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Jeffrey Hess
Reporter
I am a morning news host and reporter working for Valley Public Radio in Fresno, CA.
Articles
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What are the mental health effects of deadly encounters with police? Reporting out that difficult question led to a number of tough lessons along the way, as KVPR's Jeffrey Hess explains.
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Topics
Valley Public Radio in California's Central Valley reports on what law enforcement agencies in the valley say they are doing to help police officers cope with the mental strain of a violent line of work.
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“I call it present traumatic stress disorder. When you have post-traumatic stress disorder it means the trauma has ended. With our people it is a perpetual trauma that is inflicted on almost a daily basis,” one lifelong resident of Bakersfield says.
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Community violence and a visit to the doctor might seem unrelated. But for people living in violent communities, and the police who patrol them, it's often more closely related than people think.
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California’s Central Valley has a reputation for violent communities. The region also has a reputation for higher rates of police shootings. Is inadequate access to health care and mental health services leading to more violent encounters?