Studies on law enforcement employee wellness programs have found evidence-based practices exist in some police departments, and these programs have been proven to minimize the effects of depression, PTSD, and suicidality. These programs can be customized to fit their departments’ culture and personality for the betterment of the officers, the agency, and the public they protect (Gibson, 2020). Workplace wellness programs have the potential to be implemented in agencies across the country and are more beneficial than replacing police officers whose careers and lives have been lost to mental health and wellness problems (Gibson, 2020). The difficulty and cost of creating and developing a workplace wellness program can be initial hurdles for agencies looking into implementing a program. Police officers participating in wellness programs accomplished an increase in total wellness scores (Port, 2016).
The critical factor in a workplace wellness program is confidentiality. If employees, particularly officers, believe their privacy will be betrayed, or information will be reported back to their department, the wellness program will fail. Mandatory reporting such as a danger to self or others should be the only exceptions to confidentiality (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019 & Kaye et al., 2020). It is essential that departments select the right staff for the wellness program, as it only takes one poor choice on the team to undo all the excellent work and trust established. Wellness program staff must advocate for the program, be credible and trustworthy, and have the best interest of the employee and Department at heart (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019).
It is imperative wellness program personnel follow-up with officers who experienced traumatic incidents. The follow-up does not consist of a single call immediately after the incident but must occur several times over the subsequent months following the incident. Follow-up can impact the involved officer by preventing the development of post-trauma symptoms such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Kaye et al., 2020). Although it is one of the least addressed issues in law enforcement, emotional health and wellness are among the most critical issues agencies face. Nearly one in five officers has PTSD, and suicide is one of the leading causes of death for police officers (Willis, 2017).
Supervisors must be willing to talk openly with their officers about wellness issues and encourage them and offer resources to them when needed. When supervisors lead by example, they become change agents related to the department’s culture. An officer’s willingness to ask for or seek help is dependent on how they perceive mental health issues are viewed and dealt with by their Department (Fucigna, 2019). A police officer’s perception of their department’s mental health support level was significantly increased when the agency had a wellness program in place or standing policies and procedures regarding wellness. These same officers were also more likely to use mental health services (Milliard, 2020). To give the officers a sense of control with their mental health wellness, police departments should emphasize and support voluntary emotional self-care, building resiliency, and proactive prevention techniques (Fucigna, 2019). Law enforcement agencies put a great deal of time into training officers on street survival but most have minimal emotional survival training (Tessieri-Hochuli, 2018).
Peer-based support is a popular option for wellness programs among law enforcement agencies due to its low cost, convenience, anonymous nature, and accessibility (Gibson, 2020). Small agencies that don’t have the staff to create their own peer support often look to other law enforcement agencies in their area to form a regional peer support team. According to Gibson (2020), “critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) is a structured session during which officers can debrief with peers about their emotions and memories related to a traumatic incident…has been the most utilized intervention for trauma-exposed first responders” (p. 34). However, research has shown a lack of evidence supporting CISD’s effectiveness, and it has drawn some resistance from officers who are not comfortable sharing their feelings or discussing their emotions in front of other officers (Gibson, 2020). Peer support and critical incident stress management (CISM) teams are not comparable to psychological therapy for officers battling mental health issues due to stress and trauma from the job. Officers’ experiencing family or financial problems or mental health issues that are not life-threatening may still benefit from professional assistance (Gibson, 2020).
Training is an essential component of a law enforcement wellness program. It helps “normalize” mental health and wellness and instructs police officers in recognizing the signs and symptoms they need to watch for in themselves and others within their Department. Wellness program training topics should include suicide prevention, substance abuse, physical fitness and nutrition, coping mechanisms, resiliency, and what resources are available to officers and their families (McDonough, 2011). According to Fucigna (2019), “the training and programs should recognize the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of their officers and their families…and they should be proactive, rather than reactive…and progressive to meet the demands of modern policing” (p. 77).
Law enforcement wellness programs increase their chances for success and provide holistic support to officers when collaborating with police chaplains, psychological counseling services, substance abuse rehabilitation programs, and medical facilities (McDonough, 2011 & US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019). Some of the most robust police department wellness programs studied structured their mental wellness team to provide access to an in-house psychologist, chaplaincy, and peer support in an intentional, focused, and integrated approach (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019). Police wellness programs that embed mental health practitioners into their agencies part-time, at a minimum, help reduce barriers officers have about utilizing mental health services. Police wellness programs must include retirees, as not enough is done to prepare and support their transition to retirement (US DOJ LEMHWA, 2019). When a retiree transitions from being a police officer, they lose a large piece of their identity, their social networks, and other resources that can help from the effects of a career filled with stress and exposure to traumatic incidents. Further research is needed on police wellness programs, as only a few sites collect data on their programs, making it difficult to better understand their impact and best practices (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019).
Another factor police departments must consider when creating a wellness program is whether it will be housed at headquarters or off-site. The off-site location allows the officers more privacy, while being located at headquarters becomes a resource and referral mechanism (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019). When a psychologist or other mental health practitioners are situated with the wellness program, their location plays an important role. According to the United States Department of Justice Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act: 11 case studies (2019), when the psychologist is located at headquarters, “his or her role is to become embedded into the Department’s organizational culture and community. Upon building trust and establishing legitimacy, these psychologists act as navigators to appropriate resources and do not engage in any formal counseling” (p. 3). No matter which location an organization selects, it must prioritize confidentiality between the officer and member of the wellness program team member. Quiet but consistent and persistent support from executive leadership is critical, and officers must believe executive leadership is protective of the program’s confidentiality to maintain trust (US DOJ 11 case studies, 2019).