Agenda packet — Berkeley City Council, February 8, 2022 (part 1 of 5)

Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 1
AGENDA

BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
6:00 PM

JESSE ARREGUIN, MAYOR
Councilmembers:

DISTRICT 1 – RASHI KESARWANI DISTRICT 5 – SOPHIE HAHN
DISTRICT 2 – TERRY TAPLIN DISTRICT 6 – SUSAN WENGRAF
DISTRICT 3 – BEN BARTLETT DISTRICT 7 – RIGEL ROBINSON
DISTRICT 4 – KATE HARRISON DISTRICT 8 – LORI DROSTE

PUBLIC ADVISORY: THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH

VIDEOCONFERENCE AND TELECONFERENCE
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e) and the state declared emergency, this meeting of the City Council will be conducted exclusively through teleconference and Zoom videoconference. The COVID -19 state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the members to meet safely in person and presents immine nt risks to the health of attendees. Therefore, no physical meeting location will be available.

Live audio is available on KPFB Radio 89.3. Live captioned broadcasts of Council Meetings are available on Cable B -TV (Channel 33) and via internet accessible video stream at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventWebcastMain.aspx .

To access the meeting remotely: Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device: Please use this URL https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83320305084. If you do not wish for your name to appear on the screen, then use the drop down menu and click on "rename" to rename yourself to be anonymous. To request to speak, use the “raise hand” icon by rolling over the bottom of the screen.

To join by phone: Dial 1-669-900-9128 or 1-877-853-5257 (Toll Free) and enter Meeting ID: 833 2030 5084. If you wish to comment during the public comment portion of the agenda, Press *9 and wait to be recognized by the Chair.

Please be mindful that the teleconference will be recorded as any Council meeting is recorded, and all other rules of procedure and decorum will apply for Council meetings conducted by teleconference or videoconference.

To submit a written communication for the City Council’s consideration and inclusion in the public record, email [email protected]
.

This meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Brown Act, Government Code Section 54953. Any member of the public may attend this meeting. Questions regarding this matter may be addressed to Mark Numainville, City Clerk, (510) 981- 6900. The City Council may take action related to any subject listed on the Agenda. Meetings will adjourn at 11:00 p.m. - any items outstanding at that time will be carried over to a date/time to be specified.

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Preliminary Matters
Roll Call:

Ceremonial Matters: In addition to those items listed on the agenda, the Mayor may add additional ceremonial matters.

City Manager Comments: The City Manager may make announcements or provide information to the City Council in the form of an oral report. The Council will not take action on such items but may request the City Manager place a report on a future agenda for discussion.

Public Comment on Non-Agenda Matters: Persons will be selected to address matters not on the Council agenda. If five or fewer persons wish to speak, each person selected will be allotted two minutes each. If more than five persons wish to speak, up to ten persons will be selected to address matters not on the Council agenda and each person selected will be allotted one minute each. The remainder of the speakers wishing to address the Council on non-agenda items will be heard at the end of the agenda.

Consent Calendar
The Council will first determine whether to move items on the agenda for “Action” or “Information” to the “Consent Calendar”, or move “Consent Calendar” items to “Action.” Three members of the City Council must agree to pull an item from the Consent Calendar for it to move to Action. Items that remain on the “Consent Calendar” are voted on in one motion as a group. “Information” items are not discussed or acted upon at the Council meeting unless they are moved to “Action” or “Consent”.

No additional items can be moved onto the Consent Calendar once public comment has commenced. At any time during, or immediately after, public comment on Information and Consent items, any Councilmember may move any Information or Consent item to “Action.” Following this, the Council will vote on the items remaining on the Consent Calendar in one motion.

For items moved to the Action Calendar from the Consent Calendar or Information Calendar, persons who spoke on the item during the Consent Calendar public comment period may speak again at the time the matter is taken up during the Action Calendar.

Public Comment on Consent Calendar and Information Items Only: The Council will take public comment on any items that are either on the amended Consent Calendar or the Information Calendar. Speakers will be entitled to two minutes each to speak in opposition to or support of Consent Calendar and Information Items. A speaker may only speak once during the period for public comment on Consent Calendar and Information items.

Additional information regarding public comment by City of Berkeley employees and interns: Employees and interns of the City of Berkeley, although not required, are encouraged to identify themselves as such, the department in which they work and state whether they are speaking as an individual or in their official capacity when addressing the Council in open session or workshops.

2 Consent Calendar
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 3

1. Commission Reorganization: Creating the Environment and Climate Commission
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt second reading of Ordinance No. 7,796-N.S. adding Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 3.82 to create the Environment and Climate Commission (ECC).

First Reading Vote: All Ayes.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development, (510) 981-7400

2. Response to City Council Action on October 26, 2021 regarding Short Term Referral for Amendments to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt second reading of Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. a local Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance [Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) Chapter

23.306] and amendments to relevant Defined Terms [BMC Chapter 23.502.020] in the Zoning Ordinance.

First Reading Vote: All Ayes.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development, (510) 981-7400

3. Response to City Council Action on October 26, 2021 regarding Short Term Referral for Amendments to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance to Address Public Safety Concerns
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt second reading of Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. a local ordinance enacting Chapter 12.99 (Accessory Dwelling Units in Wildfire Hazard Areas) and amending Chapter 23.306.

Financial Implications: None
First Reading Vote: All Ayes.

Contact: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development, (510) 981-7400

4. Lease and Cooperative Agreement: Downtown Berkeley Bike Station From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt second reading of Ordinance No. 7,798-N.S. authorizing the City Manager to execute a lease agreement with BART for retail space at the Center Street Garage for a fifteen-year lease term commencing February 1, 2021, and expiring on January 31, 2036.

Financial Implications: See report.

First Reading Vote: All Ayes.

Contact: Liam Garland, Public Works, (510) 981-6300

3 Consent Calendar
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 4

5. Resolution Reviewing and Ratifying the Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Spread of a Severe Acute Respiratory Illness Caused by a Novel (New) Coronavirus (COVID-19)
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution reviewing the need for continuing the local emergency due to the spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19) and ratifying the Proclamation of Local Emergency issued by the Director of Emergency Services on March 3, 2020, initially ratified by the City Council on March 10, 2020, and subsequently reviewed and ratified by the Council on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, and December 14, 2021.

Financial Implications: To be determined
Contact: Farimah Brown, City Attorney, (510) 981-6950

6. Resolution Making Required Findings Pursuant to the Government Code and Directing City Legislative Bodies to Continue to Meet Via Videoconference and Teleconference
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution making the required findings pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e)(3) and determining that as a result of the continued threat to public health and safety posed by the spread of COVID-19, City legislative bodies shall continue to meet via videoconference and teleconference, initially ratified by the City Council on September 28, 2021, and subsequently reviewed and ratified on October 26, 2021 November 16, 2021, December 14, 2021, and January 10, 2022.

Financial Implications: To be determined
Contact: Farimah Brown, City Attorney, (510) 981-6950

7. Formal Bid Solicitations and Request for Proposals Scheduled for Possible Issuance After Council Approval on February 8, 2022
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Approve the request for proposals or invitation for bids (attached to staff report) that will be, or are planned to be, issued upon final approval by the requesting department or division. All contracts over the City Manager’s threshold will be returned to Council for final approval.

Financial Implications: $4,468,611.

Contact: Henry Oyekanmi, Finance, (510) 981-7300

4 Consent Calendar
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 5

8. Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract and any amendments with 02X Human Performance LLC (Contractor) to provide a physical and mental wellness program for the Berkeley Fire & Police Departments (Departments) for a four (4) year base contract period that starts February 9, 2022 and ends on February 8, 2026 in an amount not to exceed $2,712,145 with an option to extend for up to six (6) additional years in two (2) year increments for a total of ten (10) years and not to exceed a total contract amount of $7,948,612.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Abe Roman, Fire, (510) 981-3473

9. Contract – Wildland Res Mgmt. for Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract and any amendments with Wildland Res Mgmt. (Contractor) to provide Community Wildfire Protection Plan and associated analytics for the Berkeley Fire Department (Department) for an initial base contract period of one year, from February 9, 2022 to February 8, 2023 in an amount not to exceed $200,000 with an option to extend for an additional four years in two-year increments and a total not to exceed $400,000.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Abe Roman, Fire, (510) 981-3473

10. Adopt a Resolution Approving Exception to the 180-Day Waiting Period to Hire a CalPERS Retired Annuitant in Accordance With Government Code Sections 7522.56 And 21224
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Staff respectfully recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving an exception to the 180-day waiting period for hiring a retired annuitant as an extra-help employee.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Donald E. Ellison, Human Resources, (510) 981-6800

11. Contract No. 31900207 Amendment: Recruiting Advertising and Marketing Strategy for the Berkeley Police Department
From: City Manager
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to amend Contract No. 31900207 with Epic Recruiting, to provide additional recruiting and advertising services for police and professional staff vacancies, in an amount not to exceed $120,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $310,000, and extending the term through April 30, 2023.

Financial Implications: General Fund - $120,000
Contact: Jennifer Louis, Police, (510) 981-5900

5 Consent Calendar
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 6

12. Resolution supporting immigration reform for the U.S.

From: Peace and Justice Commission
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution: 1. Urging President Biden to honor his promise for a humane immigration policy; 2. Calling for a departure from the previous administration’s cruelty toward migrant, for protections from deportation, and for a path to permanent residency for protected groups including beneficiaries of DACA, TPS, and DED; 3. Requesting closure of three California ICE detention facilities cited for many rights violations. Copies of this resolution should be sent to President Biden and Berkeley’s congressional delegation.

Financial Implications: None
Contact: Okeya Vance-Dozier, Commission Secretary, (510) 981-7100

13. Resolution in Support of Justice for Haitian Refugees From: Peace and Justice Commission
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution calling for an end to all U.S. government deportation efforts against Haitian refugees. Send a letter with the enclosed resolution to President Biden, Senators Feinstein and Padilla, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Financial Implications: Staff time.

Contact: Okeya Vance-Dozier, Commission Secretary, (510) 981-7100

14. Normalize Diplomatic and Economic Relations with Cuba From: Peace and Justice Commission
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution supporting normalization of diplomatic and economic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, initiated by Cuba solidarity organizations in the U.S. Send a letter with the enclosed resolution to President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Senators Feinstein and Padilla, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Financial Implications: Staff time.

Contact: Okeya Vance-Dozier, Commission Secretary, (510) 981-7100

15. Japanese American Day of Remembrance
From: Peace and Justice Commission
Recommendation: 1. Adopt a Resolution calling on leaders to denounce anti-Asian racism, and for the City to collaborate with AAPI communities and community-based organizations to promote community building and safety, and to address systemic barriers for reporting anti-Asian hate crimes. 2. Adopt in perpetuity February 19 as the Japanese American Day of Remembrance in Berkeley in recognition of the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans and Japanese Latin Americans during World War II.

Financial Implications: Staff time.

Contact: Okeya Vance-Dozier, Commission Secretary, (510) 981-7100

6 Council Consent Items
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 7

16. Budget Referral and Resolution Establishing City Process for Siting and Developing Public Electric Vehicle DC Fast-charging Hubs From: Councilmember Harrison (Author), Mayor Arreguin (Co-Sponsor), Councilmember Bartlett (Co-Sponsor), Councilmember Wengraf (Co-Sponsor) Recommendation:

1. Adopt a Resolution in support of a non-binding term sheet between the City of Berkeley and East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) to establish a network of publicly available electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging hubs in municipally-owned parking lots and garages in areas with a dense concentration of multifamily housing.

2. Refer to the June, 2022 FY 23-24 budget process $600,000 in General Fund revenues to fund Berkeley’s annual maximum Service Fee of $100,000/year per fast- charging hub for three hubs. Once revenues from charging exceed the annual service fee, a portion of revenues will be remitted to the City. Over the 10-year agreement, the City will realize a net gain. Under either a low and high hub utilization scenario, EBCE estimates the City will likely see net profits from Site License Agreement revenue over the ten years estimated at between $50,000 and $851,000.

In addition, EBCE estimates that the City is already on track to realize an additional $400,000-$600,000 in Utility User Tax proceeds annually over next 2-3 years under the Renewable 100 portfolio, and that number could grow to up to $1.3 million per year by 2025 assuming EV adoption goals are met.

Financial Implications: See report.

Contact: Kate Harrison, Councilmember, District 4, (510) 981-7140 Action Calendar
The public may comment on each item listed on the agenda for action as the item is taken up. For items moved to the Action Calendar from the Consent Calendar or Information Calendar, persons who spoke on the item during the Consent Calendar public comment period may speak again at the time the matter is taken up during the Action Calendar.

