The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | June 2023
That is an important distinction . Resilience does not mean avoiding stress or difficult times . It means going through them and coming out having learned or grown . [ 6 ]
5 . Give officers space According to SAMHSA , one of the core risk factors for first responders is the pace of their work . First responders are always on the front lines facing stressful and risky calls . This temp can lead to an inability to integrate work experiences .
For instance , according to a 2013 study , 69 % of EMS professionals have never had enough time to recover between traumatic events . [ 7 ] As a result , depression , stress and post-traumatic stress symptoms , suicidal ideation and a host of other functional and relational conditions have been reported . [ 8 ] Workplaces need to fully support time away from the job to recover from traumatic events .
Repeat traumatic exposure to the brain is not normal . Police officers need and deserve to be able to give the brain time to heal . Often simply sleeping is key , but others may also need to understand how to down-regulate and shut off the adrenaline rush of the job .
6 . Underscore that fitness-for-duty evaluations are not a worst-case scenario Fitness-for-duty evaluations ( FFDEs ) are psychological examinations typically requested by the employer and common in many professions . While these evaluations are intended to determine whether officers can safely perform essential job functions after experiencing trauma , they , unfortunately , bear a harmful legacy . According to Schlosser , some FFDEs have been used inappropriately and “ weaponized ” to try to remove officers from duty .
When used legally and correctly and performed competently , FFDEs are a vital component of a comprehensive officer wellness program . [ 9 ] Many officers enter the FFDE assuming the worst : that they will leave the evaluation no longer employed . Leadership must stress that data shows between 94 % and 96 % of officers go back to work , either immediately or eventually . [ 10 ] “ If an officer is not fit at the time of the evaluation , however , then the evaluating doctor should help the agency and the officer by providing recommendations to for the officer to follow that will allow him or her , hopefully , to be restored to full duty ,” says Schlosser . “ It is important to understand that the FFDE should be seen as a career-saver , not a career-ender .”
CONCLUSION Making mental health a priority within a police department is simply the right thing to do . Asking and answering questions like “ How can I help my officers ?” and “ What can I do to break down long-held negative mental health beliefs ?” are stepping stones to building a compassionate accountability and wellness program within your department .
Such a program works to protect your team . Just think , after seven or so years on the job , most organizations have invested nearly seven figures into employees via salary and wages , benefits , training and equipment . In addition , employees are typically hitting their stride in terms of their job expertise . Other data estimates a range of 7-10 traumatic events per year for an officer . Multiplied over a 20-year career , the impact of repetitive exposures to trauma could be devastating to individuals and their organizations .
Those individuals need to be protected . Knowing the cumulative effect of these traumatic events , it ’ s critical you prepare them for their career — not just for the physical and duty impacts , but for the mental health impacts as well . When they know about trauma and how it can drive behavior , people are better prepared to deal with it head-on .
CHECKLIST : IS YOUR AGENCY READY FOR MEANINGUL WELLNESS MEASURES ? Use the following checklist to determine if your agency is ready for meaningful organizational and officer wellness support . If you answer no or have difficulty answering these questions , consider building a program around these best practices .
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Does your department have an employee assistance program ( EAP )? |
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Do you have peer-support resources for officers ? |
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Do your officers have an external , confidential source to go to for assistance ? |
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Are your supervisors trained to recognize signs of chronic stress or an adverse reaction to an event ? |
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What does your insurance cover in terms of substance use disorders and / or mental health issues ? |
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Are you self-insured ? You may have more leverage securing treatment for a member than you realize . |
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What are the out-of-pocket costs , if any , associated with treatment ? |
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Do you have resources ( preventive measures ) available that contribute to the physical / mental health of your members ? |
Think resilience education and a culture that understands and promotes self-care . |
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Do you have a mechanism in place for spousal support ? |
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Are you aware of the state regulatory guidelines with respect to first responders and mental health treatment ? |
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Do you have a best practices model in place to assist officers after critical incidents ? |
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Have you located , vetted and spoken with mental health professionals in your area who specialize in treating first responders |
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