Some of Our Services

The purpose of a mental health screening or wellness check is to discuss the overall well-being of a law enforcement officer, job-related stress management, and provide an opportunity to learn and explore healthy, effective coping mechanisms. The wellness check will last approximately 50-55 minutes in length. These screenings are neither Fitness-For-Duty evaluations, nor meant to provide a mental health diagnosis of the law enforcement officer.

It is important to note that the law enforcement career carries many challenges, both on the clock and

at home. Signs of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, etc., may become evident during a wellness check. In the event these signs become evident, resources will be available for the law enforcement officer to follow-up with outside of the wellness check.

Illinois House Bill 3653 allowed for mental health screenings or wellness checks of law enforcement officers for which the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) has set forth a set of recommendations. These recommendations state that mental health screenings should occur on an annual basis, and for confidentiality to remain paramount. Responses or statements made during a mental health screening will not be recorded or reported to the Department or ILETSB outside of some exceptions. These exceptions include: if a law enforcement officer is deemed to be a harm or danger to themselves or others, or if the law enforcement officer discloses that they are abusing a child, an elderly person, or a disabled person. Information to be shared with the Department or ILETSB upon request includes only: name of law enforcement officer, and date of attendance/completion of mental health screening.

Continued professional consultation may be beneficial to your Department upon completion of mental health screenings and wellness checks. This is important as it is impossible to predict when an individual or Department can experience stress and/or crisis. Continued consultation can take many forms, but may include follow-up mental health support and assistance should a concern arise, individualized crisis response, and critical incident crisis response/debriefing.

Law enforcement is not the only body within the realm of public safety, and all forms of public safety professionals experience stress and crisis at some point. Mental health screenings and wellness checks, as well as professional consultation services, are be offered to fire departments, emergency medical services (EMS), corrections, and telecommunications centers.