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August 2020 Edition Fraternal Order of Police Wellness Services 2020 National Fraternal Order of Police
COVID 19 SURVEY The National Fraternal Order of Police is committed to listening to the voices of our members In recent months the COVID 19 pandemic has affected the working conditions of law enforcement officers across this country and the world Because we recognize this impact we ask that members share their experiences in the following survey of Police Officer Experiences During the COVID 19 Pandemic We hope that this brief survey will help us further understand your experiences during the pandemic and will enable us to find avenues for providing support to our members https www surveymonkey com r FOPCOVID 19
August 2020 Edition 701 Marriott Dr Nashville TN 37214 615 399 0900 or 800 451 2711 Fax 615 399 0400 Sherri Martin Director of Wellness Services SherriMartin fop net National Executive Board Patrick Yoes President Joe Gamaldi Vice President Jimmy Holderfield Secretary Tom Penoza Treasurer Les Neri 2nd Vice President Keith Turney Sgt at Arms Rob Pride Chairman of Trustees 701 Marriott Dr Wellness Committee Nashville TN Sherri37214 Martin Chair Bourret 615 Darrin 399 0900 or Michael Haley 800 451 2711 Sean Harper Fax 615 399 0400 Brian Nanavaty Corey Nooner Mike Violette Families are the compass that guides us and the anchor that keeps us grounded They are our inspiration and our source of encouragement to reach great heights and our comfort and support when we struggle with rough seas www fop net
August 2020 Edition By Sherri Martin It is no secret that police officers encounter various sources of stress in their careers from not only the expected stressors of critical incidents and tough calls but also from the sometimes unexpected stressors of internal department politics criticism from outside sources and challenges to police authority Over the course of a career these stressors take a toll and oftentimes spill over to be borne by the families of law enforcement officers as well Long hours shift work missed holidays birthdays and children s sporting and other events make keeping normalcy in a family tough For young children it may be difficult to understand why Mom or Dad misses such important events Balancing different schedules can create stress for each member of the family When circumstances like the current pandemic call for even longer work hours and greater potential for physical danger the stressors on police families Continued www fop net
August 2020 Edition Family Affair mean that they too bear the added pressures of thinking about preparing for and adapting to those demands At times in a police career there will be many challenges piled on at one time For example in the current climate of some voices screaming anti police rhetoric these messages may be confusing for all children but especially those who have greater exposure to social media Overexposure to these messages could increase a family s concern about the safety of their law enforcement loved one They may begin to question why their loved one continues to do the job or work so hard for people who seem unappreciative For spouses and partners especially those new to the life of a law enforcement officer it may be difficult to understand the demands of the job or their loved one s dedication to it Some planning and strategizing will go a long way toward keeping these relationships healthy It is important to schedule family time as often as possible These special times allow for memory making and diversions away from the challenges of the job Sharing the workload around the house especially for those households with two working parents is a must If everyone shares the work no one person feels overloaded or unfairly overwhelmed As much as possible officers should try to leave work at work and not allow it to dominate home life as well We all know that this is not always possible so in times that it isn t having a family practice to give the law enforcement family member time to decompress and recharge will keep everyone less stressed www fop net Continued
August 2020 Edition Family Affair All police families can benefit from developing and talking openly about a plan that works for them Being honest with children about their parent s work allows them to more fully understand the challenges that it sometimes brings but also the pride their parent feels in their work We should keep in mind that children and adolescents are not immune to stress tied to their parent s work and sometimes this stress can interfere with their daily lives What we don t often consider is that even with supportive parenting and open discussion with our kids they sometimes worry about adding additional stress to the family by sharing their concerns When stress becomes excessive and intrusive a child might have difficulty focusing or may begin acting out in other ways If this becomes the case counseling is an option law enforcement families should consider When provided with a non judgmental accepting and safe environment children will often open up and discuss even worries that they are not apt to share with their parents Professional counselors can offer not only a neutral ear to families but can also teach coping skills for dealing more effectively with times of stress Resources Erlich J Erlich S 2017 Five Tips for Positive Law Enforcement Family Relationships Found at www iacp org blog post Ratliff K 2018 How Children of Law Enforcement Officers Can Benefit From Counseling Found at www policeone com family articles www fop net
August 2020 Edition By Sherri Martin With busy work schedules school ramping back up social media and other distractions it is often a challenge to get all members of a family on board with unified family wellness practices However with a little planning and effort each of us can create or renew routines to improve family wellness www fop net Continued Continued
