The Role of Leaders in Caring for the Officer's Spirit in Difficult Times ... and All the Time
It has become fashionable within police circles in recent years to talk about promoting and pursuing spiritual health as a component of overall police wellness. All major police organizations have introduced initiatives in the last several years aimed at promoting spiritual wellness in officers, and the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit was searching for "tools for intentional spirituality" more than 20 years ago.
But what does "spiritual wellness" really mean? How does the concept of spiritual health differ from that of psychological health? And doesn't any discussion of spiritual well-being open a scary Pandora's Box: If we're talking about spirituality, can discussion of religion -- on agency time and on agency dime -- be far behind?? This raises grave concerns both of running afoul of constitutional church-state separation requirements and of making many officers uncomfortable with unwelcome religious instruction.
On the other hand, leaders want to assure that officers are functioning at their ethical best. Research, observation, and logic confirm that spiritually healthy officers desire and strive to perform their mission with integrity, professionalism, appropriate restraint, discretion, and compassion. Interest in spiritual health has never been more needed.
So, how do we achieve these benefits without potential dangers?
This one-day webinar will address these important questions:
What is spirituality, and how is it different than religion?
What are the ingredients of healthy spirituality, and what are practical steps for pursuing spiritual health?
Why should the agency intrude on matters so personal and private?
How can leaders support their officers' spiritual well-being without violating -- or even appearing to violate --constitutional demands for church-state separation?
Does the risk of going without outweigh the danger of getting involved in such discussions and training?
Critics and skeptics claim that this newfound interest in and talk of spirituality are part of a plan to create a gentler breed of cops, more social worker than warrior. Is there any truth to this claim?
How can a leader create a program that will promote spiritual health?
What safeguards must be used to ensure that the program never degenerates into something it shouldn't be?
What knowledge does a leader need to create and maintain and oversee a successful, substantive and effective program?
How does this effort differ from conventional chaplaincy? If you already have a well-established chaplaincy program, is there still more to do?
Seminar Fee
FREE of charge as a service to the police comunity.
Seminar Hours
Seminar begins at 9:00 AM each day and concludes at 4:00 PM. Each participant will receive their own link to join online and course materials will be emailed prior to the seminar.
Refund and Substitution Policy
We will gladly apply a registration fee to any of our future seminars or products. Substitutions can be made at any time.
