In fulfilling their duties, members of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) may expose themselves to significant danger, high stress, and a wide spectrum of human tragedy. Psychological and emotional wellness are critical to members’ health, relationships, job performance, and safety.
The health and wellness associated policies define the services available to members to promote health and wellness in day-to-day life, and during critical, stressful, and traumatic events members may encounter in service to the public.
The Health and Wellness Unit (HWU) establishes and manages a holistic wellness framework focused on providing comprehensive resources to all members. MPD is dedicated to supporting and encouraging the improvement of the minds and bodies of its members through evidence-based practices to:
- Develop and support a workforce that is resilient, engaged, and resourceful.
- Provide comprehensive physical and emotional care to all MPD members.
- Promote psychological, emotional, and physical wellness.
- Promote serving and engaging with the community in an ethical, compassionate, and just way, free of discrimination and bias.
- Assist members who are experiencing mental health, alcohol or other drug misuse, or other behavioral health challenges.
Policy
The HWU shall provide direction, coordination, and advocacy to MPD members and staff an interdisciplinary team that provides comprehensive wellness and safety care to all MPD members and designated services to their dependents.
The HWU maintains an Employee Support Plan dedicated to promoting the overall health, wellness, and support of MPD members and their families by focusing on five key areas:
- Physical.
- Emotional.
- Financial.
- Social.
- Spiritual.
The HWU shall seek out existing resources, create new opportunities, and respond to the evolving health and wellness needs of members to provide opportunities that enable member wellness in the key areas.
Communicating the Employee Support Plan
- The HWU shall maintain a communication plan, which includes training supervisory staff, that defines the types of services available and encourages utilization.
- The plan shall provide information on how the HWU informs members of the support services available, addresses stigmas, misinformation, or other potential barriers to utilizing services, and emphasizes that supporting members is integral to the City’s public safety operations.
MPD provides members and their dependents with a range of support services that seek to minimize the risk of harm from stress, trauma, alcohol and substance misuse, and mental health challenges. Types of support include:
- Readily accessible confidential mental health evaluations and counseling services with resources and referrals that include licensed therapists, specialists, outside agencies, or hospitals.
- Peer support.
- Traumatic incident debriefings.
- Crisis counseling.
- Stress management.
- Family support services.
- Member wellness training.
- Critical and Traumatic Incident response per P&P 3-502.
- Wellness facility & services.
Confidential Member Counseling and Support Services
- All MPD members and their dependents shall have access to the following counseling services through the HWU clinical vendor(s):
- Non-emergency generalized counseling sessions with a mental health professional within two weeks of the request.
- Emergency counseling by a mental health professional within 24 hours of the request.
- Mental health professionals with specialized training in one or more of the following areas are available to all MPD members:
- Posttraumatic stress.
- Domestic violence.
- Alcohol and substance use/misuse.
- Anger management.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Services provided by MPD shall be culturally appropriate and attuned to all MPD member’s diverse experiences and perspectives, including, but not limited to, gender identity, people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ people.
- MPD and the City will provide opportunities for members receiving services to provide feedback on whether the services are culturally appropriate and adapted to diverse experiences and perspectives.
- MPD will take reasonable action to improve or change services offered, to the extent necessary, based on member feedback received.
- Services provided shall be consistent with the results of the annual employee health and wellness needs assessment and Employee Support Plan. MPD and the City, will adjust service levels of licensed mental health professionals where appropriate based on the annual needs assessment.
- Mental health professionals providing mental health services to MPD members shall not participate in the fitness for duty evaluations.
Peer Support
The Peer Support Team provides confidential, one-on-one support to MPD members navigating personal or professional challenges per P&P 3-504.
MPD’s Peer Support Team consists of volunteer members selected based on their personal and professional experiences, their ability to maintain confidentiality, provide empathy, and build and maintain trust. The team represents a diverse range of ranks, units, and experiences within the department, both sworn and civilian. Additionally, participation requires a commitment to ongoing education and maintaining good standing within the department.
By fostering mental wellness, the importance of peer-to-peer relationships, and resilience, the Peer Support Team contributes to a healthier and more supportive workplace.
Family Support Services
Recognizing the vital role families play in the well-being of MPD members, the HWU shall provide or connect members and their families to essential resources to help spouses, partners, children, and other family members adapt to law enforcement life. Services include:
- Regular support group meetings.
- Academy orientation nights.
- Referrals to legal consultation/mediation, career resources, and childcare.
These programs offer education, peer connections, and access to additional support as needed.
Annual Re-Assessment of Member Support Services
- The HWU shall annually assess its health and wellness services to ensure access to adequate support.
- The assessment shall identify deficiencies and opportunities for improvements, implement necessary improvement measures, and evaluate the effectiveness of improvement measures taken to address deficiencies.
- The HWU will also seek input from MPD members on current services provided and those that are not currently provided but should be considered.
- As part of the annual re-assessment, the HWU shall provide a written report to the Chief, Mayor, and City Council, through their chain of command, that includes, to the extent legally permissible:
- Anonymized data regarding health and wellness services provided to MPD members.
- How long it takes members requesting counseling services to receive them.
- Other metrics related to the quality and availability of health and wellness services.
- Resource, training, and policy recommendations necessary to provide services to members that reasonably address their identified needs and comply with the Employee Support Plan
- The report shall not contain any personally identifiable information.