Officer Safety & Wellness
NATIONAL WELLNESS SURVEY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL
- News Release (Apr 2023): National Wellness Survey Reveals Changes in Stressors for Public Safety
- News Release (Feb 2022): VACP Releases Preliminary Virginia Results of National Wellness Survey for Public Safety
- Virginia Summary of Results from the National Survey
- Full National Summary of Results from the National Survey
- Survey Instrument Overview
- One-page national survey summaries:
OFFICER SAFETY & WELLNESS RESOURCES
AGENCY CRITICAL INCIDENT EXPOSURE REPORT TEMPLATE
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE (Word doc)
This is a report template that agencies can customize for use with their own employees. Agency employees are offered the opportunity to fill out this form if they were involved in a critical incident. Each employee’s threshold for emotional trauma is different, and there is a cumulative effect to such exposures. Being able to track exposures following a critical or potentially traumatic incident will help an agency to better understand how critical incidents affect their employee's mental health and what help or treatment may be needed in the short and long term. Tracking “at risk” incidents and giving better support to employees “early on” will help their mental/emotional wellness as well as reduce absenteeism and compensation claims. The form also provides valuable information that may be used later to support a potential workers' compensation claim(s) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
VALEAP
The Virginia Law Enforcement Assistance Program (VALEAP) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) committed to serving law enforcement officers and first responders who have undergone traumatic critical incidents in the line of duty or in their personal lives. Established in 2008, in the wake of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the organization has served more than 500 officers from over 60 Virginia agencies and trained over 150 law enforcement peers to date.
The program implements proven methods of peer support and mental health services to provide psychological and emotional healing to all participants. VALEAP‘s services include Critical Incident Stress Management and Post Critical Incident Seminars.
No one understands cops like other cops. That's why the organization is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who are trained law enforcement professionals, including Municipal Police Officers, Sheriffs' Deputies, College/University Police Officers, State Troopers, and Law Enforcement Chaplains.
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Resources
- GUIDANCE FOR AGENCY LEADERS: Addressing Law Enforcement Mental Health (PDF)
- This resource is designed to be used along with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Officer Health & Wellness (OHW) Agency Assessment Tool and Action Planning Roadmap, which refers to best practices for agency interventions to improve the mental health and stress level of officers.
- IACP Policy Guidance for LE Agencies: Suidcide Prevention, Intervention & Postvention
- IACP Public Safety Survey for Smaller Law Enforcement Agencies
- IACP Officer Safety and Wellness — resources for agencies, command staff, officers, and families on a variety of safety & wellness topics
- IACP Family Matters: Executive Guide for Developing Family-Friendly Law Enforcement Policies, Procedures, and Culture
- IACP Peer Support as a Powerful Tool in Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention
- IACP Police Psychological Services Section – Peer Support Guidelines
- IACP National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide
- IACP When Stress Builds Up: Strategies to Overcome Cumulative Stress and Burnout Guidance for Agency Leaders
- IACP Supporting Officer Safety Through Family Wellness: The Effects of Sleep Deprivation
- National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers (SAFLEO): Enhancing Resilience by Embracing Courageous Vulnerability
- VALOR Kick Stress to the Curb: Strategies for Healthy and Resilient Law Enforcement Families
- VALOR Voices Podcast: Understanding Mindfulness for Law Enforcement
The IACP SafeShield Committee has also created a repository for ideas relating to officer safety and wellness. On this Google Drive, you will see three folders: one for Mental & Emotional Wellness, one for Physical Health, and one for Tactical ideas. We hope you will take time to explore the information within these folders, as we think you will find some great ideas in each one.
