Creating a Healthy Work Environment with Internal Support and Counseling Resources

Creating a Healthy Work Environment with Internal Support and Counseling Resources

• PostDate：2024-04-29 16:28

To enhance the well-being among police officers, the National Police Agency (NPA) recently met with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Taiwan Society of Suicidology. Following consultations with relevant authorities and experts, the current psychological counseling mechanisms for police officers have been augmented with professional personnel and diversified counseling channels, utilizing existing resources effectively. The NPA has also instructed all police departments to foster a culture of care, encouraging mutual support within the organization and strengthening educational programs and on-the-job training in health promotion. These efforts aim to enable colleagues to self-identify and seek assistance when facing setbacks or stressors, fostering a healthier approach to problem-solving and coping strategies.

In order to facilitate police officers seeking assistance from professionals without apprehension, various police departments have employed psychologists or psychiatrists to provide "mental health consultations" and "outsourced appointment counseling" services in recent years. Particularly, the "outsourced appointment counseling service" allows colleagues to directly schedule appointments with counseling organizations without the need for referrals from superiors. Moreover, case identities are replaced with codes, and counseling data is retained by the psychologist or the counseling organization (not disclosed to the original department) with strict confidentiality measures implemented to enhance colleagues' trust and willingness to utilize these services.

To cultivate a culture of psychological well-being within the police force, positive leadership influences are exercised from the management level, including inviting experts to speak on topics such as building a caring culture, suicide prevention, identifying high-risk individuals, and promoting genuine care and assistance among colleagues. The Director-General of the NPA has instructed all levels of leadership to initiate the culture of care from the top down and strengthen peer relationships to foster trust and a sense of belonging, thereby reducing interpersonal detachment and leveraging peer support to prevent unfortunate incidents from recurring.