How it Started
Paul Burnett’s Story
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FAQ
COMMON QUESTIONS
Nothing! Zip! Nada! Zero! It is completely free to any individual that wishes to attend ARLEAP to receive help. We are a charity organization and collect funding through generous donors or through fundraiser events. That money goes 100% completely to paying for lodging, meals, and professional work completely for the participant.
You don’t have to, but doing so is part of the process. In order to get the most out of this event its’s imperative to follow the model that we go by. It have been proven time and time again of it’s success. I know it can sound intimidating at first, but as soon as you hear someone else’s story you realize you are no longer alone and it becomes easier to do.
No. What is discussed during a PCIS is completely confidential. We obviously have protocols in place for someone who may need immediate emergency help and have to do so, but we also want everyone to feel safe while they are here with us and be willing to open up and be accepting of the healing process.
The most simple answer is, yes. The lodging is provided, because just as much of the healing occurs during the evening times when everyone has the chance to fellowship with one another. There is nothing easy discussing your story in front of people you have never met and the days can be mentally taxing. The evening time is designed for everyone to relax and spending time getting to know each other better. I have personally seen some of the greatest healing moments take place while playing a game of corn hole or partaking in another evening time activity.
The simple answer is yes and no. You will not walk away from the event 100% better. However, the majority of the participants that are willing to be open minded to the process see dramatic improvement. This process is designed to show you that you are not alone and there are others who have, are, or will be dealing with the same things you have. It gives you some closure and peace of mind which you didn’t have before. Most importantly it provides you with the tools and knowledge to continue your improvement on your own long after you attended PCIS.
This can be one of the biggest things we can face as a first responder. We don’t want to talk to someone about our problems that doesn’t know first hand or we have had a bad experience talking to someone who doesn’t “get us”. The clinicians that volunteer their time at our seminars come from that background and do first hand know what you are dealing with. They make it easier for you to relate with them and make the process much more productive. Although you don’t have to talk to them we strongly urge you do so when you have the opportunity.
All of our peers have sat at the “table” and gone through a full PCIS before allowed to return to a following seminar as a peer. We want peers that have personally gone through the process and are able to be advocates for it and mentors to the participants who they once were. We have several people that get so much out of a PCIS that they volunteer to come back as a peer every year!
If you haven’t done so already be sure to check out Paul’s story and how he brought the PCIS model back from VALEAP to form ARLEAP. Also, you can go to our “What We Do” page to learn even more. If that isn’t enough be sure to check out some of our testimonials from participants throughout the years on our “Home” page.
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Our Mission
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Meet Our board members
Our board members have a very broad range of experience in the first responder world. Most of them have dealt with the struggles that come with the territory and have attended a PCIS as a participant at one point. PCIS made such a huge impact in their lives that they decided to dedicate and volunteer a large amount of their time to help make ARLEAP as successful as possible.
Paul Burnett
Director
Paul is the founder of ARLEAP and brought the PCIS concept to Arkansas in 2016 with the help of VALEAP. He did so after attending a PCIS as a participant at VALEAP. Paul saw how the program changed his life and knew there were others like him that could benefit from the same thing. He was a volunteer firefighter for several years and served in law enforcement for 26 years at Conway Police Department in various positions before retiring in the fall of 2022. His most notable position was in Traffic Unit as a Motor Officer.
Chris Mitchell
Member
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Chris “Sully” Sullivan
Treasurer
Sully is a local businessman, owner of Central Arkansas Pest Services, who is also a huge supporter of first responders in general. He is a long-time running member of the Will McGary Foundation, and is heavily involved in the Conway community, and other various foundations and causes in the Central Arkansas Area. Chris plays an active role in ARLEAP and does his best to make sure we have what we need to host a PCIS each year.
Chuck Lewis
Member
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Dan Worley
Member
Dan attended the first PCIS in 2016 as a participant and has been a peer and assisting with the event since 2017. He has a total of 13 years in law enforcement and 11 with Conway Police Department. He is currently assigned as the supervisor over the SRO Unit assigned to the Conway Public School District.
Janie Brown
Secretary
Janie became involved with ARLEAP after a series of calls and saw the hurt and anxiety in myself and her coworkers. She is the wife of a retired Little Rock Firefighter and has two children in similar career fields. She can say she can feel and see all aspects of a first responder family. She makes it her job to create a better world for her kids and grandchildren and this is just one way for her to do it along the way.
Chelsea Thorpe
Member
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