Correctional Employee Wellness Monograph

Executive summary T his monograph presents the results of a national scan on correctional employee wellness programs and services currently offered by state and local correctional agencies in the United States. Participants in the scan consisted of 70 local and state correctional agencies across the United States. This scan looked at availability and type of employee wellness programming offered based on agency type and geographical area. Questions were designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data including number of staff and institutions in the agency, number of staff wellness programs available, wellness program characteristics and included open-ended questions to allow respondents to provide comments, suggestions or further details. The findings are presented along with recommendations to offer guidance for correctional systems and policymakers as they move forward in supporting the health and wellness of corrections professionals. Among the most prominent findings in this scan are: –– The vast majority of institutions do have employee wellness programming in place; however, there are some state and local agencies that still do not offer any wellness resources; –– There is a broad range of staff wellness programs offered, with the most common being employee assis- tance programs, critical incident debriefings, disease prevention, peer support, outside referrals and fitness programming; –– The number of wellness programs offered to employ- ees does not differ between state and local agencies, but the types of wellness resources often do; –– Lack of funding, adequate staffing level and physical space are the most frequent limitations to providing staff wellness programs at both the state and local level. Based on the data from this scan, a number of recom- mendations are proposed, including: –– Conduct a comprehensive and statistically sound national scan on the efficacy of correctional employee wellness programs; –– Develop and implement a variety of effective pro- gramming that addresses multidimensional wellness, such as physical, emotional, social, financial and mental health services;

–– Enhance financial support for employee wellness in corrections to eliminate barriers to service on the organizational, logistical and individual level; –– Support research initiatives that further our under- standing of correctional employee health in order to more effectively identify the most impactful services for those professionals. Introduction Currently, there are over 400,000 persons working as correctional officers in the United States. 1 Serving a population of over two million, these employees are a vital resource for maintaining the safety and security of the correctional facility for the benefit of the in- mates, staff and community alike. 2 However, corrections professionals are increasingly responsible for not only maintaining order in a population but also facilitating rehabilitation services and actively assisting people who are incarcerated to become law-abiding citizens. 3 The myriad responsibilities combined with frequent exposure to violence, high rates of turnover and staff shortages and perceived lack of workplace safety can quickly lead to burnout, depression and chronic health conditions. 1,4-5 To combat the negative effects of workplace stress and improve the overall wellness of correctional staff, many agencies have implemented some form of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Services may address mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial or familial health and may include resources such as counseling referrals, addiction recovery support, financial services, family

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