The Oconto County Board approved a resolution April 15 to create an expanded wellness program in the sheriff’s department.
Supervisors approved a $48,000 transfer from the county’s general fund to support a contract with an Oconto Falls company called Wellness Command Post, which provides 28 counselors trained in military and law enforcement counseling.
Sheriff Todd Skarban said the idea is to offer staff more comprehensive support than the wellness program for general employees can provide.
“If something traumatic happens, such as a fatal crash, we got a place for you to go now that’s a little bit more enhanced and a little bit more — to handle what’s going on inside,” Skarban said. “We ask our jail staff to bring in hundreds of more inmates from other counties; that weighs on them.”
Other events that staff has to deal with include dispatchers who must handle more than 30,000 emergency calls every year or the administration team members who process open records requests for things like photos from fatal crashes or other deaths, he said.
“We gotta get back to our team and make sure that they’re OK physically and mentally, so they can lead that quality life at home,” Skarban said. “When they can go home and be home, that’s important. It’s important for their rest, but then where are they in their mind?”
According to the resolution, the Sheriff’s Office Employee Wellness Program will provide:
• Trauma-Informed Training: Implement training for all employees on recognizing signs of trauma and stress in themselves and colleagues, and strategies for coping and resilience.
• Mental Health Resources: Partner with local mental health professionals to provide confidential counseling services and workshops aimed at stress management and trauma recovery.
• Peer Support Programs: Work in concert with the team to develop a peer support system where trained officers can provide emotional support to their colleagues who may be experiencing job-related stress or trauma.
• Wellness Initiatives: Create wellness initiatives, such as fitness programs, stress-reduction workshops and team-building activities, that promote physical health and team cohesion.
• Regular Check-Ins: Encourage regular mental health check-ins among the team, fostering an environment where discussing mental health is normalized and supported.
• Feedback: Establish a feedback mechanism where employees can voice concerns or suggestions related to their wellness without fear of stigma or retribution.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and improve the Wellness Program based on feedback and evolving best practices related to mental health and wellness in law enforcement.
“This is really a platform for a foundational approach for conflict resolution, to get those traumas out of there or put them in a small package and put them where they need to put them,” Skarban said. “That’s what this is about, and it’s got to be above and beyond what we’re offering right now.”
The board passed the resolution unanimously.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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