The Presiding Officer will request that persons wishing to speak use the "raise hand" function to determine the number of persons interested in speaking at that time. Up to ten (10) speakers may speak for two minutes. If there are more than ten persons interested in speaking, the Presiding Officer may limit the public comment for all speakers to one minute per speaker. Speakers are permitted to yield their time to one other speaker, however no one speaker shall have more than four minutes. The Presiding Officer may, with the consent of persons representing both sides of an issue, allocate a block of time to each side to present their issue.

Action items may be reordered at the discretion of the Chair with the consent of Council.

17. Berkeley’s 2019 Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory (Continued from November 30, 2021)
From: City Manager
Contact: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development, (510) 981-7400

Action Calendar – Public Hearings
Staff shall introduce the public hearing item and present their comments. This is followed by five -minute presentations each by the appellant and applicant. The Presiding Officer will request that persons wishing to speak use the "raise hand" function to be recognized and to determine the number of persons interested in speaking at that time.
7 Action Calendar – Public Hearings
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 8
Up to ten (10) speakers may speak for two minutes. If there are more than ten persons interested in speaking, the Presiding Officer may limit the public comment for all speakers to one minute per speaker.

The Presiding Officer may with the consent of persons representing both sides of an issue allocate a block of time to each side to present their issue.

Each member of the City Council shall verbally disclose all ex parte contacts concerning the subject of the hearing. Councilmembers shall also submit a report of such contacts in writing prior t o the commencement of the hearing. Written reports shall be available for public review in the office of the City Clerk.

18. ZAB Appeal: 2956 Hillegass Avenue Use Permit #ZP2021-0068 From: City Manager
Recommendation: Conduct a public hearing and, upon conclusion, adopt a Resolution affirming the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) decision to approve Zoning Permit #ZP2021-0068 for the addition of a 170 square foot third-floor balcony to the rear of an existing three-story 2,834 square foot single-family dwelling on a 2,754 square foot lot that is non-conforming to lot coverage.

Financial Implications: None
Contact: Jordan Klein, Planning and Development, (510) 981-7400

Information Reports

19. Update on Berkeley’s Redistricting Process for City Council Districts From: City Manager
Contact: Mark Numainville, City Clerk, (510) 981-6900

20. Healthy Checkout Ordinance Protocols
From: City Manager
Contact: Lisa Warhuus, Health, Housing, and Community Services, (510) 981-5400

Public Comment – Items Not Listed on the Agenda
Adjournment
NOTICE CONCERNING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS : If you object to a decision by the City Council to approve or deny a use permit or variance for a project the following requirements and restrictions apply:
1) No lawsuit challenging a City decision to deny (Code Civ. Proc. §1094.6(b)) or approve (Gov. Code 65009(c)(5)) a use permit or variance may be filed more than 90 days after the date the Notice of Decision of the action of the City Council is mailed. Any lawsuit not filed within that 90- day period will be barred. 2) In any lawsuit that may be filed against a City Council decision to approve or deny a use permit or variance, the issues and evidence will be limited to those raised by you or someone else, orally or in writing, at a public hearing or prior to the close of the last public hearing on the project.

Live captioned broadcasts of Council Meetings are available on Cable B-TV (Channel 33), via internet accessible video stream at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/CalendarEventWebcastMain.aspx

and KPFB Radio 89.3.

Archived indexed video streams are available at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/citycouncil.

Channel 33 rebroadcasts the following Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

8 Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 9
Communications to the City Council are public record and will become part of the City’s electronic records, which are accessible through the City’s website. Please note: e-mail addresses, names, addresses, and other contact information are not required, but if included in any communication to the City Council, will become part of the public record. If you do not want your e-mail address or any other contact information to be made public, you may deliver communications via U.S. Postal Service to the City Clerk Department at 2180 Milvia Street. If you do not want your contact information included in the public record, please do not include that information in your communication. Please contact the City Clerk Department for further information.

Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on this agenda will be posted on the City's website at http://www.cityofberkeley.info .

Agendas and agenda reports may be accessed via the Internet at http://www.cityofberkeley.info/citycouncil

COMMUNICATION ACCESS INFORMATION:

To request a disability-related accommodation(s) to participate in the meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at (510) 981-6418 (V) or (510) 981-6347 (TDD) at least three business days before the meeting date.

Captioning services are provided at the meeting, on B-TV, and on the Internet. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hereby certify that the agenda for this meeting of the Berkeley City Council was posted at the display case located near the walkway in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building , 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, as well as on the City’s website, on January 27, 2022.

Mark Numainville, City Clerk

Communications
Council rules limit action on Communications to referral to the City Manager and/or Boards and Commissions for investigation and/or recommendations. All communications submitted to Council are public record. Copies of individual communications are available for viewing through Records Online .

ADU’s

1. Jeff White

Alameda County Rent Moratorium

2. Bruce Dodd

Buena Vista Way Repaving

3. Val Cipollone

4. Stefano Della Vigna

9 Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 10
City Mobility Improvement

5. Gail Burke (2)

COVID-19

6. Troy Ault

EBCE Community Advisory Committee

7. Newsletter

Homeless

8. Diana

January 18, 2022 Council Meeting

9. Barbara Gilbert (2)

Marin and Spruce

10. Diana Damonte

Plastic Bag Ordinance

11. Jessica Mitchell

Redistricting

12. Jack Kurzweil

13. Sabina McMurtry

RV’s

14. Charlene Washington

Stopwaste

15. David Lerman

Tenant Advocacy

16. Robin Fletcher

Tire Replacement

17. Catherine Woolf

UA Homes

18. Benjamin Hubbel

Unfunded CalPERS Liability

19. David Lerman

10 Tuesday, February 8, 2022 AGENDA Page 11
Supplemental Communications and Reports
Items received by the deadlines for submission will be compiled and distributed as follows. If no items are received by the deadline, no supplemental packet will be compiled for said deadline.

• Supplemental Communications and Reports 1
Available by 5:00 p.m. five days prior to the meeting.

• Supplemental Communications and Reports 2
Available by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting.

• Supplemental Communications and Reports 3
Available by 5:00 p.m. two days following the meeting.
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Ordinance No. 7,796-N.S. Page 1 of 3
ORDINANCE NO. 7,796-N.S.

ENACTING BERKELEY MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 3.82 CREATING THE

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE COMMISSION
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Berkeley as follows:

Section 1. That Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 3.82 is enacted to read as follows:

ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE COMMISSION
Sections:

3.82.010 Established--Membership--Appointment.

3.82.020 Council representatives – Functions.

3.82.030 Organization, meetings, rules and procedures.

3.82.040 Functions.

3.82.010 Established--Membership--Appointment.

A. An Environment and Climate Commission is established. The commission shall consist of nine members. Appointments to the commission shall be made, and vacancies on the commission shall be filled, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.04.030 through 2.04.130. City Council shall appoint representatives with appropriate expertise and demonstrated commitment to the areas outlined in the functions section 3.04.40.

B. For purposes of determining term limits under Section 3.02.040, a commissioner’s service on the Energy Commission or the Community Environmental Advisory Commission shall be counted toward their service upon their appointment to the Environment and Climate Commission.

3.82.020 Council representative as commission liaison.

The City Council may appoint one of its members to act as a non-voting, uncompensated liaison representative to the Environment and Climate Commission.

The functions of such liaison representatives are:

A. To attend meetings of said commission;
B. To advise the Council of the background, reasons and rationale behind decisions and recommendations of said commission; and

Page 1 of 3 ends

13 Ordinance No. 7,796-N.S. Page 2 of 3
C. On request of any member of said commission, to advise the commission of policies, procedures and decisions of the council that may bear on matters under discussion by the commission.

3.82.030 Organization, meetings, rules and procedures.

A. The commission annually shall elect one of its members as the chairperson and one of its members as the vice-chairperson. One or more officers or employees of the City designated by the City Manager shall serve as secretary of the commission.

B. The commission shall establish a regular place and time for meeting. All meetings shall be noticed as required by law and shall be scheduled in a way to allow for maximum input from the public. The frequency of commission meetings shall be as determined by City Council Resolution. The scheduling of special meetings in addition to those established by City Council resolution, except special meetings that take the place of cancelled regular meetings, shall be subject to approval by the City Council. A request for a special meeting shall include the reason for the proposed meeting and should be expedited on the City Council’s agenda, or in the alternative, placed before the Agenda Committee for approval.

C. The commission may make and alter rules governing its organization and procedures which are consistent with this Chapter or any other applicable ordinance of the City.

D. A majority of the members appointed to the commission shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of a majority of the members appointed is required to take any action.

E. The commission shall keep an accurate record of its proceedings and transactions.

3.82.040 Functions.

The Environment and Climate Commission shall be an advisory board and shall review and advise the City Council on matters related to emerging issues, policies, projects, programs, planning efforts, activities, and funding of environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Its scope will include work to advance the goals of advancing green buildings and resource efficiency;

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14 Ordinance No. 7,796-N.S. Page 3 of 3
decarbonizing buildings and transportation; engaging and educating the community; addressing the impacts and welfare of all species, including animals, insects, and plants; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reducing toxics and preventing pollution; and supporting environmental justice.

Section 2. Copies of this Ordinance shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of Council Chambers, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Within 15 days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

At a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Berkeley held on January 18, 2022, this Ordinance was passed to print and ordered published by posting by the following vote:

Ayes: Bartlett, Droste, Hahn, Harrison, Kesarwani, Robinson, Taplin, Wengraf, and Arreguin.

Noes: None.

Absent: None.

Page 3 of 3 ends

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Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 1 of 6
ORDINANCE NO. 7,797-N.S.

AMENDMENTS TO THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) ORDINANCE (BMC

23.306) AND DEFINED TERMS (BMC 23.502.020) RELATING TO ADUS BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Berkeley as follows:

Section 1. That Berkeley Municipal Code 23.306 is amended to read as follows:

23.306 Accessory Dwelling Units
Sections:

23.102.010– Purposes.

23.102.020– Applicability.

23.102.030– Permit Procedures.

23.306.040– Development Standards.

23.306.050– Deed Restrictions.

23.306.060– Neighborhood Noticing.

23.102.010 – Purposes
The purposes of this Chapter are to:

A. Implement California Government Code Section 65852.2 and 65852.22.

B. Increase overall supply and range of housing options in Berkeley.

C. Expedite small-scale infill development.

D. Support Housing Element goals of facilitating construction of accessory dwelling units and increasing the number of housing units that are more affordable to Berkeley residents.

E. Encourage development of accessory dwelling units in zoning districts with compatible land uses and infrastructure.

F. Reduce potential impacts of new development in high fire severity areas and the Hillside Overlay District due to unique conditions and hazards within these areas that require additional restrictions on ADUs and JADUs because of impacts of traffic flow and public safety, consistent with Government Code 65852.2, subdivision (a)(1)(A), which allows local agencies to regulate ADUs based on "adequacy of water and sewer service, and the impacts of traffic flow and public safety."

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17 Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 2 of 6

23.102.020 – Applicability.

A. The provisions of this chapter apply to zoning districts where residential uses are permitted, on lots that have at least one existing or proposed Dwelling Unit or Group Living Accommodation that is not a Fraternity House, Sorority House or Dormitory.

1. Exceptions. The provisions of this chapter that permit ADUs and JADUs do not apply to lots in the R-1H (Single-Family Residential—Hillside Overlay), R-2H (Restricted Two-Family Residential—Hillside Overlay), or R-2AH (Restricted Multiple-Family Residential—Hillside Overlay) Districts. In such districts, ADUs and JADUs shall only be permitted to the extent required by subdivision (e)(1) of Government Code Section 65852.2.

B. Number of ADUs and JADUs Permitted Per Lot.

1. Lot with one Single Family Dwelling: One ADU and/or one JADU.

2. Lot with more than one Single Family Dwelling: One ADU.

3. Lot with a Duplex or Multi-Family Dwelling, either:
a. Up to two detached ADUs; or
b. At least one ADU converted from non-habitable portions of the existing Main Building that are not within the living space of a Dwelling Unit (e.g. basement, attic, garages, storage room). The maximum number of ADUs converted from portions of the existing Main Building that are not within the living space of a Dwelling Unit shall not exceed 25% of the total number of existing Dwelling Units on the lot.

4. Lot with a Group Living Accommodation that is not a Fraternity House, Sorority House or Dormitory: One ADU.

23.102.030 – Permit Procedures.

A. Zoning Certificate. An application for an ADU or JADU shall be allowed with a Zoning Certificate. Review must be completed within 60 days of submission of a completed application. A completed application must include evidence of compliance with this Chapter, including Development Standards, Deed Restrictions, and Neighborhood Noticing.

1. If an application to create an ADU or JADU is submitted as part of a project that requires discretionary review, a Zoning Certificate for a Building Permit shall not be issued for the ADU or JADU until the discretionary approval(s) has/have been granted and any applicable appeal periods have expired.

2. Issuance of a Zoning Certificate shall not be denied for the construction or conversion of an ADU or JADU that complies with the requirements of Government Code Section 65852.2(e)(1).

