May 2023 - Cover

May 2023: Officer Health & Wellness

GUEST EDITORS Jeff Spivey and Julie Malear

It’s universally understood that policing is a dangerous job and that officers put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities from violence, crime, and other threats. However, what often goes unseen is the elements of officer health that cannot be protected by body armor, yet are still just as much in danger—their mental and emotional wellness. Police departments and police leaders, psychology professionals, and researchers are stepping up the efforts to bring these threats to light and to protect officers’ mental health as much as their physical safety. 

Articles

  • A Resilient Mind for Chaotic Times

    By Stephanie Conn, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, First Responder Psychology
    Policing has always been a challenging profession, but the last couple of years have been especially hard on police officers. Between COVID-19, the rise in anti-police sentiment, soaring violence aga...

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  • From Idea to Implementation

    By Reuben G. Ramirez, Assistant Chief of Police, Dallas Police Department, Texas
    The topic of officer mental health is, without question, receiving more attention than ever before in policing. This attention to such a critical issue is overdue and well deserved. Still, despite the...

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  • Experiencing Awe

    By Jeff Thompson, PhD, Detective (Ret.), New York City Police Department, New York; Research Scientist, Columbia University Medical Center
    Innovative advancements are needed to develop action-based initiatives to look after the number one priority in policing—the people serving in policing agencies. Research has shown that experiencin...

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  • Stories Save Lives

    By Jeff Bludworth, Sergeant, ADA Community Ambassador; Nils Rosenbaum, MD, Psychiatrist; and Melissa Schultz, Peer Support Specialist, Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico
    When people hear a story, it resonates with them. It remains in people’s minds and memories much longer than a lecture. Listeners are able to relate to the story and recall what helped and what did...

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Columns