Laserfiche WebLink
14 <br />WORKING GROUP POLICE-INVOLVED DEADLY FORCE ENCOUNTERS RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS <br />RECOMMENDATIONS <br />AND ACTION STEPS <br />Expand resources, and increase statewide awareness of existing resources, to improve the <br />mental health and wellness of first responders and dispatchers. <br />Action Step 5.1.1 The Department of Public Safety should develop and promote a comprehensive <br />Officer Mental Health and Wellness tool kit to promote officer resilience, ability to <br />manage exposure to trauma, and improve physical and mental health outcomes. <br />Action Step 5.1.2 The Department of Public Safety should work with the Peace Officer Standards <br />and Training Board (POST), law enforcement, dispatch professional associations, <br />and unions to establish a confidential referral mechanism, similar to “Lawyers <br />Concerned for Lawyers,” to encourage peer reporting and referral to address <br />suicide prevention and mental health and wellness. <br />Action Step 5.1.3 The Department of Public Safety should create an officer safety and wellness <br />working group to monitor officer safety and wellness throughout the state, and <br />work with the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST), law enforcement <br />unions, and police chiefs’ and sheriffs’ associations to identify any patterns and <br />trends. For example, this group should review the Law Enforcement Mental Health <br />and Wellness Report to Congress to identify models that can be incorporated into <br />a tool kit for law enforcement agencies throughout the state and recommend <br />ways to implement relevant recommendations. <br />Action Step 5.1.4 The Department of Public Safety and law enforcement stakeholders should work <br />with the Legislature to develop funding to incentivize and evaluate effective officer <br />resilience, mental health, and wellness programming similar to the existing training <br />reimbursement fund. <br />Action Step 5.1.5 All peace officers should receive confidential mental health and wellness check-ins <br />every three years. Mental health and wellness check-ins should also be done after <br />significant incidents. A significant incident would involve use of a Critical incident <br />Stress Management Debriefing Team and/or a determination by the chief law enforce- <br />ment officer that the peace officer had significant involvement in the incident. <br />Action Step 5.1.6 The Legislature should provide funding incentives for agencies to address barriers <br />in providing officers access to mental-health checks similar to the current training <br />reimbursement fund. <br />OFFICER WELLNESS RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS <br />RECOMMENDATION 5.1 <br />5