August 2020 Edition Six Tips for Greater Family Wellness Here the National Officer Wellness Committee shares some tips and recommendations for working toward a healthier family Simplify your family s schedule to make room for family time Keep a master family calendar in a prominent position where each family member s activities can be recorded Review the activities and eliminate any that aren t necessary Taking a few minutes each week to plan can reveal those valuable hours that could be spent together as a family Hold family meetings Not just for times of crisis family meetings scheduled on a regular basis can serve many purposes from giving each person a chance to discuss a stressor on their mind to sharing something that they love about the family Communication is key in healthy families and should involve all members of the household Providing opportunities for children to contribute to the discussion in age appropriate ways lets them know that their voice counts and allows them to feel empowered and invested in the family Focus on making memories together The greatest times in our lives are often spent with family This is why family time is so important As you make memories don t forget to record them Take those special photographs and keep them in prominent places in your home in frames or in albums placed in rooms where your family is often gathered Visit relatives in person if possible to keep family traditions and memories alive Continued Continued www fop net
August 2020 Edition Six Tips for Greater Family Wellness Get active together Especially in these months of summer spending time being active in nature as a family is a perfect time for memory making and a great opportunity to increase everyone s mood and level of physical fitness Volunteering for a charity or cause as a family is another way to get active and build family unity at the same time Drink more water and get enough sleep Practicing healthy habits is easier when we are surrounded by others working toward the same goals Keeping cold crisp drinking water readily available in your home encourages more frequent hydration and practicing lights out at a designated time can produce an environment conducive to adequate rest Eat family meals together Cooking together can also be fun too Designate this time to reconnect about the events of the day and to share each other s challenges and triumphs Officer working evening shift Make it a breakfast meal together Be sure to ban electronic devices from this special time and turn off the television www fop net Continued
August 2020 Edition Policing Under a Threat to Identity Hot off the press The Officer Wellness Committee and Dr Thomas Coghlan bring to you our most recent webinar titled Policing Under a Threat to Identity which took place on July 30th In this webinar Dr Coghlan provides education on how to cope during these stressful times In partnership with the National Organization for Victim Assistance NOVA the FOP recently hosted a webinar titled COVID 19 s Impact on Grief Loss and Death Notification Responding with Resilience Navigating the Stressors of Police Work During the COVID 19 Pandemic Dr Tom Coghlan retired NYPD Detective police psychologist and FOP member recently provided a free webinar titled Responding with Resilience Navigating the Stressors of Police Work During the COVID 19 Pandemic The event was recorded and can be accessed at any time www fop net
August 2020 Edition A person s family is without a doubt the greatest wealth that we will ever possess Treasure every moment www fop net
August 2020 Edition I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you Joyce Meyer www fop net
August 2020 Edition Steps to Reduce Police Fatigue Given the current circumstances in our profession the workload of officers is not apt to soon decrease However there are things that officers can do Officers can control how they choose to react to stressful incidents acknowledge that fatigue plays a direct role on personal stress levels Officers will react as they have been trained when they are properly rested and alert In addition law enforcement officers can 1 Plan meals and make healthy eating choices and stop eating high calorie fast food 2 Plan vacation and downtime Write it down and stick to it 3 See your doctor regularly for checkups 4 Share the workload and reduce the amount of overtime 5 Live within your means so that moonlighting that second job is not necessary 6 Create a realistic exercise program and form healthy habits 7 Create a Patrol Buddy program and make time to check on each other 8 Keep your civilian friends and get away from the job no shop talk on downtime www fop net
August 2020 Edition Chateau Recovery First Responder Resiliency Program Midway UT www chateau com firstresponders FHE Health Inc Shatterproof Program Deerfield Beach FL https fherehab com services first responders Transformations Treatment Center Help For Our Heroes Program Delray Beach FL https helpforourheroes com Warrior s Heart Bandera TX www warriorsheart com www fop net
August 2020 Edition A must read for anyone who loves a police officer this edition of Dr Ellen Kirschman s book I Love a Cop What Police Families Need to Know holds tons of survival strategies for law enforcement families In this new edition Kirschman takes on the challenges our profession including those we are facing currently in the wake of anti police sentiment in the media Through stories shared by actual police families she shares how we can keep ourselves and our families healthy throughout the challenges of enforcement career www fop net
Electronic Newsletters Fraternal Order of Police Click covers to open individual newsletters August 2020 Editions
August 2020 Edition There is ALWAYS another option www fop net