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18 Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 3 of 6

3. Issuance of a Zoning Certificate for the construction or conversion of an ADU or JADU shall not be denied based on the failure of an applicant to correct a nonconforming zoning condition.

23.306.040 Development Standards.

A. Basic Standards. See Table 23.306-1: ADU and JADU Development Standards.

TABLE 23.306-1 ADU AND JADU DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
ADU1 JADU
Maximum Size2 500 sf
Studio or 1 bedroom 850 sf
2 + bedrooms 1000 sf
Maximum Height 20 ft.

Front Yard Setback Same as underlying district
Rear Setback 4 ft3
Side Setback 4 ft3
N/A
Required Off-Street Parking None4
[1] An ADU converted from an Accessory Building or Accessory Structure legally established at least three years prior to submission of an ADU application, that does not comply with the Maximum Height, Size, and/or Rear and Side Setback requirements, is allowed to maintain non-conformity to the same dimensions of the existing Accessory Building or Accessory Structure. Any physical additions to the existing Accessory Building or Accessory Structure shall comply with the development standards in this table. [2] An ADU created entirely through conversion, with no modifications to the existing building envelope that exceeds the development standards for Maximum Size in this table is allowed a physical addition of no more than 150 square feet. The addition must comply with Maximum Height and Setback requirements in this table.
[3] If there is a lesser setback allowed for a comparable Accessory Building or Accessory Structure in the underlying zoning district, that setback shall apply. [4] Replacement parking is not required. Replacement of off-street parking for the Main Building is allowed and does not need to comply with Parking Maximums (BMC 23.322.070) nor Parking Layout and Design (BMC 23.322.080).

B. Projections. Architectural features (Chimneys, Water Heater Enclosures, Flues, Heating and Cooling Equipment, Eaves, Cornices, Canopies, Awnings) may project two feet into the required setbacks, so long as there remains at least a two-foot setback from property lines. Bay windows and balconies may not project into a setback.

23.306.050 - Deed Restrictions.

A. The property owner shall file a deed restriction with the Alameda County Recorder which states:

1. The JADU shall not be sold separately from the Main Building;

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19 Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 4 of 6

2. The ADU shall not be sold separately from the Main Building unless the conditions of BMC 23.306.050 B are met;

3. The ADU and/or JADU shall not be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days; and

4. If the property includes a JADU, the JADU, or the Single Family Dwelling in which the JADU is located, shall be owner-occupied.

B. ADUs Developed by a Qualified Nonprofit Developer. An ADU built or developed by a “qualified nonprofit corporation” may be sold or conveyed separately from the Main Building to a “qualified buyer,” as such terms are defined in subdivision (b) of Section 65852.26 of the California Government Code. The ADU must be held pursuant to a recorded tenancy in common agreement recorded on or after December 31, 2021 that includes the following elements:

1. Delineation of all areas of the property that are for the exclusive use of a cotenant;

2. Delineation of each cotenant’s responsibility for the costs of taxes, insurance, utilities, general maintenance and repair, and improvements associated with the property;

3. Procedures for dispute resolution among cotenants before resorting to legal action;

4. Allocates to each qualified buyer an undivided, unequal interest in the property based on the size of the dwelling each qualified buyer occupies;

5. A repurchase option that requires the qualified buyer to first offer the qualified nonprofit corporation to buy the ADU or primary dwelling if the buyer desires to sell or convey the property;

6. A requirement that the qualified buyer occupy the ADU or primary dwelling as the buyer’s principal residence; and

7. Affordability restrictions on the sale and conveyance of the ADU or primary dwelling that ensure the ADU and primary dwelling will be preserved for low- income housing for 45 years for owner-occupied housing units and will be sold or resold to a qualified buyer.

8. If requested by a utility providing service to the primary residence, the ADU shall have a separate water, sewer, or electrical connection to that utility.

23.306.060 – Neighbor Noticing.

A. Scope and Timing of Notice. Notice of an ADU application shall be mailed to owners and tenants of the subject, adjacent, confronting and abutting properties within ten working days of submission to the Planning Department.

B. Content of Notice. Notice shall provide the address of the project, allowable hours of construction, and a link to the City’s ADU webpage and information for tenants of the subject property on how to contact a Rent Board Housing Counselor by e-mail or phone and any other resource information deemed relevant.

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20 Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 5 of 6
C. Mailing Fees. The applicant shall be responsible for the cost of materials, postage and staff time necessary to process and mail notices.

Section 2. That the definition of Accessory Dwelling Unit in Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23.502.020.A.4 is amended to read as follows:

23.502.020.A.4
Accessory Dwelling Unit. A secondary dwelling unit that is located on a lot in a zoning district where residential uses are permitted with a proposed or existing Single Family Dwelling, Duplex, Multi-Family Dwelling Use or Group Living Accommodation. An Accessory Dwelling Unit must comply with local building, housing, safety and other code requirements, except as expressly modified in Chapter 23.306, and provide the following features independent of other dwelling units on the lot: 1) exterior or independent access to the Accessory Dwelling Unit; 2) living and sleeping quarters; 3) a full kitchen; and 4) a full bathroom. An Accessory Dwelling Unit also includes the following:
a. An efficiency unit, as defined in Section 17958.1 of the Health and Safety Code.
b. A manufactured home, as defined in Section 18007 of the Health and Safety Code.

Section 3. That the definition of Primary Dwelling Unit in Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23.502.020.P.16 is rescinded.

23.502.020.P.16
Section 4. That the definition of Efficiency Kitchen is adopted in Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23.502.020.E.1 as follows:

23.502.020.E.1
Efficiency Kitchen: A kitchen that includes a sink, a cooking facility with appliances (e.g. microwave, toaster, oven, hot plate), and food preparation counter space and cabinets.

Section 5. That the definition of Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) is adopted in Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23.502.020.J.1 as follows:

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21 Ordinance No. 7,797-N.S. Page 6 of 6

23.502.020.J.1
Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU): A unit that is contained entirely within the walls of a Single Family Dwelling. A JADU must include a separate exterior entrance and an Efficiency Kitchen with a working refrigerator. A JADU may include separate sanitation facilities or may share sanitary facilities with a Single Family Dwelling. The property-owner must reside in either the Single Family Dwelling or the JADU.

Section 6. Copies of this Ordinance shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Within 15 days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

At a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Berkeley held on January 18, 2022, this Ordinance was passed to print and ordered published by posting by the following vote:

Ayes: Bartlett, Droste, Hahn, Harrison, Kesarwani, Robinson, Taplin, Wengraf, and Arreguin.

Noes: None.

Absent: None.

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22 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 1 of 8
ORDINANCE NO.7,799-N.S.

AMENDMENTS TO THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU) ORDINANCE (BMC

23.306) AND ADOPTION OF A WILDFIRE HAZARD EVACUATION RISK MITIGATION ORDINANCE (BMC 12.99)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Berkeley as follows:

Section 1. Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 23.306 is amended to read as follows

23.306 Accessory Dwelling Units
Sections:

23.306.010 Purposes.

23.306.020 Applicability and Definitions.

23.306.030 Permit Procedures.

23.306.040 Development Standards.

23.306.050 Deed Restrictions.

23.306.060 Neighborhood Noticing.

23.306.070 Rooftop Decks and Balconies.

23.306.010 Purposes.

The purposes of this Chapter are to:

A. Implement California Government Code Section 65852.2 and 65852.22.

B. Increase overall supply and range of housing options in Berkeley.

C. Expedite small-scale infill development.

D. Support Housing Element goals of facilitating construction of accessory dwelling units and increasing the number of housing units that are more affordable to Berkeley residents.

E. Encourage development of accessory dwelling units in zoning districts with compatible land uses and infrastructure.

F. Reduce potential impacts of new development in Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas as designated in the BMC Chapter

19.48 and as may be amended from time to time, and the Hillside Overlay District (HOD) due to unique conditions and hazards within these areas that require additional restrictions on ADUs and JADUs because of impacts of traffic flow and public safety consistent with Government Code 65852.2, subdivision (a)(1)(A), which allows local agencies to regulate ADUs based on "adequacy of water and sewer service, and the impacts of traffic flow and public safety."

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23 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 2 of 8

23.306.020 Applicability and Definitions.

B. For purposes of this Chapter the Hillside Overlay District (HOD) includes all lots within Berkeley’s designated Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas that are zoned R-1H (Single-Family Residential—Hillside Overlay), R-2H (Restricted Two-Family Residential— Hillside Overlay), R-2AH (Restricted Multiple-Family Residential—Hillside Overlay), or ES-R (Environmental Safety-Residential).

C. Number of ADUs and JADUs Permitted Per Lot. Except as expressly modified by Chapter 12.99, the following number of ADUs and JADUs shall be the maximum number of accessory units permitted on lots subject to this Chapter.

1. Lot with one Single Family Dwelling: One ADU and/or one JADU.

2. Lot with more than one Single Family Dwelling: One ADU.

3. Lot with a Duplex or Multiple-Family Dwelling, either:
a. Up to two detached ADUs; or
b. At least one ADU converted from non-habitable portions of the existing Main Building that are not within the living space of a Dwelling Unit (e.g. basement, attic, garages storage room). The maximum number of ADUs converted from portions of the existing Main Building that are not within the living space of a Dwelling Unit shall not exceed 25% of the total number of existing Dwelling Units on the lot.

4. Lot with a Group Living Accommodation that is not a Fraternity House, Sorority House or Dormitory: One ADU.

23.102.010 – Permit Procedures.

1. If an application to create an ADU or JADU is submitted as part of a project that requires discretionary review, a Zoning Certificate for a Building Permit

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24 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 3 of 8
shall not be issued for the ADU or JADU until the discretionary approval(s) has/have been granted and any applicable appeal periods have expired.

2. Issuance of a Zoning Certificate shall not be denied for the construction or conversion of an ADU or JADU that complies with the requirements of Government Code Section 65852.2(e)(1).

3. Issuance of a Zoning Certificate for the construction or conversion of an ADU or JADU shall not be denied based on the failure of an applicant to correct a nonconforming zoning condition.

23.306.040 Development Standards.

A. Basic Standards. See Table 23.306-1: ADU and JADU Development Standards.

TABLE 23.306-1 ADU AND JADU DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
ADU1 JADU
Maximum Size Outside of
HOD2 500 sf
Studio or 1 bedroom 850 sf
2 + bedrooms 1000 sf N/A
Maximum Size Within HOD 800 sf 500 sf
Maximum Height Outside of
HOD 20 ft.

Maximum Height Within HOD 16 ft.

Front Yard Setback Same as underlying district
Rear Setback 4 ft3
Side Setback 4 ft3
N/A
Required Off-Street Parking
Outside of HOD None4
Required Off-Street Parking
Within HOD
The lesser of 1 space per
bedroom or ADU6,7 None6
[1] An ADU converted from an Accessory Building or Accessory Structure legally established at least three years prior to submission of an ADU application that does not comply with the Maximum Height, Size, and/or Rear and Side Setback requirements is allowed to maintain non-conformity to the same dimensions of the existing Accessory Building or Accessory Structure, provided that the existing side and rear setbacks are sufficient for fire and safety as set forth in California Building Standards Code adopted in BMC Title 19. Any physical additions to the existing Accessory Building or Accessory Structure shall comply with the development standards in this table.
[2] An ADU created entirely through conversion with no modifications to the existing building envelope that exceeds the development standards for Maximum Size in this table is allowed a physical addition of no more than 150 square feet. The addition must comply with Maximum Height and Setback requirements in this table.

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25 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 4 of 8
[3] If there is a lesser setback allowed for a comparable Accessory Building or Accessory Structure in the underlying zoning district, that setback shall apply. [4] Replacement parking is not required. Replacement of off-street parking for the Main Building is allowed and does not need to comply with Parking Maximums (BMC 23.322.070) nor Parking Layout and Design (BMC 23.322.080).
[5] No off-street parking shall be required for ADUs that satisfy the criteria defined in subdivision (d) of California Government Code section 65852.2 or any successor provision thereto.
[6] If an applicant provides off-street parking for an ADU or a JADU in the HOD, parking shall be allowed in any configuration on the lot, including within the front yard setback.

B. Projections.

1. Except as limited by Paragraph B.2 of this Section, architectural features (Chimneys, Water Heater Enclosures, Flues, Heating and Cooling Equipment, Eaves, Cornices, Canopies, Awnings) may project two feet into the required setbacks, so long as there remains at least a two-foot setback from property lines. Bay windows may not project into a setback. Bay windows shall not project into a setback.

2. No projections shall be allowed within the required setbacks on lots that are within the Hillside Overlay District.

23.306.050 - Deed Restrictions.

