Organizational Wellness and Resilience
Note: Applicants can only apply during the open application date range. The link to apply will only be available during these dates.
Could your agency benefit from your officers performing at their peak with a nexus to improved community relations? Our communities and environments are diverse and constantly evolving, and our efforts to support organizational wellness should reflect this.
If you have ever requested a cover unit during a tense situation, you understand the relief in hearing your partner respond on the radio, “I’m enroute.” Why is it we have little hesitation with requesting assistance in the field, but when it comes to our personal lives, we struggle with something we do routinely? How is it we tend to overlook the relationship between personal interactions and professional performance? Take it a step further and recall a time when you asked for assistance, and the other party was not only willing to help, but appreciative of the opportunity to be alongside you in support.
The effects on our first responders are clear: above average divorce rates, chronic physical ailments, increased difficulties in both personal and professional lives, and ongoing threats to mental health. Who will take care of those who take care of others? With the demands placed upon our first responders, the personal and interpersonal costs can be extreme. Unfortunately, for those seeking to serve their communities, the costs may include stressed relationships with friends, family, agencies, and the public they serve, along with physical pain, anxiety, PTSI (Post Traumatic Stress Injury), and depression. Once we acknowledge our current state of wellness, we can regain control and take the appropriate action. This builds resilience.
"It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way." – Dr. Cherylynn R. Lee, M.A., PhD.
Fortunately, the law enforcement professionals themselves, individuals who care about them, and their agencies are determined to expose the causes and effects of stress while identifying the support and resources needed to not just survive a career, but to thrive in life. The reality is that everyone is either approaching adversity, dealing with adversity, or has recently overcome adversity. This multifaceted approach is geared to equip law enforcement agencies and their personnel with the armor to persevere while supporting the following key factors:
- Integrate the physical, emotional, and mental health of officers
- Learn practices to improve peak performance
- Emphasize the intersection of officer wellness, procedural justice, and community relations
- Provide a framework that embeds qualitative, quantitative, or biometric measurements to evaluate outcomes.
Wellness programming for our law enforcement professionals is evolving, and the POST Officer Wellness and Resilience (POWR) program is specifically tailored for each agency and member. Developed by culturally competent wellness and resilience experts, and based on modern findings, this optimization program is adaptive, contemporary, and practical in addressing adversities. This engaging, interactive program will be facilitated by highly trained, intentionally selected professionals with expertise and experience in law enforcement and wellness.
Application and Qualifications
Qualified agencies shall employ peace officers pursuant to Penal Code Section 830.1. Agencies who wish to participate in this program will be required to demonstrate an emphasis on the intersection of officer wellness, procedural justice, and community relations. Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis, which will be reviewed and vetted by POST staff. Submission of application does not guarantee placement into the program. POST staff will have the final authority in determining participation. Non-selected applicants are encouraged to re-apply.
Note: Funding for this program is concurrent with, but distinct from, wellness funding that is being administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). For questions related to BSCC funds data reporting, contact OfficerWellnessGrant@bscc.ca.gov If you have received or are planning to receive BSCC funding for wellness, the POST/UCSD POWR program team is available to provide guidance and programming to support your agency. If interested, please email POWR@post.ca.gov.
Additional Information
Available Training Courses
The following contacts are available to any agency interested in developing or enhancing their programs:
San Diego Police Department, Wellness Unit
Sergeant Edwin Garrette
(619) 531-2243
Dispatcher Deanna Dotta
(619) 531-2244
Emeryville Police Department, Peer Wellbeing and Resiliency Program
See also: Innovations in Care for LE Officers and Community
Captain Oliver Collins
(510) 596-3706
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Robert Jonsen
(408) 506-9318
California Chaplain Corps
mindirussell911@gmail.com
(916) 799-9002
Agency In-house Mental Health Programs:
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department-Psychological Services Bureau
A/Director of Bureau Operations
Dr. Stephen Seetal
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, Behavioral Science Unit
Dr. Cherylynn R. Lee
(805) 698-8934
*Agencies with similar current programs who are willing to provide other agencies program information should have their program representatives contact the POST staff listed in the sidebar to discuss the possibility of including their information on this site.