Wellness programs for law enforcement

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Please review our privacy policy for more details or contact us at [email protected]. Home Our Programs Workforce Education How much does the program cost? The program is free for California law enforcement personnel through June 30, Can a partner tuition reduction scholarship be used to reduce the cost of the program? No, tuition reduction scholarships cannot be used for the program.

The program is free. Is this program eligible for federal financial aid funding considering the partnership scholarship is not applicable? No, this program is free and does not qualify for federal financial aid. Do I have to enroll in an academic program at National University to participate? No, you can participate in just the professional development program, Caring for the Caretakers: Organizational Wellness for Law Enforcement. Can I earn course credit? Students who complete the entire program can speak with their advisor about waiving program requirements through a prior learning assessment.

If I am already an NU student, can I still take the program and receive course credit? Students who are enrolled at NU are able to participate in the program, but are not able to have program requirements waived through prior learning assessment.

In short, wellness programs are designed to help keep workers healthy. Because of the physical rigors and stresses associated with criminal justice work, police and corrections officers can face a variety of health issues throughout their careers. Besides health issues, though, officers really need to be in good physical and mental health in order to do their jobs, to begin with.

Criminal justice agencies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars sending their applicants to physical fitness assessments, medical exams, and psychological evaluations. Once hired, though, that's often the end of the focus on officer health. In the meantime, many officers combine poor eating habits, physical and mental stress, and the fatigue that comes from long hours, overtime programs and shift work. All of that contributes to deteriorating health and, consequently, a less capable and reliable workforce.

The United States Centers for Disease Control cite multiple studies that detail why wellness programs make good business sense for employers. Specifically, they've been able to show that healthier employees tend to be happier, which in turn makes them more productive. Even more significant for law enforcement and corrections departments, though, is the fact that improved employee health reduces absenteeism and on-the-job injuries. That means more people are coming to work and staying at work as opposed to calling in sick.

Further, if people aren't getting hurt at work, it means that not only are they able to continue being productive employees, but those employers have fewer liability costs that come with on-the-job injuries.

Perhaps more importantly, though, is the fact that people who work for agencies with robust wellness programs tend to feel better about their employer.

They report a sense that the agency really cares about them, and because of that, they're more likely to keep working for the department instead of looking for jobs elsewhere. This can go a long way toward relieving the problem of turnover and employee retention in police departments.

Aiming to focus on innovative but replicable programs in law enforcement agencies of various sizes around the country, the authors conducted 11 case studies of programs in 10 departments and one call-in crisis line. In FY , the COPS Office is providing funding to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, and implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring programs that are national in scope.

The LEMHWA solicitation is open to all public governmental agencies, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations. Reports of broad recommendations and collections of case studies are only part of the solution. Organizations can also look at their own policies and operations for opportunities.

For example, how much control does your agency have in choosing a health insurance plan for your employees? Agencies can proactively decide to look for plans that do not place restrictions on behavioral health benefits and that have sufficient provider networks for beneficiaries to access.