(a) Eligibility.
(1) An employee who experiences a traumatic event while on duty is eligible to receive paid mental health leave if the need for mental health leave is verified by a licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or licensed mental health professional.
(A) up to 60 hours for sworn employees in the emergency response bureau of the fire department; and
(B) up to 40 hours for all other employees.
(2) In this section, TRAUMATIC EVENT means actual or threatened death, serious injury, or physical abuse, either of one's self or of another, during the employee's scope of employment that is outside the typical experiences of the employee's routine work environment and causes the employee to experience unusually strong emotional reactions or feelings that have the potential to cause lasting adverse effects on their functioning and mental, physical, social, or emotional well-being. A traumatic event does not include routine work-related events or incidents, personality conflicts, or disagreements between or among supervisors or co-workers.
(3) City departments may develop additional departmental rules to carry out the provisions of this policy, subject to the approval of the director of the human resources department and the city attorney's office.
(b) Confidentiality. The city will keep requests for mental health leave and any medical information related to mental health leave in accordance with this section confidential to the extent allowed by law and separate from the employee's personnel or departmental file. The city cannot guarantee confidentiality of information that is otherwise public or necessary to carry out the city's obligations under the law.