Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement

This presentation is designed to assist law enforcement professionals by the development of behavioral strategies to inoculate against loss of idealism and inappropriate behavior patterns. It will review the short and long-term effects on law enforcement officers on both the personal and professional aspects of their lives. The course will discuss how the initial enthusiasm and desire to professionally contribute can be transformed into negative cynicism, social distrust and hostility to the world at large that significantly impacts the professionals work performance, decision-making and ultimately over-all quality of life. The goal of the course is to have the law enforcement professional review the potential impact the career causes in the personal life and to develop strategies for overall emotional survival. The strategies are designed to permit the professional to continue functioning effectively and ethically without “burning-out” and without resorting to emotional isolation from friends and colleagues.

The course addresses the dynamics that can transform within a matter of a few years, idealistic and committed officers/employees into cynical, angry individuals who begin having difficulties in both the personal and professional aspects of their lives. The course outlines the issues that can potentially see officers engaging in inappropriate behavior patterns and decision-making that leads to both administrative and, unfortunately in some officers, criminal difficulties. The purpose of the class is to provide information that lets the special assignment officer see how the deterioration process can take place and what specific preventative strategies can be employed.

Another goal of the course is to provide information that lets agencies keep officers committed and engaged in productive police work. The course also gives information to employees on how not to become a “self-perceived victim”, a descriptor for an officer or employee that spends inordinate amounts of time resenting and resisting organizational and supervisory directive, as well as, suffering unnecessary destruction in the personal dimensions of their life.
This course is presented at all FBI LEEDS and Executive Development Institutes at the FBI Academy.