Reducing Psychosocial Risks in Law Enforcement: Training as a means toWellbeing

<< Background >>In a previous project involving the participation of Law Enforcement agencies in Portugal, Romania, Spain and TheNetherlands, interviews were conducted with operatives in order to understand their needs in terms of training to addresspeople with mental health problems in interventions. From these interviews a major point was stressed and it was thatthey themselves needed training in this area to better manage the overwhelming stress they live daily in the exercise oftheir profession. Having into account these inputs from Project TRUST, several Law Enforcement agencies from Europecombined efforts to provide the context for providing this support and improving the well-being of their operatives, withinthe context of this application. The European Union has highlighted psychosocial factors as a priority (EU-OSHA,2000). When addressing particularly stressing professions, like Law Enforcement, it is even of outmost importance to enhance the protective factors and reduce the effect of the psychosocial risks, that can contribute to the development of psychological health problems at work, having an impact on the individual, family and the organization.<< Objectives >>The partnership aimed at an holistic approach to the individual, improving Life Quality of the LawEnforcement operatives and a general increased well-being in organizational terms, the improvement of skills inmanaging stress reductors and the enhancement of knowledge on identifying those stressors and use the correctstrategies to reduce high levels of suffering and preventing illness. Some of these are results based in the principles ofinclusion and tolerance and transcend the tangible results of the project. The project PROTECT targeted: Enhancing lifequality of Law Enforcement agents; Promoting inclusion and equity in Law Enforcement agents regarding access totraining programs; Enhancing self-strategies to manage stressors in the performance of their professional activity;Augment the agents health knowledge and behaviours and Developing VET tailored answers, related to real needs and in jobnecessities.<< Implementation >>1.Healthy Phasing- Out: This training module is directed to agents near retirement. Retirement can be an increasing factor of vulnerability for mental illness, since individuals usually associate retirement with a uselessness sense of self and also, go home with no activities or hobbies in mind creating an empty that can transform into depression or other type of unhealthy mental state. 2.ESR: This is a transversal competence that can be used in the beat, when more difficult interventions are required, but also, can be transferred to the work environment or home when high levels of stress can lead to a lack of appropriate response and deterioration of mental and psychical wellbeing. 3.Strategies Normative Mourning: This module will give law enforcement agents competences to appropriately deal with death and mourning, promoting skills of leading an normative mourning, reducing stress and anxiety factors related to death. 4. Work-Life Balance: This module will help both the organization and the individuals develop strategies that favor this balance, under penalty of increased absenteeism and presenteeism, decreased productivity, financial loss, and when dealing with risk professions, increasing danger for lack of adequate response<< Results >>Another outcome was the integration of these training programs in the regular training practices of the institutions, particularly the portuguese PSP and the Police College of Latvia. The partner institutions will still keep cascading the training program to their other partners, then to their other poles, to their congeners, to similar institutions and then to national and European associations. After the end of the project the results will remain available to all willing to consult them and implement them in their practices in the websites of the partner institutions. As stated, the integration in the national VET system of the training programs developed is a major strength since it will allow all institutions to replicate the training programs developed and will assure its maintenance in time. Also, by creating adapted materials of simple reading in all training programs we expect the materials to be used even if the training is not developed. They are available online for anyone that wishes to use them. We will also maintain our availability to promote the project and its results with seminars, lectures, meetings and other means institutions find necessary, as said.