ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q1-2024

Continued from "The Resilient Hero", on page 28

experiencing post-traumatic growth. Although there are several mental health programs with good intentions and some prom ising outcomes, the broader picture points to a deficiency in program implementation specifically aimed at improving officer resiliency by promoting self-awareness and self-efficacy. The International Association of Chiefs of Police has put a comprehensive array of links to mental health and wellness offer ings on their website including mindfulness practices 16 . However, as SSA Matt Rebuck (NA Session 265 and former NA instructor) pointed out, structured, evidence-based mindfulness programs have yet to be widely embraced or integrated as mental health interventions by the police community 17 . Yet, police agencies cannot create healthy communities if the officers and their lead ers are facing significant mental health challenges. Officers must have the guidance and support of their leaders to learn self-care techniques that have been shown to be effective, including those in mindfulness-based stress management 17 . Understanding, key implementation, and consistent support are critical. Excellent leadership has never been more important. As Chief Columbus remarked, “We see some of the most horrific things a person can see, yet we are expected to just show up and go to the next call. We must take better care of our people and create an envi ronment where leadership proves to everyone that the organization will be there to help them. We owe that to our people.” The foundation of officer well-being should not be at the whim of regime changes and political appointments. To make lasting change, our efforts need to be informed, evidence-based, deliberate and above all, mindful.

References 1. Murray, E. (2020, January 14). Building Police Officer Psychological Capital to Mitigate Stress. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured- articles/building-police-officer-psychological-capital-to-mitigate-stress 2. President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing (2015). Final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 3. Blumberg, D. M., Papazoglou, K., Creighton, S., & Kaye, C. (2022). Incorporating psychological skills in police academy training. In Police Psychology (pp. 47-62). Academic Press. 4. Feemster, S. L. (2010). Addressing the urgent need for multi-dimensional training in law enforcement. The Forensic Examiner, 19(3), 44-49. 5. Goerling, R. J. (2012). Police officer resilience and community building. ASBBS Proceedings, 19(1), 394. 6. Williams, V., Ciarrochi, J., & Deane, F. P. (2010). On being mindful, emotionally aware, and more resilient: Longitudinal pilot study of police recruits. Australian Psychologist, 45(4), 274-282. 7. Flynn, J. F. (2016). Mindfulness training: Worthwhile as a means to enhance first responder crisis decision making. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey United States. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1029756.pdf 8. Christopher, M. S., Hunsinger, M., Goerling, L. R. J., Bowen, S., Rogers, B. S., Gross, C. R., ... & Pruessner, J. C. (2018). Mindfulness-based resilience training to reduce health risk, stress reactivity, and aggression among law enforcement officers: A feasibility and preliminary efficacy trial. Psychiatry Research, 264, 104-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.059 9. Grupe, D. W., McGehee, C., Smith, C., Francis, A. D., Mumford, J. A., & Davidson, R. J. (2021a). Mindfulness training reduces PTSD symptoms and improves stress- related health outcomes in police officers. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 36(1), 72-85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-019-09351-4 10.Grupe, D. W., Stoller, J. L., Alonso, C., McGehee, C., Smith, C., Mumford, J. A., Rosenkranz, M. A., & Davidson, R. J. (2021b). The impact of mindfulness training on police officer stress, mental health, and salivary cortisol levels. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(3791), 1-13. https://doi.org/ 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.720753 11.Gilmartin, K. M. (2002). Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families. P-S Press. 12.Benson, H., Beary, J. F., & Carol, M. P. (1974). The relaxation response. Psychiatry, 37, 37-46. 13.Lucia, D. G., & Halloran, M. J. (2019). An investigation of the efficacy of programs to prevent stress in law enforcement officers: A program manager’s perspective. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology , 35(1), 35-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11896-019-09341-6 14.Copple, C., Copple, J., Drake, J., Joyce, N., Robinson, M., Smoot, S., Stephens, D., & Villasenor, R. (2019). Law enforcement mental health and wellness programs: Eleven case studies. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 15.Office of Media Relations. (2017, February 28). Center for Brain Health Programs to Help 500 Dallas Police Officers. University of Texas at Dallas. https://news. utdallas.edu/philanthropy/center-for-brainhealth-programs-to-help-500-dallas/ 16.International Association for Chiefs of Police [IACP] (2022). Officer health and safety agency assessment tool and action planning roadmap. Officer Safety and Wellness. https://www.theiacp.org/resources/document/officer-safety-and-wellness 17.Rebuck, M. W., & Bertrand, P. M. S. (2020, August 6). Positive Policing. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/positive-policing

FBINAA.ORG | Q1 2024

About the Authors: Dr. Eric Murray is a decorated military and law enforcement veteran with 35 years of profes sional public safety experience. He has served in the U.S. Army Infantry, a municipal police department and the past 31 years with the Connecticut State Police. His last assignment was as the commanding officer of the state police training academy where he implemented Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction training for new re cruits in March 2020 during the height of the pandemic. During his career, Eric has held numerous administra tive and operational assignments that have provided the necessary leadership framework for his training

programs. He has taught leadership and human performance analytics to hundreds of organizations and thousands of private and public service employees across the United States and internationally. He loves what he does. Eric is a proud graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 273. Eric holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Hartford; M.S., Organizational Leadership; B.A., Communication. He currently resides in Northeast Connecticut and can be reached at emurray@teamtrainingassociates.com.

Dr. Julie Rumrill holds a master's degree in science and is a certified instructor of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a mind-body medicine program developed at UMASS Medical School. Julie has led mindfulness training sessions for the U.S. Coast Guard Leadership Development Center, numerous law enforcement agen cies, first responders, and corporate organizations. Julie has more than 10 years of experience as a university professor in New Haven, Conn., and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Hartford with a research focus on the diffusion of mindfulness into law enforcement training.

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