.790 Post–Critical Incident Counseling

Oregon law requires that any law enforcement officer involved in a deadly force incident participate in at least one confidential counseling session with a qualified mental health professional.

What the statute requires

The counseling session must occur after an officer-involved shooting or other qualifying deadly force incident.
The session is supportive and educational, not evaluative.
The purpose is to assist the officer in managing stress reactions, understanding normal post-incident responses, and supporting psychological well-being.

What the statute does not require

The session is not a fitness-for-duty evaluation.
No diagnostic conclusions are required.
No clinical report is generated for the agency.
Agencies may confirm attendance only, session content remains confidential except where disclosure is legally mandated.

Why this matters

ORS 181A.790 reflects best practices in public safety by recognizing that exposure to deadly force is a critical incident with predictable psychological impact, even when the officer’s actions are lawful and justified. Early, confidential support reduces the risk of prolonged distress, impaired functioning, and delayed recovery.

Rafilson & Associates’ post-critical-incident counseling services are specifically designed to meet the requirements of ORS 181A.790 while maintaining clear boundaries between support, evaluation, and administrative decision-making.

Rafilson & Associates

Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Support Services

Expert Care for Officers After the Most Critical Events

Purpose and Scope of Services

What to Expect

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

2. When Additional Support Is Needed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

What Officers Can Expect

Education about common post-shooting reactions and recovery phases

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Guidance on self-monitoring and available resources

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Oregon Statutory Requirement

Find Out More

Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) Support Services

Expert Care for Officers After the Most Critical Events

Purpose and Scope of Services

What to Expect

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

2. When Additional Support Is Needed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

1. Compliance-Focused and Trauma-Informed

3. A Culture of Care, Not Judgment

What Officers Can Expect

Education about common post-shooting reactions and recovery phases

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Guidance on self-monitoring and available resources

Practical, evidence-based self-regulation techniques (e.g., breathing, grounding, cognitive reframing)

Brief screening for symptoms that may warrant additional support

Oregon Statutory Requirement

Find Out More

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