A. The property owner shall file a deed restriction with the Alameda County Recorder which states:

1. The JADU shall not be sold separately from the Main Building;

2. The ADU shall not be sold separately from the Main Building unless the conditions of BMC 23.306.050 B are met;

3. The ADU and/or JADU shall not be rented for a term that is shorter than 30 days; and

4. If the property includes a JADU, the JADU, or the Single Family Dwelling in which the JADU is located, shall be owner-occupied.

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26 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 5 of 8

1. Delineation of all areas of the property that are for the exclusive use of a cotenant;

2. Delineation of each cotenant’s responsibility for the costs of taxes, insurance, utilities, general maintenance and repair, and improvements associated with the property;

3. Procedures for dispute resolution among cotenants before resorting to legal action;

4. Allocates to each qualified buyer an undivided, unequal interest in the property based on the size of the dwelling each qualified buyer occupies;

5. A repurchase option that requires the qualified buyer to first offer the qualified nonprofit corporation to buy the ADU or primary dwelling if the buyer desires to sell or convey the property;

6. A requirement that the qualified buyer occupy the ADU or primary dwelling as the buyer’s principal residence; and

8. If requested by a utility providing service to the primary residence, the ADU shall have a separate water, sewer, or electrical connection to that utility.

23.306.060 – Neighbor Noticing.

B. Content of Notice. Notice shall provide the address of the project, allowable hours of construction, a link to the City’s ADU webpage, and information for tenants of the subject property on how to contact a Rent Board Housing Counselor by e-mail or phone and any other resource information deemed relevant.

C. Mailing Fees. The applicant shall be responsible for the cost of materials, postage and staff time necessary to process and mail notices.

23.306.070 Rooftop Decks and Balconies.

A. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Title to the contrary, roofs on lots within the Hillside Overlay District may not be designed, converted or used as Usable Open Space.

Section 2. Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 12.99 is adopted to read as follows:

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27 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 6 of 8

12.99 Wildfire Hazard Evacuation Risk Mitigation Ordinance Sections

12.99.010 Title and Purposes

12.99.020 Applicability

12.99.030 Total Number of Units Permitted

12.99.010 Title and Purposes
A. This Chapter may be referred to as the “Wildfire Hazard Evacuation Risk Mitigation Ordinance.”
B. The purposes of this chapter are to permit and promote the construction of accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units while protecting human life and health, promoting the public health, safety, and general welfare, and minimizing public and private losses due to dangerous conditions in specific areas.

C. Government Code 65852.2, subdivision (a)(1)(A) allows local agencies to regulate ADUs based on "adequacy of water and sewer service, and the impacts of traffic flow and public safety."
D. The Hillside Overlay District, as defined in BMC 23.306.020B, has unique conditions and hazards that require additional restrictions on ADUs and JADUs because of impacts of traffic flow and public safety:

1. Wildfires, earthquakes and landslides put residents of the Hillside Overlay District at significant risk.

2. The Hayward fault bisects the Hillside Overlay District.

3. Due to the maze of narrow, steep, and winding streets, the Hillside Overlay District has extremely poor emergency access egress and evacuation conditions. Safety is compromised by a substandard street infrastructure that has limited accessibility for emergency responders as well as inadequate capacity for fast and reliable escape. A majority of street widths in the Hillside Overlay District have substandard widths, and difficulty of navigation in most areas is exacerbated by one or more conditions including steep slopes, sharp curves and acute-angled corners.

4. A study published by UC Berkeley researchers concluded that in the best-case scenario, if each household evacuated from the Berkeley hills with one vehicle, estimated evacuation time would be two hours and 245 vehicles would be exposed to immediate fire danger. However, if each household evacuated with

1.7 vehicles, evacuation time would increase to three hours and 782 vehicles

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28 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 7 of 8
would be exposed to immediate fire danger. Doubling the number of households in these areas through the addition of just one ADU or JADU, assuming only one evacuation vehicle per household, would likely produce similar outcomes to the 1.7 vehicle-per-household evacuation scenario, likely with a larger total number of residents at risk.

5. Berkeley’s Hillside Overlay District is comprised of the most difficult-to-access and evacuate areas in Berkeley’s Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Areas. In addition, the Hayward Fault traverses the full length of these zones, with violent (Level 9 of 10) shaking predicted in the US Geologic Services Hayward Fault earthquake scenario (HayWired).

Scientists at UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab have determined that the Hayward Fault is probably California’s most dangerous, with a 31.7% chance of a 6.7 magnitude or greater earthquake in the next 26 years.

6. The City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, adopted December 10, 2019, identifies Earthquake and Wildland-Urban Interface Fire as “Likely” and “Catastrophic” events. Increasing density and intensity by permitting both one ADU and one JADU (2 total) in addition to the primary home, on every parcel in the Hillside Overlay District, representing a 200% increase in units allowed on most parcels, will seriously exacerbate the very extremely hazardous conditions that currently exist with respect to traffic flow and public safety in the likely event of a catastrophic wildfire or earthquake, necessitating reasonable limitations that reduce exposure to hazardous conditions

12.99.020 Applicability
A. Lots within the Hillside Overlay District (HOD), as defined in BMC 23.306.020 B, shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter.

12.99.030 Total Number of Units Permitted
A. Notwithstanding any provisions of Chapter 23.306 to the contrary, no more than one ADU or JADU shall be permitted per lot that is subject to this Chapter.

Section 3. Severability. If any provision or clause of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be unconstitutional or to be otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or clauses, and to this end the provisions and applications of this Ordinance are severable.

Section 4. Copies of this Ordinance shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Within 15 days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be

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29 Ordinance No.7,799-N.S. Page 8 of 8
filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

At a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Berkeley held on January 25, 2022, this Ordinance was passed to print and ordered published by posting by the following vote:

Ayes: Bartlett, Droste, Hahn, Harrison, Kesarwani, Robinson, Taplin, Wengraf, and Arreguin.

Noes: None.

Absent: None.

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30 Ordinance No.7,798-N.S. Page 1 of 1
ORDINANCE NO. 7,798-N.S.

LEASE AGREEMENT WITH BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT (BART) FOR BIKE STATION RETAIL SPACE AT 2023 CENTER STREET
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Berkeley as follows:

Section 1. The City Manager, or designee, is hereby authorized to execute a lease agreement with BART to use City property at 2023 Center Street for a 15-year lease term, commencing February 1, 2021, and expiring January 31, 2036, with an option to extend for one additional five-year term. The lease shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”.

Section 2. All revenue from said lease shall be deposited in the Off-Street Parking Fund 627 in a specific revenue account to be established for leases at the Center Street Garage location.

Section 3. Copies of this bill shall be posted for two days prior to adoption in the display case located near the walkway in front of Old City Hall, 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Within fifteen calendar days of adoption, copies of this Ordinance shall be filed at each branch of the Berkeley Public Library and the title shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation.

At a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Berkeley held on January 25, 2022, this Ordinance was passed to print and ordered published by posting by the following vote:

Ayes: Bartlett, Droste, Hahn, Harrison, Kesarwani, Robinson, Taplin, Wengraf, and Arreguin.

Noes: None.

Absent: None.

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31 32
267230.1
Office of the City Attorney

CONSENT CALENDAR
February 8, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager
Submitted by: Farimah Faiz Brown, City Attorney
Subject: Resolution Reviewing and Ratifying the Proclamation of Local Emergency Due to the Spread of a Severe Acute Respiratory Illness Caused by a Novel (New) Coronavirus (COVID-19)

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution reviewing the need for continuing the local emergency due to the spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19) and ratifying the Proclamation of Local Emergency issued by the Director of Emergency Services on March 3, 2020, initially ratified by the City Council on March 10, 2020, and subsequently reviewed and ratified by the Council on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, and December 14, 2021.

FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATION
To be determined.

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS
Pursuant to California Government Code section 8630 and Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 2.88, on March 3, 2020, the City Manager, in her capacity as Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed a local emergency due to conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City as a consequence of the global spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19), including a confirmed case in the City of Berkeley. As a result of multiple confirmed and presumed cases in Alameda County, the County has declared a local health emergency. The Proclamation of Local Emergency empowers the Director of Emergency Services to make and issue rules and regulations on matters reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such local emergency.

Pursuant to Government Code section 8630(b) and Berkeley Municipal Code section

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33 2.88.040.A.1, on March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency with the passage of Resolution No. 69-312.

Pursuant to Government Code section 8630(c), the City Council must review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every sixty (60) days. The Council last reviewed and ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency on December 14, 2021.

The Council therefore must review the continuing need for the local emergency by February 12, 2022.

This item requests that the Council review the continued need for the local emergency and again ratify the Proclamation of Local Emergency issued on March 3, 2020, initially ratified by the Council on March 10, 2020, and subsequently reviewed and ratified by the Council on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, and December 14, 2021.

If reviewed and ratified on February 8, 2022, the Council will need to again review and ratify the proclamation by April 9, 2022 in order to continue the local emergency.

If at any time the Council determines that the need for continuing the local emergency has ended, state law directs the Council to terminate the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant. (Cal. Gov. Code section 8630(d).)

BACKGROUND
On March 1, 2020, Alameda County Public Health Department and Solano County Public Health Department reported two presumptive cases of COVID-19, pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prompting Alameda County to declare a local health emergency.

On March 3, 2020, the City’s Director of Emergency Services proclaimed a local emergency due to the spread of COVID-19, including a confirmed case in the City of Berkeley and multiple confirmed and presumed cases in Alameda County.

On March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency.

Since that date, there have been over 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 55 deaths in the City of Berkeley.

Since April 2021, the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (“Delta”) variant has been detected in the City of Berkeley and is contributing to substantial levels of community transmission.

The City Council has subsequently reviewed and ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, and December 14, 2021.

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34 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE IMPACTS
Not applicable.

RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION
The Resolution would enable the Director of Emergency Services to continue to efficiently allocate resources due to the ongoing and imminent threat to public safety.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED
None.

CONTACT PERSON
Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager, City Manager’s Office (510) 981-7000 Farimah Brown, City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office (510) 981-6998 Attachments:
1: Resolution

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35 RESOLUTION NO. –N.S.

RESOLUTION REVIEWING AND RATIFYING THE

PROCLAMATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, the Emergency Services Act, Government Code sections 8558(c) and 8630 authorize the proclamation of a local emergency when conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a city exist; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code section 8630, such an emergency may be proclaimed by the governing body or by an official designated by ordinance adopted by the governing body; and
WHEREAS, Berkeley Municipal Code section 2.88.040 provides that the City Manager, serving as the Director of Emergency Services, may request that the City Council proclaim the existence of a local emergency; and
WHEREAS, under provision of local law, if the City Council cannot be convened and, in the judgment of the Director of Emergency Services, the circumstances warrant it, a proclamation of local emergency may be issued which must be ratified or nullified by the City Council within seven days of issuance; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with authority granted under the above provisions of state and local law, the Director of Emergency Services beginning on March 3, 2020 did proclaim the existence of a local emergency caused by epidemic in the form of the global spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (“COVID-19”), including confirmed cases in California and the San Francisco Bay Area, and presumed cases in Alameda County prompting the County to declare a local health emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency with the passage of Resolution No. 69-312; and WHEREAS, Government Code section 8630(c) requires that the City Council review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every sixty (60) days; and WHEREAS, the City Council subsequently reviewed the need for continuing the local emergency and again ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, December 14, 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City Council does find that the aforesaid conditions of extreme peril continue to exist, and now include over 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 55 deaths in the City of Berkeley, thereby warranting and necessitating the continuation of the local emergency; and

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36 WHEREAS, the City Council will need to again review the need for continuing the local emergency and ratify the Proclamation of Local Emergency by February 12, 2022; WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (“Delta”) variant of COVID-19 that is currently circulating nationally and within the City is contributing to a substantial increase in transmissibility and more severe disease; and WHEREAS, on July 16, 2021, in light of the apparent increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, the City of Berkeley recommended that all individuals including fully vaccinated persons wear masks in public indoor settings; and WHEREAS, on July 26, 2021, the California State Health Officer issued an order requiring vaccination or routine testing of all employees working in high-risk health care and congregate settings, in light of the fact that current requirements of staff in health care settings, such as universal mask requirements for all staff are not proving sufficient to prevent transmission of the more transmissible Delta variant; and WHEREAS, on July 27, 2021, the CDC updated its guidance for fully vaccinated persons to reflect new evidence regarding the Delta variant, noting that “[i]nfections in fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant”; and WHEREAS, on August 2, 2021, the Health Officer for the City of Berkeley issued an order requiring all individuals to wear masks in all indoor public settings; and WHEREAS, on August 5, 2021, the California State Health Officer issued an order requiring that workers in healthcare settings be fully vaccinated by September 30, 2021; and
WHEREAS, on August 11, 2021, the City announced its intention to implement a vaccination policy for City employees to protect the health and safety of the City of Berkeley’s employees and community members from the imminent and substantial threat to public health and safety posed by the Delta variant; and WHEREAS, on September 14, 2021, given the increased and unforeseen risk posed by the Delta variant, as compared to earlier variants of the COVID-19 virus previously present in the City of Berkeley, the City Council found that a Citywide vaccination policy protects public health and reduces the risk of substantial harm to City staff and community members that could result from workplace outbreaks caused by the Delta variant; and
WHEREAS, on September 14, 2021, given the urgency posed by the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant, the City Council recognized the variant’s existence as creating an emergency of grave character and as warranting immediate adoption of a Citywide vaccination policy.

