National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers Program (SAFLEO Program)

Suicide is a leading cause of death among law enforcement officers.  The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers (SAFLEO) Program continues to provide culturally informed and sensitive training and technical assistance (TTA) and resources to law enforcement leaders, supervisors, officers, families, colleagues, and others to educate and amplify awareness and recognition of law enforcement suicide with the intention of preventing it.

IIR is submitting this proposal for supplemental funding to BJA to enhance current and add further activities that will promote the SAFLEO Program.  IIR is well positioned to continue to work effectively and coordinate the maintenance and enhancement of activities under the SAFLEO Program including developing and delivering enhanced TTA, resources, and other deliverables with the specific mission of fostering awareness and stimulating change in the policing culture about law enforcement mental health, increasing the acceptance of help-seeking behavior, and reducing and preventing law enforcement suicide.  Other areas of increased focus that IIR will address as a part of its support for SAFLEO include officer resilience and retention.  

As part of continued support and management of the SAFLEO Program, the team will continue to utilize its members’ diverse and wide range of experience and expertise to develop and deliver enhanced TTA and resources to agencies; develop and publish new virtual or distance-learning opportunities; develop and provide new training materials and related resources; continue to leverage the SAFLEO website to house current and newly developed materials; continue to creatively market the TTA program training and resources; and continue with the creation of a diverse-membership advisory board to guide project activities and help identify emerging issues in suicide awareness and prevention.

Because suicide continues to be a significant cause of mortality within the law enforcement community, the battle to prevent suicide must be waged with the same relentless solidarity and overt courage as the pursuit of a criminal responsible for the death of a law enforcement officer. The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) National Suicide Awareness for Law Enforcement Officers (SAFLEO) Program continues to provide culturally informed and sensitive training and technical assistance (TTA) and resources to law enforcement leaders, supervisors, officers, families, colleagues, and other stakeholders to educate and amplify awareness and recognition of law enforcement suicide with the intention of preventing it.

The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) is submitting this proposal for supplemental funding to BJA to not only continue current activities that will promote and enhance the SAFLEO Program but also provide the means to plan and execute additional activities including increased training and technical assistance deliveries. In addition, IIR will remain well-positioned to continue to work effectively and coordinate the maintenance and augmentation of activities under the SAFLEO Program, including developing and delivering enhanced TTA, new resources, and other deliverables as directed by BJA, with a sustained focus on fostering awareness and stimulating change in the policing culture about law enforcement mental health, increasing the acceptance of help-seeking behavior, and reducing and preventing law enforcement suicide. Other areas of increased focus that IIR will address as a part of its support for SAFLEO include chronic stress, its adverse effects, and the helpful ways to inoculate from it.  

In furtherance of the program’s goals, the IIR team will continue to utilize its members’ diverse and wide range of experience and expertise to develop new strategies to deliver enriched TTA and resources to agencies; develop and publish new virtual or distance-learning opportunities; explore and develop new training materials and related resources; continue to leverage the SAFLEO website to house current and new materials; continue to ingeniously promote the TTA program training and resources; and utilize the newly developed advisory board to guide project activities and help identify emerging issues in suicide awareness and prevention. Additional deliverables include significantly increasing the number of TTA deliveries, exploring initiating a program impact assessment, enhancing follow-up with Train-the-Trainer workshop attendees, convening a second in-person focus group, and exploring the development of resources focused on addressing law enforcement families and their role in officer safety and wellness, as well as field training officers.