"Trauma exposure within the policing and first responder environments can lead to real, de-habilitating psychological injuries if left untreated. Although there are no slings, crutches or bandages for such operational stress injuries the end consequences may lead to suicide ideation, attempts or actual completion contributing to disastrous consequences for the involved member, their family and loved ones, along with their colleagues and the community in which they serve. The authors of the book, POWER, provide an extensive collection of education, awareness, research and accessibility to evidence-based techniques that can provide members, their family and loved ones with the information, skills and coping strategies necessary for enjoying an exciting career armed with the knowledge by promoting wellness and healthy strategies that can be implemented via individuals and their respective organizations. This book will become required take home literature for ALL First Responders participating in our future Badge of Life Canada programming focusing on topics, such as moral injury, sanctuary trauma and perceived injustice." —Sgt. Bill Rusk (Ret.), Executive Director, Badge of Life Canada
"Written by a powerful line up of experts in the field, many with years of hands-on experience, this book is a must read for anyone with a professional or personal interest in law enforcement. Offering an impressive breadth of coverage on topics related to police wellness, the editors and contributors present a comprehensive view of the many ways law enforcement personnel can be affected by the realities of the job. The authors also provide valuable insight and key strategies designed to promote a culture of individual and organizational wellness. This publication is a very welcome and important contribution to our field." —Dr. Carolyn Burns, Registered Psychologist, over 30 years of experience working with first responders
"This is a very important book brought to us by very compassionate people who’ve dedicated their careers to serving the law enforcement community. Through their sworn duty to serve, police officers and their families make sacrifices to protect the community at large. As a society we have failed to treat them with the respect and appreciation for these sacrifices that they deserve. In my work in the field of police wellness I hear from officers again and again ‘it’s been a long time coming’ that their wellness is something that’s being prioritized. They deeply appreciate knowing someone sees the ways in which they suffer, and they respond to this compassion. The topics covered in this book are exactly where the light needs to be shone in order for compassionate, comprehensive, effective, programs and policies to be developed and established." —Chris Checkett, MSW, LISW-S, Founder of Cleveland Mindfulness Center, Co-creator of the Mindfulness Training Program for the City of Cleveland, Division of Police
"With traumatic incidents, routine stressors and the toxic nature of police work, POWER: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience dives into the psychological wounds created by this environment and how departments and officers can promote wellness. Now, more than ever, departments need to make wellness a top priority. Dr.’s Papazoglou and Blumberg, use evidence-based strategies to build strong and positive peace officers and a department culture of wellness." —Brian R. Marvel, President Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)
"POWER is an essential resource for those engaged in the high-stress, high-stakes law enforcement profession, and for those who support them. The authors distill science into practical, actionable approaches that support departments and officers to not only survive the job, but also to improve their performance, their health, and their connection to family and loved ones. A must read for those who want to dedicate their careers to service." —Diana M. Concannon, PsyD, Dean, California School of Forensic Studies Alliant International University
"For over thirty years people asked me, ‘Why are cops so angry?’ In most circumstances, this was not anger they were experiencing but the toll of constant conflict, suffering, tragedy, and frustration. The research presented here can be what changes the paradigm. The book reveals the hidden truth of policing: there are consequences to the officer beyond the physical injuries. The authors look into the multi-faceted elements of policing’s impact on the officers’ mental well-being and offer methods to mitigate the effects. This work is desperately needed and answers the question as to why cops become so detached from the people they serve. Finally, a comprehensive and objective look into the issues that plague law enforcement and hinder successful police-community relations." —Glen A. Haas, Police Commander (Ret), President/CEO Operant Learning Systems, Inc.
"As a 30-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, I can attest to the emotional toll this profession can take on the men and women who protect and serve. Any individual who performs this role, day in and day out, has to deal with these conditions one way or another. Taking this in depth and comprehensive look at the effects of stressors that are present while on and off duty, is long overdue. In order for our law enforcement professionals to continue to perform at the high levels our communities demand, addressing physical and emotional wellness is essential." —Detective Jack Schaeffer, San Diego Police Department President, San Diego Police Officers Association
"It is exciting to see a book that offers a wide ranging approach to promoting well-being of police officers in a multidisciplinary context. Covered is not only the potential impact of police work on the officer, and the recover from trauma, but also the grounding that needs to be set in the policy programs for this important work to take place. Included are also prevention and resilience aspects of wellbeing. POWER to this book!" —Dr. Mari Koskelainen, Senior Advisor, Clinical Psychologist, National Bureau of Investigation, Finland
"With the contribution of many established scholars and experts in the field of law enforcement, the editors are successfully shedding light upon the multifaceted nature of police wellness and resilience. Diving deep into the reality of police work and the psychological trauma officers are often confronted with, the book goes a step further in providing valuable evidence-based techniques in an effort to counteract the consequences of daily stressors and improve police officers’ personal and professional well-being!" —Stavroula Soukara, PhD, Associate Professor of Forensic Psychology, University of Nicosia, Cyprus
"Drs. Papazoglou and Blumberg address the issues all too familiar with our law enforcement officers policing the country in this day and age. The stressors have become more significant and the battles are not just on the streets but within the departments and society itself. This book brilliantly addresses the stressors current day policing holds as well as the repercussions for ignoring them. This book looks at the problems but more importantly the solutions to many of the psychosocial stressors impacting officers. Gaining insight into the need for mental health programs and the destigmatizing of such lends a much needed positive perspective on the importance of selfcare and the normalization of seeking help to achieve it. Resiliency is only achieved through traumatic experiences and survival and this population is the epitome of both." —Stephanie Samuels, Founder and President, Copline, Inc
"From within the world of lived experience there is a struggle to not only get people to understand our pain, but to understand it ourselves. In our weakest moments’ words and pathways to recovery elude us. We oftentimes find ourselves getting into more difficulties simply by the ill-informed ways in which we choose to heal ourselves than by the root injury itself. We know, as we share our stories that our wounds are as diverse as there are experiences. We each have our own reactions to the event or series of events that have wounded us. There is no one cookie-cutter template to assist us in our recovery and in dealing within our families, our workplace and our society. So, it is imperative for our mental health leaders and specialists to share as much as they can to better understand the complexities of our reactions. For far too long those of us with lived experience have said that we can excuse the lack of support or the damage done because we as a society as a whole did not know better. Now we do know better and these authors are helping by lifting the fog of ignorance from our world." —Staff Sergeants (ret’d.) Sylvio (Syd) A. Gravel, M.O.M., and Brad McKay, C.T.S.S., Co-Authors of “Walk the Talk e First Responder Peer Support e A Boots-on-the-Ground Peer & Trauma Support Systems Guide”. Co-Leads of the lived experience “Peer and Trauma Support Systems Team” Senior Police Advisors, Badge of Life Canada