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37 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that it is hereby proclaimed and ordered that the Proclamation of Local Emergency, issued by the Director of Emergency Services on March 3, 2020, initially ratified by the City Council on March 10, 2020, and subsequently reviewed and ratified by the City Council on April 21, 2020, June 16, 2020, July 28, 2020, September 22, 2020, November 17, 2020, December 15, 2020, February 9, 2021, March 30, 2021, May 25, 2021, July 20, 2021, September 14, 2021, November 9, 2021, and December 14, 2021, has been reviewed and is hereby again ratified and confirmed; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that during the existence of this local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of this City shall be those prescribed by state law, and the Charter, ordinances, resolutions and approved plans of the City of Berkeley.

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38 Office of the City Attorney

CONSENT CALENDAR
February 8, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Madame City Manager
From: Farimah Faiz Brown, City Attorney
Subject: Resolution Making Required Findings Pursuant to the Government Code and Directing City Legislative Bodies to Continue to Meet Via Videoconference and Teleconference

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution making the required findings pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e)(3) and determining that as a result of the continued threat to public health and safety posed by the spread of COVID-19, City legislative bodies shall continue to meet via videoconference and teleconference, initially ratified by the City Council on September 28, 2021, and subsequently reviewed and ratified on October 26, 2021, November 16, 2021, December 14, 2021, and January 10, 2022.

FISCAL IMPACT OF RECOMMENDATION
To be determined.

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS
The City Council made the initial findings required under the Government Code on September 28, 2021. The Council must make the findings every thirty days in order to continue to meet exclusively through video conference or teleconference.

Pursuant to California Government Code section 8630 and Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 2.88.040, on March 3, 2020, the City Manager, in her capacity as Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed a local emergency due to conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the City as a consequence of the global spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19), including a confirmed case in the City of Berkeley. As a result of multiple confirmed and presumed cases in Alameda County, the County has declared a local health emergency. On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency due to the spread of COVID-19. On March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency with the passage of Resolution No. 69-312.

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39 On March 17, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-29-20, which suspended certain portions of the Ralph M. Brown Act (Cal. Gov. Code § 54950 et seq.) related to the holding of teleconferenced meetings by City legislative bodies. Among other things, Executive Order N-29-20 suspended requirements that each location from which an official accesses a teleconferenced meeting be accessible to the public.

These changes were necessary to allow teleconferencing to be used as a tool for ensuring social distancing. City legislative bodies have held public meetings via videoconference and teleconference pursuant to these provisions since March 2020.

These provisions of Executive Order N-29-20 will expire on September 30, 2021.

COVID-19 continues to pose a serious threat to public health and safety. There are now over 4,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 55 deaths in the City of Berkeley.

Additionally, the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (“Delta”) variant of COVID-19 that is currently circulating nationally and within the City is contributing to a substantial increase in transmissibility and more severe disease.

As a result of the continued threat to public health posed by the spread of COVID-19, state and local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing, mask wearing and vaccination. Holding meetings of City legislative bodies in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of the public and members of legislative bodies, and therefore public meetings cannot safely be held in person at this time
Assembly Bill 361 (Rivas), signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 16, 2021, amended a portion of the Brown Act (Government Code Section 54953) to authorize the City Council, during the state of emergency, to determine that, due to the spread of COVID-19, holding in-person public meetings would present an imminent risk to the health or safety of attendees, and therefore City legislative bodies must continue to meet via videoconference and teleconference. Assembly Bill 361 requires that the City Council must review and ratify such a determination every thirty (30) days.

Therefore, if the Council passes this resolution on February 8, 2022, the Council will need to review and ratify the resolution by March 10, 2022.

This item requests that the Council review the circumstances of the continued state of emergency posed by the spread of COVID-19, and find that the state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the public and members of City legislative bodies to meet safely in person, that holding public meetings of City legislative bodies in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of attendees, and that state and local officials continue to promote social distancing, mask wearing and vaccination. This item further requests that the Council determine that City legislative bodies, including but not limited to the City Council and its committees, and all commissions and boards, shall continue to hold public meetings via videoconference and teleconference, and that City legislative bodies shall continue to comply with all provisions of the Brown Act, as amended by SB 361.

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40 BACKGROUND
On March 1, 2020, Alameda County Public Health Department and Solano County Public Health Department reported two presumptive cases of COVID-19, pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prompting Alameda County to declare a local health emergency.

On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency due to the spread of COVID-19.

On March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency.

Since that date, there have been over 4,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 57 deaths in the City of Berkeley.

On March 17, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-29-20 which suspended certain portions of the Ralph M. Brown Act (Cal. Gov. Code § 54950 et seq.) to allow teleconferencing of public meetings to be used as a tool for ensuring social distancing. As a result, City legislative bodies have held public meetings via teleconference throughout the pandemic. The provisions of Executive Order N-29-20 allowing teleconferencing to be used as a tool for social distancing will expire on September 30, 2021.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE IMPACTS
Not applicable.

RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION
The Resolution would enable the City Council and its committees, and City boards and commissions to continue to hold public meetings via videoconference and teleconference in order to continue to socially distance and limit the spread of COVID-

19. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED
None.

CONTACT PERSON
Farimah Brown, City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office (510) 981-6998 Mark Numainville, City Clerk, (510) 981-6908
Attachments:
1: Resolution Directing City Legislative Bodies to Continue to Meet Via Videoconference and Teleconference

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41 RESOLUTION NO. –N.S.

RESOLUTION MAKING THE REQUIRED FINDINGS PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54953(E)(3) AND DIRECTING CITY LEGISLATIVE BODIES TO

CONTINUE TO MEET VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE AND TELECONFERENCE WHEREAS, in accordance with Berkeley Municipal Code section 2.88.040 and sections 8558(c) and 8630 of the Government Code, which authorize the proclamation of a local emergency when conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a City exist, the City Manager, serving as the Director of Emergency Services, beginning on March 3, 2020, did proclaim the existence of a local emergency caused by epidemic in the form of the global spread of a severe acute respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (“COVID-19”), including confirmed cases in California and the San Francisco Bay Area, and presumed cases in Alameda County prompting the County to declare a local health emergency; and WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, the City Council ratified the Proclamation of Local Emergency with the passage of Resolution No. 69-312; and WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency pursuant to the California Emergency Services Act, in particular, Government Code section 8625; and
WHEREAS, the Proclamation of a State of Emergency issued by Governor Newsom on March 4, 2020 continues to be in effect; and
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2021, Governor Newsom signed into law AB 361, which authorizes the City Council to determine that, due to the continued threat to public health and safety posed by the spread of COVID-19, City legislative bodies shall continue to meet via videoconference and teleconference; and
WHEREAS, the City Council does find that the aforesaid conditions of extreme peril continue to exist, and now include over 4,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 55 deaths in the City of Berkeley; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (“Delta”) variant of COVID-19 that is currently circulating nationally and within the City is contributing to a substantial increase in transmissibility and more severe disease; and WHEREAS, as a result of the continued threat to public health posed by the spread of COVID-19, state and local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing, mask wearing and vaccination; and

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42 WHEREAS, holding meetings of City legislative bodies in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of the public and members of legislative bodies, and therefore public meetings cannot safely be held in person at this time; and WHEREAS, the City Council made the initial findings required by the Government Code on September 28, 2021; and
WHEREAS, the City Council made subsequent findings required by the Government Code on October 26, 2021, November 16, 2021, December 14, 2021, and January 10, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the City Council will need to again review the need for the continuing necessity of holding City legislative body meetings via videoconference and teleconference by March 10, 2022.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that, pursuant to Government Code section 54953, the City Council has reviewed the circumstances of the continued state of emergency posed by the spread of COVID-19, and finds that the state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the public and members of City legislative bodies to meet safely in person, that holding public meetings of City legislative bodies in person would present imminent risks to the health and safety of attendees, and that state and local officials continue to promote social distancing, mask wearing and vaccination.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City legislative bodies, including but not limited to the City Council and its committees, and all commissions and boards, shall continue to hold public meetings via videoconference and teleconference.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all City legislative bodies shall comply with the requirements of Government Code section 54953(e)(2) and all applicable laws, regulations and rules when conducting public meetings pursuant to this resolution.

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43 44
Office of the City Manager
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 ● Tel: (510) 981-7000 ● TDD: (510) 981-6903 ● Fax: (510) 981-7099 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.CityofBerkeley.info/Manager

CONSENT CALENDAR
February 8, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager
Submitted by: Henry Oyekanmi, Director, Finance
Subject: Formal Bid Solicitations and Request for Proposals Scheduled for Possible Issuance After Council Approval on February 8, 2022

RECOMMENDATION
Approve the request for proposals or invitation for bids (attached to staff report) that will be, or are planned to be, issued upon final approval by the requesting department or division. All contracts over the City Manager’s threshold will be returned to Council for final approval.

Total estimated cost of items included in this report is $4,468,611.

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS
On May, 6, 2008, Council adopted Ordinance No. 7,035-N.S. effective June 6, 2008, which increased the City Manager’s purchasing authority for services to $50,000. As a result, this required report submitted by the City Manager to Council is now for those purchases in excess of $100,000 for goods; and $200,000 for playgrounds and construction; and $50,000 for services. If Council does not object to these items being sent out for bid or proposal within one week of them appearing on the agenda, and upon final notice to proceed from the requesting department, the IFB (Invitation for Bid) or RFP (Request for Proposal) may be released to the public and notices sent to the potential bidder/respondent list.

PROJECT Fund Source Amount
Resident Camp Food
Services
125 Playground Camp $4,468,611
Total: $4,468,611

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45 Formal Bid Solicitations and Request for Proposals CONSENT CALENDAR Scheduled for Possible Issuance After Council February 8, 2022 Approval on February 8, 2022

BACKGROUND
On May 6, 2008, Council adopted Ordinance No. 7,035-N.S., amending the City Manager’s purchasing authority for services.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE IMPACTS
The Finance Department reviews all formal bid and proposal solicitations to ensure that they include provisions for compliance with the City’s environmental policies. For each contract that is subject to City Council authorization, staff will address environmental sustainability considerations in the associated staff report to City Council.

RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION
Need for the services.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED
None.

CONTACT PERSON
Darryl Sweet, General Services Manager, Finance, 510-981-7329 Attachments:
1: Formal Bid Solicitations and Request for Proposals Scheduled For Possible Issuance After Council Approval on February 8, 2022
Note: Original of this attachment with live signature of authorizing personnel is on file in General Services.
a) Resident Camps Food Services

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46 NEXT 30 DAYS
DATE SUBMITTED: February 8, 2022
Attachment 1
1 of 2

SPECIFICATI
ON NO.

DESCRIPTION

OF GOODS /

SERVICES
BEING

PURCHASED
APPROX
.

RELEAS
E DATE
APPROX.

BID

OPENING
DATE

INTENDED USE ESTIMATED COST BUDGET CODE TO BE

CHARGED
DEPT. /

DIVISION

CONTACT
NAME &
PHONE
22-11492-C Resident Camps
Food Service
2/9/2022 2/23/2022 Food Service Items for
Berkeley Echo Lake Camp
and Berkeley Tuolumne
Camp, including food, food
service supplies & food
service equipment.

Combined Total for both
Camps: $4,468,611
Echo Lake Camp:

FY 22: $68,111.64
FY23: $208,782.83
FY24: $216,090.23
FY25: $223,653.39
FY26: $231,481.26
FY27: $158,687.83
Echo Subtotal: $1,106,807.18
Tuolumne Camp:

FY22: $142,503.52
FY23: $518,721.49
FY24: $703,168.77
FY25: $727,779.68
FY26: $753,251.96
FY27: $516,378.40
Tuolumne Subtotal:
$3,361,803.82
Echo Budget Code:
125-52-543-582-0000-000-461-
644110-
Tuolumne Budget Code:
125-52-543-583-0000-000-461-
644110-
PRW/
Recreation
Denise Brown
981-6707
Dept TOTAL $4,468,611
DEPT. TOTAL $4,468,611

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48 Office of the City Manager
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 ● Tel: (510) 981-7000 ● TDD: (510) 981-6903 ● Fax: (510) 981-7099 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.CityofBerkeley.info/Manager

CONSENT CALENDAR
February 8, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager
Submitted by: Abraham Roman, Fire Chief
Subject: Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming

RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract and any amendments with 02X Human Performance LLC (Contractor) to provide a physical and mental wellness program for the Berkeley Fire & Police Departments (Departments) for a four (4) year base contract period that starts February 9, 2022 and ends on February 8, 2026 in an amount not to exceed $2,712,145 with an option to extend for up to six (6) additional years in two (2) year increments for a total of ten (10) years and not to exceed a total contract amount of $7,948,612.

