Building Workforce Resiliency

A Holistic Approach to Resiliency in Justice System Professionals

Over the past few years, amid an increase in suicides among some sectors of law enforcement and a greater awareness of the importance of mental health, government agencies have stepped up their focus on building resilience among justice professionals.

Key to those efforts is adopting a holistic approach—a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the spectrum of critical services and activities, from data analysis to peer counseling.

Other steps to address mental health challenges experienced by justice system professionals include revamped methods for responding to the immediate aftermath of a staff suicide. For example, creating a postvention playbook that outlines step-by-step directions for leaders to take when supporting employees after the traumatic event could be helpful.  In addition, to engage employees and improve their workplace cultures, LE organizations are piloting low-cost, high impact employee recognition and well-being initiatives.

Steps for Building Resilience

Data collection and analytics. A critical element in identifying trends related to resilience programming and suicide prevention is gathering and analyzing the right data. With that in mind, programs can leverage critical incident and other data elements that are associated with suicide risk to advocate for vital resources

Culture change and narrative shifts. Creating a help-seeking culture for justice professionals that prioritizes mental health requires an intentional, well-developed, and consistently implemented strategy.

The role of leadership. Leaders play a critical part in creating supportive environments, reducing the stigma connected to mental health matters ,and fostering a sense of purpose. Central to those efforts is leading by example—openly discussing their own mental health challenges and use of support resources.

Also important are:

• Demonstrating that using mental health resources will not necessarily hinder career advancement or duty status
• Promoting messaging and communications that normalize help-seeking
• Using data to underscore the importance of change
• Incentivizing participation in programs and activities that promote help-seeking and peer support
• Normalizing conversations surrounding mental health