Beyond the Buzzwords of Officer Wellness

"On stage or at the podium, a recently retired officer shares war stories about close calls and departmental betrayals, punctuated by statistics about police suicide rates. The presentation checks a box on the agency's training requirements. Officers leave feeling momentarily validated in their own struggles, perhaps even traumatized by the graphic stories, but with no practical tools to navigate tomorrow's shift any differently than they did yesterday."

"Officer wellness has evolved from a necessary conversation into an industry-one populated by well-meaning advocates, genuine experts, and unfortunately, a growing number of opportunists who have discovered that trauma sells. The "wellness industrial complex" is real! The explosion of interest in officer mental health over the past decade represents both progress and peril. The progress is undeniable: Law enforcement has begun acknowledging what was long stigmatized and ignored."

Mandatory officer wellness trainings often feature retired officers' graphic war stories and statistics, leaving attendees validated but without practical tools to change daily practice. The wellness landscape now includes well-meaning advocates, qualified experts, and opportunists capitalizing on trauma. Growing awareness of cumulative stress, traumatic exposures, and organizational pressures has reduced stigma, saved lives, and expanded access to help without career penalty. Despite these gains, suicide and stress statistics continue to rise. A simultaneous retirement exodus has allowed many departing officers to rebrand as wellness providers; some hold brief peer-support certifications while others lack substantive training.

Read at Psychology Today