Wellness Coordinator

The Suffolk Police Department (SPD) is committed to the safety and wellness of all members of the police department and their families. 

The Health and Wellness Coordinator will be responsible for developing and overseeing initiatives to create a safe and healthy environment for all SPD employees.  This position will be focused on strengthening and maintaining employee and family wellness in the following areas: physical, mental, financial, and spiritual wellness. This position coordinates fitness and wellness programs and occupational health services for SPD by facilitating fitness and care coordination with medical providers and community resources.  It is important to maintain a strong internal control environment to reduce potential risks or communicate them to management.  This position ensures that data and reports are accurate and reliable; department assets are safeguarded to prevent waste, loss, unauthorized use or misappropriation; department objectives are achieved by maximizing operation efficiency and effectiveness; and applicable laws, regulations and policies are consistently followed.

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.   Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

• Coordinates with the Human Resources Department to develop programs that address the emotional needs of sworn and nonsworn employees leading to healthier individuals and a more resilient law enforcement organization.

• Assists employees with Workers’ Compensation claims.

• Coordinates with Human Resources for informal Employee Assistance Program referrals.

• Assists Light Duty personnel ensuring compliance with doctor recommendations and integration back into the workforce.

• Assists retiring employees transitioning into new roles.

• Works with the City’s Occupational Health vendor and Medical Director to implement best practices in the department. Schedules employee annual physicals and monitors successful medical evaluations or improvement recommendations for individual employees.

• Provides support to sworn personnel by providing crisis intervention options including referrals to access services, education, and outreach to individuals who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder, experiencing a mental health crisis and/or homelessness. 

• Supports Department personnel involved in a Critical Incident, and any other work-related situation that may require mental health care, assessment, and/or treatment.

• Collaborates with Human Resources on curriculum development to present mental health training to Departmental personnel as it relates to changes in best practices for interactions with the mentally ill and professional development resilience practices. 

• Represents the Department at community events related to mental health and other community outreach events as directed.

• Assists in developing CIT training models to ensure that local agencies follow a uniform approach to CIT in accordance with the national model of police­ based crisis intervention, and serves as the CIT trainer for the Department. 

• Monitors and reviews laws and issues related to crisis services, mental health codes, and commitment and transportation laws. 

• Collaborates with community stakeholders to help develop and implement initiatives to support mental health awareness. 

• Serves as a liaison with the Western Tidewater Community Services Board Coalition Against Poverty (CAPS) in Suffolk, the Court Services Unit, and the Suffolk Department of Social Services to support and raise awareness for mental health. 

• May respond to a call for service if/when the individual in crisis is unable to be effectively verbally de-escalated on-scene and an alternate level of intervention is needed. 

• Develops initiatives to create a safe and healthy environment for all SPD employees

• Establishes annual goals directed in enhancing health and wellness initiatives for all SPD employees

• Develops a network of community resources and contacts to strengthen programming and knowledge

• Develops and manages on-site employee wellness activities

• Discovers ways to increase employee engagement and assist with implementation and communication initiatives

• Conducts individual employee wellness assessments and referrals as needed

• Manages team members assigned to future safety and wellness positions such as peer support team members

• Communicates clearly and concisely with staff and encourages staff to maintain open communication

• Coordinate with SPDs senior executive staff on all matters related to Officer Safety and Wellness

• Conducts training of all employees on health and wellness strategies

• Preparing annual reports as it relates to collected data on Officer Safety and Wellness initiatives

• Maximizes performance and morale through effective leadership 

Bachelor’s degree in health education, psychology, nutrition, social work, or a related field with 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible experience. Graduate level degree or certification in the listed fields preferred.

Relevant professional experience to include demonstrated skills in providing mental health services in a law enforcement setting

Valid driver’s license required.

Strong knowledge of early intervention programs and ability to conduct early intervention sessions with SPD employees is preferred. 
 Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

• Knowledge of working in a community-based setting (i.e. mobile outreach or crisis assessment, in-home counseling, emergency department or inpatient units)
• Knowledge of electronic records or similar computerized data systems
• Ability to work collaboratively with community partners, collateral service providers, additional area law enforcement agencies, and co-workers
• Ability to provide assessment, triage, and crisis intervention with individuals who are in mental health crisis
• Ability to assess risk for suicidal and homicidal behavior
• Ability to work some evening and weekend hours as part of the regular shifts
• Knowledge of human behavior and performance; variations in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders
• Knowledge of planning, coordinating and conducting a diversified wellness program
• Skill in operating computers and using Microsoft Office applications
• Demonstrated ability to develop or coordinate fitness and wellness programs and/or services; to perform a variety of tasks simultaneously; to prioritize and manage multiple projects at one time and meet deadlines; and to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, in English with employees, vendors and the public.
• Responsible for the security of confidential information

Salary : $79,010 - $124,282