There is a seemingly impenetrable stigma within law enforcement associated with asking for help. Too many police officers have a potentially lethal belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness when in fact, the exact opposite is true. Raising one’s hand and asking for assistance takes much more strength than it does to remain silent and suffer alone.
Some people euphemistically describe a law enforcement career as a 25 year process of picking up rocks and adding them to your backpack. With each emotionally charged event along the way represented by another weighty rock thrown in. It doesn’t take long before the pack becomes burdensome, heavy, and painful.
As a result of the ever-increasing load, law enforcement men and women show signs of the struggle to carry the adverse emotional experiences. Many suffer from symptoms of depression, burnout, and posttraumatic stress injury. Left untreated, family life, work life, and the overall quality of life deteriorates. It is an all too tragic tale that some officers succumb to suicide. Yes, the stigma associated with asking for help can be lethal.
One of the Center’s goals is to smash through that stigma and pave a pathway for LEOs to seek the help they deserve!
Training and Education
We provide training and educational experiences in various ways. We can provide individual training designed uniquely for any department’s needs. We also provide day-long conferences with subject matter experts from across the nation and Canada on topics specific to building LEO resilience. We have a library of multimedia materials designed to inform and educate administrators, human resource professionals, LEOs, and their family members, on how to survive and to thrive in a 25-year long career.