Jeffrey Lamoureaux Title IX, raised in California, has over 24 years of expertise spanning regulation enforcement and civil rights compliance.
Beginning his profession with the Burbank Police Division, Jeff witnessed firsthand the trauma and challenges of frontline police work. Because the proprietor of CIXE Investigations, he now focuses on Title IX and civil rights circumstances, pushed by a ardour for creating protected and equitable environments. His experiences navigating high-stress conditions and the affect of trauma have formed his compassionate but resolute method to management, equity, and advocacy.
What impressed your ardour for civil rights and fairness, particularly after working in regulation enforcement?
My ardour for civil rights and fairness developed from the uncooked realities I skilled in regulation enforcement. As a police officer, I noticed firsthand how trauma can have an effect on not simply victims however complete communities. One pivotal second was responding to an energetic shooter state of affairs the place two youngsters have been being held hostage. My staff and I compelled entry to rescue these children, and I didn’t suppose twice about my security at that second. The one factor that mattered was defending the harmless.
These experiences made me notice that justice goes past catching criminals. It’s about making certain persons are handled with dignity and equity. Transitioning into civil rights compliance was a pure development for me as a result of it allowed me to proceed serving others however in a means that promotes fairness and protects the rights of those that usually really feel unvoiced.
How did the trauma you witnessed in regulation enforcement change the best way you method your work right now?
It utterly reworked my perspective. Responding to conditions just like the officer-involved capturing the place I carried out CPR on Officer Matthew Pavelka, who later succumbed to his accidents, was deeply traumatic. Witnessing that stage of violence and loss leaves scars that don’t fade. I’ve discovered the significance of recognizing trauma and the way it impacts decision-making, conduct, and emotional well-being.
Right now, after I deal with Title IX or civil rights circumstances, I method them with a trauma-informed mindset. I perceive how essential it’s to be compassionate and to present individuals the area to precise their experiences with out judgment. This method isn’t nearly following protocol; it’s about really listening and acknowledging the emotional weight that people carry. It’s made me a extra empathetic and efficient investigator, making certain that everybody concerned feels revered and understood.
What position does your loved ones play in your skilled life?
My household is the whole lot to me. My spouse, Melissa, and our daughters, Bella and Dani, are the rationale I do what I do. Melissa has been my guiding mild, particularly after I was at my lowest factors coping with PTSD from my regulation enforcement days. She helped me notice that I wanted to transition right into a area that will enable me to make use of my abilities with out compromising my well-being. Her unwavering help and perception have been essential in shaping my profession.
My daughters have additionally taught me a lot about steadiness and perspective. I make it a degree to be current with them, whether or not it’s having dinner collectively, taking walks, or just being there after they want me. This family-first method has helped me be a greater skilled as a result of it retains me grounded and jogs my memory why the work I do is so essential.
What’s one second out of your profession that you just’ll always remember, and the way did it affect you?
One second that can perpetually be etched in my reminiscence is the day we misplaced Officer Matthew Pavelka. My accomplice, Nick Nichols, and I have been the primary on the scene of that officer-involved capturing. Officer Pavelka had been ambushed by gang members, and whereas Nick supplied support to Officer Campbell, who was critically injured, I carried out CPR on Pavelka. Regardless of our efforts, he didn’t survive. The grief that adopted, and seeing the ripple impact of that loss by means of our division and the group, was devastating.
That have confirmed me simply how fragile life is and the way a lot help individuals want within the aftermath of trauma. It strengthened my dedication to advocating for psychological well being sources, each in regulation enforcement and in compliance work. It’s one cause I’m enthusiastic about ensuring that professionals in high-stress environments have quick access to counseling and help. It additionally pushed me to hunt therapeutic and jogged my memory of the significance of empathy in each state of affairs.
How do you keep resilient within the face of ongoing challenges in your area?
Resilience comes from a mix of religion, self-care, and having a powerful help community. My religion has been my guiding mild, reminding me that there’s a objective behind the whole lot I’ve skilled. Staying energetic, whether or not it’s by means of weightlifting or every day walks, helps me clear my thoughts and handle stress. However, most significantly, I depend on my household and shut associates. Melissa has been my rock, all the time encouraging me to maintain going and reminding me to prioritize my well-being.
Professionally, I keep resilient by specializing in the optimistic affect of my work. Figuring out that I’m serving to create safer, extra equitable environments provides me a way of objective. Even when the work is emotionally taxing, I remind myself of the individuals I’m serving to and the distinction it makes.
What do you suppose organizations get improper with regards to dealing with trauma and psychological well being?
One of many greatest errors organizations make will not be prioritizing simple and accessible psychological well being sources. In each regulation enforcement and Title IX compliance, persons are uncovered to trauma recurrently, but help is usually tough to entry or comes with a stigma hooked up. I’ve seen the devastating results of this firsthand, together with when a sergeant in our division dedicated suicide. The affect on his household, particularly his son who remains to be an officer, was heart-wrenching. I felt then, and nonetheless really feel, that the division and metropolis might have executed extra to help them.
Organizations ought to put money into having on-site counselors who’re available to workers. It shouldn’t be a battle or an costly course of to get psychological well being help. Making these sources accessible and free could be an enormous step ahead and present that a corporation really values the well-being of its individuals.
What do you want extra individuals understood concerning the work you do now?
I want individuals understood that civil rights compliance and Title IX work isn’t nearly implementing guidelines or rules; it’s about fostering an atmosphere the place individuals really feel protected, heard, and revered. It’s simple for some to see compliance work as bureaucratic or adversarial, however there’s a lot extra to it. Each case includes actual individuals, usually coping with deeply private and painful experiences. My job is to make sure equity and to guard the rights of everybody concerned, whereas additionally acknowledging the emotional weight they carry.
It’s about putting the precise steadiness between being goal and being compassionate. It’s a fragile and infrequently difficult job, however one that’s extremely rewarding due to the affect it may well have on individuals’s lives.
What recommendation would you give somebody coping with trauma of their profession?
In the beginning, don’t attempt to push by means of it alone. I made that mistake early on, pondering that I might handle by myself, and it solely made issues worse. Search counseling, lean in your help community, and don’t be afraid to be susceptible. There’s actual energy in admitting that you just need assistance.
Additionally, make self-care a precedence. Discover actions that convey you peace, whether or not that’s strolling, exercising, or spending time with family members. And do not forget that therapeutic is a journey. It takes time, and that’s okay. Be affected person with your self and know that it’s value placing within the effort to get well and care for your psychological and emotional well being.
