When the Badge (and You) Aren't Shiny and New: Fortifying Officer Resilience
This workshop addresses cumulative stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue across a law enforcement career, with a focus on long-term resilience rather than short-term fixes. Participants gain practical tools to recognize early warning signs, protect their well-being, and sustain both professional effectiveness and personal health.
Suggested Audience: Law enforcement
Full Description: The reality of a long career in law enforcement involves confronting human tragedy and critical incidents well beyond what the general public experiences, leading to cumulative stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. This workshop moves beyond basic stress management to focus on building sustainable, long-term resilience for officers who are established in their careers.
This session will provide tools and insight for safeguarding mental, emotional, and physical health, contributing to career longevity and personal well-being. Participants will learn to identify the early warning signs of professional exhaustion and the effects of trauma exposure, develop proactive self-care strategies, and cultivate a growth mindset essential for navigating the complex and demanding environment of modern law enforcement. The goal is to equip officers with the skills necessary to protect themselves and their families so they can continue to serve their communities effectively.
Learning Objectives:
Define the concepts of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and identify their physical and behavioral indicators.
Implement practical resilience-building techniques to mitigate the effects of chronic operational stress.
Develop sustainable peer support and self-care plans to ensure long-term career satisfaction and emotional health within the law enforcement profession.
Speaker(s): Crystal Nordby
