A 2018 nationwide survey of nearly 8,000 police officers, conducted by the National Fraternal Order of Police, examined barriers preventing officers from seeking mental health assistance. More than half of respondents to the survey reported a concern that wellness service providers would not understand the nature of police work and larger police culture. As our profession builds wellness programs for our personnel and we seek to remove any barriers to treatment and reduce stigma surrounding asking for help, it is important to consider wellness provider expertise and familiarity with law enforcement culture.

Fortunately, the last decade has been characterized by an increased focus on officer wellness – a topic that stood in the shadows for far too long. However, despite the growth in programs focused on resilience, suicide prevention, and overall wellness, the issue of police suicide persists. Forward focus should remain on cultivating the most competent and effective wellness services specializing in working with law enforcement clients, always considering the perceptions and voices of those who would use those services.

Since 2017, the FOP National Officer Wellness Committee—which comprises nine active and retired members of law enforcement with backgrounds in peer support and crisis intervention—has been systematically vetting wellness services for law enforcement to identify those most competent and qualified to serve our unique population. From individual clinicians to inpatient treatment programs, wellness training programs, and wellness products such as smartphone apps, the committee has established a standardized system for vetting a range of resources with the purpose of bolstering officer wellness and reducing police suicide.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), the FOP National Division of Wellness Services has begun to catalogue vetted, culturally competent wellness providers and programs in the Approved Provider Bulletin (APB). Launched in late October 2022, the APB is an online nationwide directory of culturally competent wellness services for law enforcement and their families. Police agencies, individual officers, and their family members can consider the APB as a trusted source of information when seeking wellness services. Equipped with a map-based search tool, the site allows users to seek wellness services by geographic area, type of service, and more.

In addition, the site provides a link to FOP’s Wellness Provider Vetting Guide – a 12-page checklist that describes what to look for when vetting services. As resources are added to the APB directory on an ongoing basis, providers and programs wishing to work with members of law enforcement are encouraged to review the information in the Wellness Provider Vetting Guide and to follow the steps to become a vetted resource in the APB.

As efforts to reduce police suicide and improve the overall wellness of U.S. police officers continue, fostering connections between officers and systems of support is key. The FOP Approved Provider Bulletin is a tool to foster those connections, removing stigma that an officer may experience by reaching out for help, as it allows each individual to seek expert assistance in the privacy of their own home and on their own time. Police agencies, members of law enforcement, and all their support systems, in a spirit of teamwork, will hopefully come together to grow and strengthen this support network into the future.

The Approved Provider Bulletin, the Wellness Provider Vetting Guide, and other wellness information and resources can be found at the FOP website.

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