FISCAL IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION
The base term of this contract is from February 9, 2022 to February 8, 2026 in the amount of $2,712,145. There is an option to extend for three additional two (2) year terms for a total term of ten (10) years with cost escalations of 2.5% annually. Funding for the employee wellness program is already budgeted annually in the Fire Department budget: 147-72-742-835-0000-000-422-612410

CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS
The Departments currently have internal wellness programs that are provided by firefighters and police officers that endeavor to conduct employee wellness activities during work and non-work hours. While an essential component of a wellness program, peer-based programs do not provide adequate resources for the magnitude of the challenge that exists within the first responder community.

BACKGROUND
First responders higher rates of chronic medical and psychological injury and illness than the general population. These issues are often directly correlated to shift work, traumatic experiences and stress, and exposure to carcinogens (Daniels, 2013) (Sritharan, 2017). Until recently there has been a stigma associated with coming forward with admission of psychological or medical conditions related to the work, thereby the data has been grossly under reported. Along with more funding dedicated to

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49 Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming CONSENT CALENDAR February 8, 2022

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scientific research over the past several decades on these topics, it is now widely accepted that there are direct correlations from these disease processes to public safety work. Establishing and maintaining a complete annual physical and wellness program is critical in reducing lost time, mental illness, substance abuse and prevention or early detection of long-term chronic health conditions including cancer and heart disease within the first responder population.

Impacts of Shift Work
First responders routinely work shifts that cause disruption of the normal sleep/wake cycle. Nocturnal melatonin suppression and circadian rhythm disruption caused by night shift work function as carcinogens that increase the incidents of malignant tumors (Daniels, 2013) (Tsai, 2016). In addition to cancer, shift work has been associated with higher rates of Type II diabetes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic disorders, sleep disorders, increased risk for reproductive issues, such as irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriage, and preterm birth, chronic stress and depression (Smith, Cardiovascular Strain of Firefighting and the Risk of, 2016). Circadian disruption can harm biologic systems that help prevent cancer. For example, in addition to promoting sleep, melatonin can also inhibit tumor growth and protect against the spread of cancer cells.

Increase Risk of Cancer & Prevention
Research spanning decades, continents, and more than 80,000 firefighters validates the connection between firefighting and occupational cancer. Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighter health and safety today.
• Cancer caused 66 percent of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Heart disease caused 18 percent of career LODDs for the same period. • Cancer caused 70 percent of the line-of-duty deaths for career firefighters in 2016 (Smith, Cardiovascular Strain of Firefighting and the Risk of, 2016). • Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, according to research by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).

Firefighters’ risks are significantly higher for some types of cancer than the general population, these include:
• testicular cancer – 2.02 times the risk (100% = double = 2 times); • mesothelioma – 2.0 times greater risk;
• multiple myeloma -1.53 times greater risk;
• non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – 1.51 times greater risk;
• skin cancer – 1.39 times greater risk;
• malignant melanoma – 1.31 times greater risk;

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50 Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming CONSENT CALENDAR February 8, 2022

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• brain cancer -1.31 times greater risk;
• prostate cancer – 1.28 times greater risk;
• colon cancer -1.21 times great risk; and
• leukemia – 1.14 times greater risk (Daniels, 2013).

Continual and early screening is key to early detection and better health outcomes.

Screening is done when employees have no signs or symptoms. These tests help detect cancer at an early stage, before symptoms appear. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it is often easier to treat or cure. By the time signs and symptoms appear, the cancer may have grown and spread making it more difficult, costly, or impossible to treat or cure.

Mental Health
First responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. In 2017, there were at least 103 firefighter suicides and 140 police officer suicides in the US. In contrast, 93 firefighters and 129 police officers died in the line of duty. Suicide is a result of mental illness, including depression and PTSD, which stems from constant exposure to death and destruction.

There are a number of factors contributing to mental health issues among first responders and what leads to their elevated rate of suicide. One study found that on average, police officers witness 188 ‘critical incidents’ during their careers. This exposure to trauma can lead to several forms of mental illness. For example, PTSD and depression rates among firefighters and police officers have been found to be as much as 5 times higher than the rates within the civilian population, which causes these first responders to commit suicide at a considerably higher rate (firefighters: 18/100,000; police officers: 17/100,000; general population 13/100,000). Even when suicide does not occur, untreated mental illness can lead to poor physical health and impaired decision-making.

In addition, the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) estimates that approximately 40% of firefighter suicides are reported. If these estimates are accurate, the actual number of 2017 suicides would be approximately 257, which is more than twice the number of firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Wellness programs have reduced healthcare and workers compensation costs associated with injuries and illness. Additionally, responders that are healthy (medically and psychiatrically) are more resilient, make better decisions and are more likely to be at work. The Contractor will provide services that include but are not limited to, one-on- one consultations, managing wellness/fitness initiatives, coordinating awareness and motivational campaigns, mental and health related training, long-term data collection and analysis, and educational seminars. All of these services increase job performance, support healthy lifestyles and increase the resilience of our emergency responders.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE IMPACTS

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51 Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming CONSENT CALENDAR February 8, 2022

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There are no identifiable environmental effects or opportunities associated with the action requested in this report.

RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION
The City conducted a competitive bid process and 02X Human Performance LLC successfully met the bid requirements and ranked highest among all bidders. The pricing is deemed to be fair and reasonable.

The contract with 02X Human Performance LLC will benefit the City by affording a long- term relationship with a vendor that is committed to providing high quality physical and mental wellness programming that has been proven to prevent acute and chronic conditions that may otherwise go unidentified by internal peer-based programs or vendors that have less specialized experience with fire, police and emergency services personnel. 02X Human Performance LLC provides wellness services to a wide variety of emergency services providers across the United States. 02X Human Performance LLC will also be providing all of these services within the City of Berkeley so responders will not have to leave the City.

ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED
None.

CONTACT PERSONS
Abraham Roman, Interim Fire Chief, (510) 981-3473
Attachments:

1. Resolution

2. Community Oriented Policing Services, U. D. (n.d.). Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program.

3. Daniels, a. a. (2013). Mortality and cancer incidence in a pooled cohort of US firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia (1950− 2009).

Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

4. Lynn Hancock, M. (2017). Law Enforcement Fitness Policies in Relation to Job.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies.

5. Nord, e. a. (2011). Accuracy of peak VO2 assessments in career. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology.

6. Pinnacle. (2018). Evidence that Wellness Programs Reduce Worker’s Compensation Costs for Police Departments.

7. Poplin, e. a. (2013). The Association of Aerobic Fitness With Injuries in the Fire Service. American Journal of Epidemiology.

8. Smith, e. a. (2011). Firefighter Fitness: Improving Performance. Current Sports Medicine Reports.

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52 Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming CONSENT CALENDAR February 8, 2022

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9. Smith, e. a. (2016). Cardiovascular Strain of Firefighting and the Risk of.

Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews.

10. Sritharan, e. a. (2017). Prostate cancer in firefighting and police. Environmental Health.

11. Tsai, e. a. (2016). Risk of Cancer Among Firefighters in California, 1988–2007.

Am J Ind Med.

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53 Contract - O2X for Public Safety Wellness Programming CONSENT CALENDAR February 8, 2022

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RESOLUTION NO. ##,###-N.S.

Contract: 02X Human Performance LLC for physical and mental wellness program for the Berkeley Fire & Police Departments.

WHEREAS, first responders have a higher rate of chronic medical and psychological injury and illness that has been directly correlated to shift work, traumatic experiences and stress, and exposure to carcinogens, and
WHEREAS, shift work has been associated with higher rates of certain types of cancer, type II diabetes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic disorders, sleep disorders, increased risk for reproductive issues, such as irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriage, and preterm birth, chronic stress and depression, and
WHEREAS, cancer caused 66 percent of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to data from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and
WHEREAS, firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population, and WHEREAS, PTSD and depression rates among firefighters and police officers have been found to be as much as 5 times higher than the rates within the civilian population, which causes these first responders to commit suicide at a considerably higher rate (firefighters: 18/100,000; police officers: 17/100,000; general population 13/100,000), and
WHEREAS, wellness programs have been proven to reduce healthcare and workers compensation costs associated with injuries and illness, and WHEREAS, first responders that are healthy (medically and psychiatrically) are more resilient, make better decisions and are more likely to be at work.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that the City Manager is authorized to execute a contract and any amendments with 02X Human Performance LLC (Contractor) to provide a physical and mental wellness program for the Berkeley Fire & Police Departments (Departments) for a four (4) year base contract period that starts February 9, 2022 and ends on February 8, 2026 in an amount not to exceed $2,712,145 with an option to extend for up to six (6) additional years in two (2) year increments for a total of ten (10) years and not to exceed a total contract amount of $7,948,612.

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54 Building and Sustaining
an Officer Wellness Program
Lessons from the San Diego
Police Department

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55 This project was supported, in whole or in part, by cooperative agreement number 2016-CK-WXK-030 awarded by the U.S. Department of

Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not

necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies,

products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are

illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.

The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux,

neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity.

Recommended citation:

Police Executive Research Forum. 2018. Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program: Lessons from the San Diego Police Department.

Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Published 2018

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56 Contents

Letter from the Director of the COPS Office................................................................................................. ............................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................ .................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................... v

Letter from the Executive Director of PERF vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Meeting the challenge 1

Conducting a case study of the SDPD’s wellness program.............................................................. ..............................................
................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................... ........................................................ ....................................................................................................................... ......................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................... .............
2 This report: A toolkit for building individualized wellness programs 2

Literature Review: Why Wellness Matters 3

Physical health concerns 3

Mental health concerns 4

Impact on officer performance and community relationships 6

Barriers to treatment 7

Existing wellness services and promising practices 8

Conclusion 13

The Wellness Unit: Laying the Groundwork for Successful Wellness Programming in San Diego 15

The department’s needs drive the wellness unit’s priorities ........................................................ ........................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................... ................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................. ............................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... ................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ 15 Mission and goals 16

Overview of services 17

Organization 19

Physical location: Making the Wellness Unit visible 20

Confidentiality 21

Recruitment and rotation in the Wellness Unit 23

Training for help services providers 25

Availability and assignments 25

Building awareness of and trust in the Wellness Unit 26

Metrics for success 29

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57 Sustainability planning................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ .......................................................................................................... .................................................................................... 31 Promising practices 31

Help Resources: Providers and Programs 35

Peer Support Program (PSP) 35

Police chaplain program 39

Focus Psychological Services 41

Alcohol/Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) 43

Promising practices........................................................................................................................ ..................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. ..................................................................................................... .................................
......................................................................................................................... .................................................
................................................................................................... ................................................................. ........................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................ ....................................................................................... ........................................................................ ..................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ 44 Training: Building a Culture of Wellness 47

Reaching new officers 47

Engaging with senior staff members 47

Responding to emerging issues 48

Emotional Survival Training (four-hour training delivered in the academy) 48

Psychological Preparedness Training for New Officers (one full day immediately after graduation

from the academy) 49

Effective Interactions training (two full days after field training) 50

Advanced Officer Training (AOT) 53

Educational programming tailored to emerging issues 54

Promising practices 55

Conclusion 57

Summary of Promising Practices 59

Appendix A. 2011 Needs Assessment Survey 65

Survey letter 65

Survey questions 66

Appendix B. Wellness Unit Confidentiality Policy 69

Appendix C. Wellness Unit Employee Resources Brochure 70

Appendix D. Wellness News Newsletter 73

Appendix E. Sample Recap Sheet 87

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program ii

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58 Appendix F. 2013 Wellness Survey............................................................................................................. ....................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... ............................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................ .......................................................................................... .................................................................................. .................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................ .............................................................................................................................. 89 Wellness Unit Services Survey 89

Appendix G. “Wellness Day” Agenda 92

Appendix H. Effective Interactions Scenarios 94

Scenario 1. Large party 94

Scenario 2. 7-11 parking 94

Scenario 3. Disturbance and authority 94

Scenario 4. Jogger matches the description 95

Scenario 5. Traffic stop 95

Bibliography 97

About PERF 105

About the COPS Office 107

Contents iii

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59 iv Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program

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60 Letter from the Director of the COPS
Office
Colleagues:

The men and women who make up our police departments and sheriffs’ offices face situations every day that endanger their health and safety and even their lives. The dangers are often mental and emotional as well as physical— and seeking help for that type of illness or injury can be harder than getting treatment for something more observable like a wound that needs stitching up or a broken bone. But officers’ and deputies’ mental state is just as important as their physical condition, and they need to be well and healthy in both areas to be able to carry out their law enforcement responsibilities.

