May 2022_Cover

May 2022

Officer Safety and Wellness

GUEST EDITORS Megan Dent-Carman and Julie Malear

Police officers work long and demanding hours, during which they’re often exposed to tense environments and stressful situations. With increasing focus on officer wellness and its relationship to community safety, law enforcement agencies have made wellness the forefront of many discussions, not only as it pertains to physical wellness but also mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Recognizing the need for new and holistic approaches to wellness, this issue of Police Chief will share the latest on important and effective tools for helping officers maintain their psychological health and wellness as they navigate the challenges and stressors inherent in a police and public safety career.

Articles

  • Current Trends in Psychological Fitness for Duty Evaluations

    By Lewis Z. Schlosser, PhD, ABPP, Managing Partner, The Institute for Forensic Psychology
    Psychological Fitness for Duty Evaluations (FFDE), when used legally and correctly and performed competently, are a vital component of a comprehensive officer wellness program for law enforcement agen...

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  • Designing a Wellness Program for Smaller Police Departments

    By Abigail S. Tucker, PsyD, Psychologist, SHE Consulting, and Elizabeth Palmer, PsyD, Psychologist, Palmer Psychology
    Treating police officer mental wellness programs and community partner programs focused on behavioral health crises as separate priorities has not served smaller law enforcement departments nor their ...

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  • FBI Leads Effort to Understand and Prevent Suicide Among Law Enforcement Officers

    By Mike Riley, Writer-Editor, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, FBI
    Since September 1, 1930, the FBI has collected and published crime and employee data for law enforcement agencies across the United States. Over the years, the FBI has adapted and adjusted what data a...

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  • The Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

    By Jeremy Butler, PhD, Assistant Professor, Judson University, Illinois
    Conversations surrounding Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training for law enforcement has been gaining increasing traction in recent years. Some police leaders are on board and have begun implementing training p...

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Columns