Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative – Category 3: Law Enforcement Agency and Officer Resilience Training Program

Since 2017, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), has led the development and delivery of the Law Enforcement Agency and Officer Resilience Training Program (Resilience Program). The training teaches skills proven to prevent and decrease anxiety and depression and increase optimism and well-being.

            With support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the IACP and Penn will expand upon to strong base to establish a catalogue of delivery models, including direct trainings of varying lengths, rank-specific trainings, train-the-trainer courses, and virtual offerings, that will meet participants’ needs and effectively train a strong cadre of culturally competent law enforcement resilience instructors. This approach will disseminate these crucial concepts widely across the profession – a necessary factor for perpetuating lasting organizational change towards a culture of wellness that will continue to build beyond the life of the project. Furthermore, the IACP will develop supplemental materials to further facilitate this goal, including guides, webinars, roll-call videos, podcasts, and other reinforcement tools to offer resilience resources directly to those in the field. The IACP and Penn will also continue to provide support for agencies implementing these training concepts organization-wide, including technical assistance to discuss strategies and encourage progress as practices evolve.

            Through this program, IACP, Penn, and BJA will: 1) provide knowledge and skills to increase officer wellness and resilience across state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies; 2) actively adapt to address relevant threats to law enforcement wellness through training and resource execution; and 3) spread awareness of BJA’s officer safety and wellness programs, trainings, and resources. By prioritizing and promoting safety and wellness in law enforcement organizations, the IACP will play a significant role in strengthening the profession by increasing individual capacity to lead more fulfilling professional and personal lives and agency capacity to improve outcomes for officers and their communities.