Developing a Law Enforcement Stress Program for Officers and Their Families

This Issues and Practices publication provides practical guidance regarding the development and maintenance of a law enforcement stress program. Developing a Law Enforcement Stress Program for Officers and Their Families is based largely on interviews with mental health practitioners, law enforcement administrators, union and association officials, and line officers and family members from both large and small agencies. Law enforcement officers face a number of sources of stress particular to their field, ranging from organizational demands (e.g., shift work) to the nature of police work itself (e.g., exposure to violence and suffering). In addition, some officers report new or increasing sources of stress, including those which result from the implementation of community policing, negative publicity, and reduced resources.