Agencies around the country are recognizing the importance of monitoring and tending to employees’ health and wellness, and this publication discusses the establishment and operation of a dedicated unit at the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) with the goal of promoting a department-wide culture of wellness, providing support and services when they are needed, and keeping the department healthy.

More broadly, working toward these goals will also help the department better serve its community.

In addition to an in-depth examination of the SDPD’s Wellness Unit, this publication includes a literature review on officer safety and wellness and law enforcement agencies’ organizational health. The lessons learned, resources identified, and training and recommendations developed by the Police Executive Research Forum in their observation of the SDPD, will help guide other local agencies that may be interested in setting up similar programs.

Sincerely,
Phil Keith
Director
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

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61 vi Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program

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62 Letter from the Executive Director
of PERF
Dear colleagues,
Policing is a rewarding career, but these rewards can come at a high cost to our nation’s officers. When they put on their uniforms, they commit to taking on the physical, mental, and emotional challenges that each shift presents.

Over time, the stressful nature of police work can take a toll on an officer’s well-being. Though this stress may strain officer’s physical and mental health, many officers are reluctant to come forward and ask for help. Seeking assistance may carry a stigma, and officers may even be concerned that their careers may be derailed if they seek assistance.

The implications of ignoring these issues are well known. Research indicates that when officers’ physical and mental health issues go unmanaged, job performance decreases, 1 decision-making abilities are
impaired, and agency costs increase.2 Everyone has a stake in promoting police officers’ wellness, because it has a direct impact on officers’ abilities to effectively serve their communities.

In recognition of the critical role that officer wellness plays in police work, law enforcement agencies across the country have created programs aimed at preserving and promoting officers’ physical and emotional health.
3 These initiatives have been broadly referred to as officer safety and wellness programs. Many programs have been expanded to include civilian employees as well as sworn officers.

In April and August 2017, Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) staff members conducted site visits to the San Diego (California) Police Department (SDPD) to observe its officer wellness program, which is considered one of the top programs in the country.
4 During the two site visits, PERF staff members
interviewed key stakeholders from all of the SDPD’s wellness program components. This included Wellness Unit staff (past and present), “help services” providers (police chaplains and members of the counseling team), command staff, peer support members, and members of the department who have used wellness services. PERF also attended wellness-related trainings offered to department members.

Through these observations and discussions, PERF identified promising practices, lessons learned, and model policies for other agencies to consider when implementing their own wellness initiatives. 1 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

2 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness.”

3 Kuhns, Maguire, and Leach, Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

4 Destination Zero, “2016 Officer Wellness Winner: San Diego (CA) Police Department.”

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63 While there are clear benefits to creating comprehensive officer safety and wellness initiatives, many departments remain unsure of where to start. This publication outlines a set of policy and programmatic recommendations based on lessons from the SDPD’s wellness initiatives. The purpose of this report is to provide guidance to agencies across the country that are looking to implement wellness programs or to improve upon existing initiatives.

We are incredibly grateful to the COPS Office for their support of this project and its continued leadership on officer safety and wellness issues. This includes its stewardship of the National Officer Safety and Wellness (OSW) Group, which it co-created with the Bureau of Justice Assistance in 2011. The COPS Office creates critical opportunities for law enforcement agencies and researchers to engage with each other on officer safety and wellness issues and provides needed resources and information on promising practices to law enforcement organizations across the country.5 Most recently, the COPS Office published Improving Law Enforcement Resilience: Lessons and Recommendations,6 which discusses the unique stressors that officers face and strategies for building their resilience.

Preserving officers’ physical and mental health plays an integral role in keeping our police and communities safe. Together, we must commit to embedding wellness into the culture of our nation’s police agencies.

Chuck Wexler
Executive Director
5 COPS Office, “National Officer Safety and Wellness Group.” 6 Spence, Improving Law Enforcement Resilience.

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program viii

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64 Acknowledgments

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) would like to thank the COPS Office for supporting this examination of the San Diego (California) Police Department’s (SDPD) wellness unit development and operations. The COPS Office deserves credit for recognizing the importance of officer safety and wellness programs in law enforcement agencies; in particular, program manager Nazmia Comrie, provided encouragement and guidance throughout the project.

We are also grateful to San Diego Police Chief Shelly Zimmerman for providing access to the SDPD during our April and August 2017 site visits. Special thanks go to Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen and retired Assistant Chief Sarah Creighton, who provided important insights into creating and sustaining a wellness program from a command perspective. We are also thankful for the efforts of Sergeant Ed Zwibel and Sergeant Carmelin Rivera, who connected us with many people involved in the SDPD’s wellness initiatives to ensure that we had a well-rounded view of the program. We also thank Ms.

Deanna Dotta and Officer Marnie Minton, who have served full-time in the Wellness Unit and who shared their thoughts and experiences with us. All of the practitioners we interviewed for this project were generous with their time and expertise. Their insights shaped our understanding of the wellness- related issues that many law enforcement agencies are facing as well as the promising practices that are captured in this report.

Finally, credit is due to PERF staff members who conducted the site visits, interviewed practitioners, and helped write and edit this publication, including Director of Technical Assistance Jessica Toliver, Senior Research Associate Elizabeth Miller, Senior Research Assistants Madeline Sloan and Adam Kemerer, and Director of Communications Craig Fischer.

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65 x Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program

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66 Introduction

In 2011, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) faced a crisis unlike any other in the agency’s history.

Between February and August, 10 SDPD officers were investigated for offenses ranging from rape and sexual battery to driving under the influence. Six of the 10 officers were arrested.7 As incidents of criminal misconduct mounted, a number of tragic incidents also occurred. On July 18, an SDPD detective and her daughter were killed by the detective’s son. In the weeks that followed, the SDPD lost four more of its own, including Officer Jeremy Henwood, who was shot in his patrol car while stopped at an intersection.

The combination of seeing the reputation of the agency and its officers jeopardized by the actions of a few and the traumatic loss of so many of their colleagues in such a short time placed a tremendous amount of stress on the department. In response, the SDPD took action to provide comprehensive support to department members. The Wellness Unit, created in July 2011, was one of the programs that resulted from those efforts. Staffed full time by members of the department, its sole purpose is to provide for the wellness needs of SDPD personnel.

Meeting the challenge
Wellness became a key part of the SDPD’s strategy after the department discovered that the officers under investigation had experienced major challenges that had gone unaddressed.8 They included substance abuse, divorce, and financial strain.9 The urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to wellness was underscored by the series of officer deaths that began in July 2011 and its impact on members of the department.

While the department had long offered wellness-related programs such as peer support, psychologists, police chaplains, and stress management training, these services were decentralized. There were no members of the SDPD whose full-time job was attending to the wellness of the SDPD’s officers and staff.

This all changed with the Wellness Unit. Its members serve as a resource by coordinating the delivery of help services and developing wellness programming to respond to department members’ needs. This is all in service of the Wellness Unit’s larger goal: to create and sustain a robust culture of wellness that prioritizes the physical and emotional health of the SDPD’s members. Today, the SDPD’s wellness initiative is considered one of the best in the country,10 and its programs are regarded as models for other agencies.
7 PERF, Police Accountability.

8 San Diego Police Department, Changing Organizational Culture.

9 San Diego Police Department, Changing Organizational Culture.

10 Destination Zero, “2016 Officer Wellness Winner: San Diego (CA) Police Department.”

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67 Conducting a case study of the SDPD’s wellness program In 2016, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S.

Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to conduct a case study of the SDPD’s officer wellness program. This case study, detailed in this report, included the following research tasks:
• A review of existing literature on the relationship between officer wellness and officer

performance and health

• A review of the SDPD’s wellness-related materials (such as brochures, newsletters, and survey results) and operations manual
• Two multiday site visits (detailed in the following sections) During the site visits, PERF’s project team observed three trainings: (1) the Wellness module of Advanced Officer Training, (2) Emotional Survival II Training, and (3) Effective Interactions Training. PERF also interviewed many stakeholders, including current and former Wellness Unit staff members, psychology professionals who work with the SDPD, peer support officers, civilian peer supporters, department chaplains, and members of the department who have used help services.

This report: A toolkit for building individualized wellness programs This publication is the result of that research. It describes the SDPD’s program and the department’s promising practices and lessons learned. Its purpose is to help other agencies implement their own successful wellness programs by providing promising practices derived from PERF’s study of the SDPD’s wellness initiatives.

This goal of this publication is not to propose that all agencies— regardless of size, location, or budget— replicate the SDPD’s wellness program in its totality. Rather, we describe the SDPD’s program components and outline the benefits of each, so that agencies can replicate parts of this program or otherwise tailor it to their own needs and resources.

The SDPD’s wellness program is built on three pillars:

1. The full-time staff in the Wellness Unit

2. Other help services providers and programs (such as peer supporters, psychological services, and issue-specific programs and partnerships)

3. A multi-level training program
This publication largely mirrors that structure, with a literature review followed by a section on each of the three pillars.

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 2

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68 Literature Review: Why Wellness
Matters
Policing is a difficult and stressful job, with higher physical and mental health risks than many other professions.11 Studies have shown that when officers’ physical and mental health issues go unaddressed, job performance decreases,12 decision-making abilities are impaired, and agency costs increase.13 In other words, everyone should be invested in maintaining police officers’ wellness, because it has a direct impact on their ability to be effective. In recognition of the critical role that officer wellness plays in police work, law enforcement agencies across the country have created programs aimed at preserving and promoting officers’ physical and emotional health.14 Early evaluations of wellness programs have produced promising results, including increased participation in exercise,15 healthier eating habits,16 and reductions in officer stress.17
Physical health concerns
Law enforcement officers have a dangerous job. With every shift, officers may encounter a situation that poses a threat to their safety. Many departments have worked to reduce these risks to officers by adopting policies barring unnecessarily dangerous vehicle pursuits or foot pursuits18 and by teaching officers to de-escalate, slow down, and protect themselves in certain types of potentially dangerous incidents that could end in use of force.19 Many law enforcement agencies also strive to reduce risks to officers by requiring the use of motor vehicle seat belts20 and effective body armor.21 11 Hartley et al., “Health Disparities in Police Officers.”

12 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions;” Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders, Health, and Safety in Police Officers;”

Covey et al., “The Effects of Exposure to Traumatic Stressors;” Vila, Morrison, and Kenney, “Improving Shift

Schedule and Work-Hour Policies.”

13 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness;” Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

14 Kuhns, Maguire, and Leach, Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies; Church and Robertson, “How

State Police Agencies Are Addressing the Issue of Wellness;” Garner, “Police Stress;” Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness.

15 Kuhns, Maguire, and Leach, Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

16 Kuehl et al., “The Safety and Health Improvement: Enhancing Law Enforcement Departments Study.”

17 Arnetz et al., “Trauma Resilience Training for Police;” Andersen et al., ”Applying Resilience Promotion Training;”

Chopko and Schwartz, “The Relation between Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms;” Christopher et

al., “A Pilot Study;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

18 Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness.

19 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report; PERF, ICAT.

20 von Kuenssberg Jehle et al., “Seat Belt Use by Police;” PERF, Labor and Management.

21 Taylor et al., A Practitioner’s Guide; PERF, Labor and Management.

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69 While certain types of risks to officers can be reduced by such policies, further action is required by department leaders to more broadly support the physical well-being of agency personnel. A large proportion of officer injuries and deaths stem from poor physical health that must be addressed through the creation of additional services and wellness initiatives.22 Police officers are subject to a wide array of physical health risks, including sleep disorders and associated fatigue,23 poor nutrition,24 obesity,25 heart disease,26 and poor physical fitness.27 These conditions put officers at an increased risk of heart disease, which accounts for 20 to 50 percent of early retirements.28 In addition, poor physical health may be a direct cause of significantly lower average life expectancy in officers than in the general U.S. population.29 Officers also report sleep disorders at nearly twice the rate of the public,30 which may be caused in part by shift-work scheduling practices.31 In a national sample of officers, more than 40 percent screened positive for at least one sleep disorder.32 Sleep disorders are associated with higher rates of other physical and mental health issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.33 Mental health concerns
The stressful nature of police work can negatively impact officers’ mental health. Officers endure long term stress on the job caused by repeated exposure to high-stress incidents.34 These stressors cause police officers to experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at disproportionately high rates.35 High stress levels36 and persistent hypervigilance37 are linked to elevated levels of cortisol in the body.38 Researchers estimate that approximately 10 to 17 percent of 22 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

23 Violanti, Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue; Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”

24 McCormick, Cohen, and Plecas, Nutrition and General Duty Police Work .

25 Kuhns, McGuire, and Leach, Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

26 Zimmerman, “Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors.”

27 Boni, Exercise and Physical Fitness; Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness; Kuhns, Maguire, and Leach, Health,

Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

28 Zimmerman, “Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors.”

29 Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers.”

