The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has subawarded Spotsylvania County $46,226 in federal grants funds for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant for Law Enforcement Staff.  The Sheriff’s Office will utilize these funds to create a Wellness and Maintenance Response team, which not only incorporates the peer support component, but also includes multi-faceted support by providing information on emotional, spiritual, physical, financial and family wellness resources.

Currently, if an officer seeks guidance or support for job-related stress or trauma, he or she must navigate external resources, assuming they are aware that these resources even exist. Furthermore, there is a very unique culture within law enforcement wherein officers are more willing and likely to discuss sensitive and personal topics with other officers, rather than with individuals from outside groups. If a wellness team option is not available, the officer could potentially internalize this stress and consequently suffer physical and mental health issues.  Studies show that this leads to multiple problems in and out of the work environment to include high divorce rates, alcoholism and suicides.  It has been noted within the Sheriff’s Office that a Wellness and Maintenance Response Team (W&MRT) is presently lacking in any form and that having such a team would provide useful in-house and outsourced services to agency staff and their families. 

This award will allow the Sheriff’s Office to utilize the curriculum from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. (ICISF) to establish a certified W&MRT.  The W&MRT will consist of 13 members who will assist law enforcement staff and their families to more effectively address crisis situations as well as the unique stresses that impact the law enforcement profession. Three of the 13 members will be sent to ICISF regional instructor trainings in support of becoming instructor certified. One training will be held in Chicago in July and the other is in Houston in August. Upon completion of these regional trainings, the 3 staff members will take the ICISF Instructor Certification exam and provide evidence of passing.  The 3 instructors will then be responsible for conducting in-house training for the remaining 10 W&MRT members as well as all future members.  Ultimately, the team of 13 will be recognized as an official ICISF Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

A support function of the W&MRT is a fully functioning Honor Guard Team.  The Sheriff’s Office will work to increase the number of Honor Guard members from 9 to 21 with award funding being used to purchase 12 additional Honor Guard uniforms.

The grant award funds will be used for the following:

There is no local match requirement and no requirement to continue funding the program after the award expires on September 30, 2018.

Captain Roger Harris II, Sheriff’s Office