30 Charles et al., “Shift Work and Sleep.”

31 Pearsall, “Sleep Disorders.”

32 Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”

33 Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”

34 Piazza et al., “Affective Reactivity.”

35 Hartley et al., “Health Disparities in Police Officers.”

36 Toch, Stress in Policing.

37 Gilmartin, Emotional Survival; Kimble, Fleming, and Bennion, “Contributors to Hypervigilance.”

38 Violanti et al., “Cortisol Patterns.”

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 4

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70 police officers in the United States demonstrate symptoms of PTSD.39 This disorder may be especially prevalent in officers returning from military service or those who have experienced traumatic job- related incidents.40
Although police officers are exposed to many stressors, most identify interpersonal or organizational conflict as the most significant source of stress.41 Organizational stress can stem from ineffective communication with supervisors,42 from poor management practices,43 and from higher workloads due to shrinking public budgets.44 Stress induced by organizational factors may be a better predictor of officers’ depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress than exposure to critical incidents.45 The adverse effects of organizational stress are often magnified in officers who perceive a lack of support from their family members,46 and family members themselves may exhibit higher stress levels as a result of negative public attitudes towards police officers or changed behavior of officers in the home.47 Depression48 and alcohol abuse49 are also related to organizational stress among officers. Clinical depression and substance abuse may be the cause or the consequence of work-related stress. Low levels of emotional intelligence, which is associated with increased reactivity to workplace stress,50 can also reduce officer perceptions of well-being and job satisfaction.51 A tragic outcome of the various mental stressors on police officers is officer suicide.52 Officer deaths by suicide occur 2.4 times more frequently than deaths by homicide.53 Approximately 25 percent of officers experience suicidal ideations, compared to 13.5 percent of the general population. This imbalance is strongly correlated to the prevalence of PTSD and depression symptoms among police officers.54 39 McCaslin et al., “The Impact of Personal Threat;” Carlier, Lamberts, and Gersons,”Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology.”

40 Gershon et al.,”Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes;” Kuhns, Maguire, and Leach, Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

41 Collins and Gibbs, “Stress in Police Officers;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

42 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness.”

43 Stinchcomb, “Searching for Stress in All the Wrong Places.”

44 Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness.

45 Gershon et al., “Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes.”

46 Miller, “Stress in Policing.”

47 Karaffa et al., “Perceived Impact of Police Work on Marital Relationships.”

48 Amaranto et al. “Police Stress Interventions;” Gershon et al., “Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes.”

49 VanMeter, “Leading At-Risk Employees;” McCaslin et al., “The Impact of Personal Threat;” Fox et al., “Mental- Health Conditions.”

50 Nikolaou and Tsaousis, “Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace.”

51 Brunetto et al., “Emotional Intelligence, Job Satisfaction, Well-Being, and Engagement.”

52 IACP, Breaking the Silence; Violanti et al., “Shift-Work and Suicide Ideation.”

53 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

54 Violanti et al., “Shift-Work and Suicide Ideation.”

Literature Review: Why Wellness Matters 5

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71 Traumatic experiences and lack of family or departmental support in responding to depression may contribute to high rates of suicide among officers.55
Impact on officer performance and community relationships The negative impact of poor mental health extends far beyond an individual officer. Police departments are also affected, as poor mental health can result in increased agency costs56 and impaired decision making.57 High stress levels in officers can lead to absenteeism, increased use of workers’ compensation and sick days, and increases in early retirement.58 Officers with mental health conditions report lower levels of productivity than their peers. This estimated productivity loss costs agencies $4,000 per year for each officer affected.59
In addition to administrative costs, mental health concerns may also impact officers’ communication skills. Officers with mental health conditions experience a lack of cooperation among coworkers60 and report greater difficulty than their peers in interacting with community members.61 Job stress may also impair officers’ decision-making abilities, particularly in use of force incidents. Officers with PTSD symptoms experience greater difficulty than officers without such symptoms in distinguishing important and unimportant factors in dangerous situations.62 These issues pose serious concerns for officer safety, public safety, and overall agency performance.63
Sleep disorders are also a threat to officers’ mental health.64 Problems with sleep can contribute to decreased officer performance and poor police-community relations.65 Officers suffering from sleep disorders report higher rates than officers with healthy sleep of serious administrative errors, falling asleep while driving, safety violations, and absenteeism.66 Sleep-deprived officers have greater difficulty assessing risks67 and appropriately judging emotionally charged actions.68 Fatigued officers may also be a hindrance to strengthening relationships with community members. Officers with sleep disorders are 55 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

56 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions;” Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

57 Vila, Tired Cops; Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders;” Covey et al., “The Effects of Exposure to Traumatic

Stressors.”

58 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

59 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

60 Gershon et al., “Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes.”

61 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

62 Covey et al., “The Effects of Exposure to Traumatic Stressors.”

63 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

64 Violanti, Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue.

65 Violanti, Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue; Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”

66 Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”

67 Vila et al., “Improving Shift Schedule and Work-Hour Policies.”

68 Violanti, Shifts, Extended Work Hours, and Fatigue.

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 6

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72 more apt to display unrestrained anger toward civilians and receive more citizen69 complaints than their well-rested counterparts.70 When exhausted, officers are unable to effectively communicate with community members and may even incite agitation among them.71 Barriers to treatment
The nature of police work makes officers susceptible to physical and mental health risks. Despite the prevalence of these concerns, many officers are reluctant to seek help. Among officers experiencing PTSD, depression, and alcohol abuse problems, fewer than half seek mental health services.72 Unsupportive agency culture and fear of negative work-related outcomes often deter officers experiencing mental distress from seeking help.73 In many departments, cultural expectations dictate that officers must always appear “brave” or “tough.”74 Moreover, officers take pride in the belief that others are depending on them. As a result, many officers make efforts to deny— even to themselves— that they are experiencing difficulties with personal wellness and could benefit from outside assistance.75
Officers regularly suppress negative emotions to conform to agency norms.76 This behavior can exacerbate depressive symptoms.77 Cultural standards among police departments often stigmatize asking for help as a sign of weakness, especially for addiction78 or emotional problems.79 Fear of becoming the recipient of contempt, distrust, or even ridicule from colleagues upon divulging such problems may prevent officers who acknowledge personal difficulties from seeking assistance,80 further contributing to a “tradition of silence”81 around psychological problems in policing. 69 This report occasionally uses the word “citizen” to refer to people in the community who are neither sworn law enforcement officers nor government officials. The term should not be understood to refer only to U.S. citizens. 70 Rajaratnam et al., “Sleep Disorders.”
71 Stephens and Mantel, OSW Group Meeting Summary.
72 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”
73 IACP, Breaking the Silence; PERF, Labor and Management. 74 Stoughton, “What a Police Expert Calls.”
75 Stoughton, “What a Police Expert Calls.”
76 Amaranto et al., “Police Stress Interventions.”
77 DeSteno, Gross, and Kubzansky, “Affective Science and Health.” 78 VanMeter, “Leading At-Risk Employees.”
79 IACP, Breaking the Silence.
80 Carlan and Nored, “An Examination of Officer Stress;” Rattue, “Serious Health Risks;” IACP, Breaking the Silence; Stoughton, “What a Police Expert Calls.”
81 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

Literature Review: Why Wellness Matters 7

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73 Another reason why officers may be reluctant to seek help from their agencies is that many sources of stress stem directly from supervisors and coworkers.82 Lack of cooperation among coworkers correlates significantly with perceived work stress in officers,83 and officers rate criticism from supervisors as one of their most significant sources of stress.84 Management insensitivity or indifference has been identified as a major concern by officers who have been assaulted by criminal offenders in the course of their job, leading to distrust of wellness resources provided through agency administration.85 Officer concerns with management also extend to physical wellness. Officers report that lack of time and lack of access to exercise equipment are significant obstacles to achieving physical fitness goals.86 Cultural and interpersonal factors may also lead officers to fear negative employment outcomes from seeking wellness services, which is one of the most commonly cited barriers to accessing such services.87 Officers who admit to suffering from heart disease may not be allowed back on the street if they are determined to be a heart attack risk, and officers receiving mental health counseling can lose access to firearms.88 Fear of such outcomes drives perceptions that officers admitting to personal difficulties limit their own opportunities for career advancement.89 As a result of these concerns, officers cite confidentiality as a major priority when seeking mental health services,90 and service providers have highlighted the need for anonymous services available outside of departments.91 Law enforcement leaders have recognized the need to ensure that officers receiving wellness services do not experience negative professional impacts.92
Existing wellness services and promising practices Existing wellness programs in police departments aim to address a number of physical and mental concerns. By 1999, more than half of state law enforcement agencies had wellness-related programming,93 and the proportion of agencies with programming has continued to grow substantially since then. Programs most often focus on cardiovascular fitness, chronic disease prevention, nutrition, stress management, and resilience to trauma.94 Many departments currently provide mental health 82 Gershon et al., “Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

83 Gershon et al., “Mental, Physical, and Behavioral Outcomes.”

84 Garner, “Police Stress.”

85 Crank, Understanding Police Culture.

86 Kuhns et al., Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

87 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

88 Rattue, “Serious Health Risks.”

89 Stoughton, “What a Police Expert Calls;” Crank, Understanding Police Culture.

90 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

91 Levenson, O'Hara, and Clark, “The Badge of Life.”

92 President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, Final Report.

93 Church and Robertson, “How State Police Agencies Are Addressing.”

94 Kuehl et al., “The Safety and Health Improvement: Enhancing Law Enforcement Departments Study.”

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 8

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74 services through employee assistance programs (EAP),95 and most large agencies mandate that officers involved in a shooting or critical incident see medical professionals promptly following the incident.96 While some departments employ internal mental and behavioral health professionals,97 others refer officers to outside providers.98
Physical wellness programming
Recognizing the role that shift work can play in sleep disorders and associated physical and psychological ailments,99 several departments have partnered with researchers to determine effective scheduling practices as part of a holistic approach to officer wellness.100 In studies of shift length, researchers have found that compared to a schedule of five eight-hour shifts per week, a schedule of four 10-hour shifts resulted in workers getting significantly more sleep,101 experiencing less fatigue at the beginning of work shifts,102 and reducing overtime.103 In addition, a schedule of four 10-hour shifts is associated with lower fatigue and higher alertness than a schedule of three 12-hour shifts.104 In light of these demonstrated benefits, researchers have recommended scheduling officers on 10-hour shifts rather than eight- or 12-hour shifts.105 Researchers also advise that using permanent schedules instead of rotating schedules can improve officers’ sleep and psychological well-being while reducing absentee rates.106
There is also evidence that police department incentives and education programs promoting physical fitness can improve officer health outcomes and reduce costs for agencies.107 Physical fitness is associated with fewer sick days, lower rates of disability, and fewer injuries within departments,108 and researchers have noted that even marginal gains in fitness can yield substantial financial benefits because of the high costs of major incidents such as in-service heart attacks. 109 95 Fox, et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

96 PERF, Labor and Management.

97 Council of State Governments Justice Center, Mental Health Resources for Law Enforcement.

98 Kuhns et al., Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

99 Charles et al., “Shift Work and Sleep.”

100 Amendola et al., The Shift Length Experiment; Vila, Sleep Deprivation.

101 Amendola et al., The Shift Length Experiment.

102 Vila, Sleep Deprivation.

103 Amendola et al., The Shift Length Experiment.

104 Amendola et al., The Shift Length Experiment.

105 Amendola et al., The Shift Length Experiment; Vila, Sleep Deprivation.

106 Vila, Sleep Deprivation.

107 Boni, Exercise and Physical Fitness; Kuehl et al., “The Safety and Health Improvement: Enhancing Law

Enforcement Departments Study;” Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness.

108 Fiedler, Officer Safety and Wellness.

109 Kuhns et al., Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

Literature Review: Why Wellness Matters 9

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75 In cases where departments have provided resources and incentives for physical fitness, exercise participation among officers increased.110 For example, a Florida department offering on-duty time for personal physical fitness and department-provided exercise equipment observed increased officer performance on yearly fitness evaluations.111 Other weight loss incentives have resulted in significant reductions in the degree of officer obesity.112 Following wellness education efforts, departments have also observed improvements in nutritional intake,113 which is associated with prevention of illness in officers.114 In addition to the physical fitness benefits, one study showed that randomly selected officers participating in regular exercise demonstrated increased rates of job satisfaction and reductions in perceived stress compared to control groups.115
Mental wellness training programs
Several training programs aimed at reducing stress and promoting officer resilience are associated with improved wellness outcome measures.116 Officers who have received criticism management and stress inoculation training117— a training program aimed at building participants’ abilities to effectively handle criticism and, in so doing, reduce the negative impact that interpersonal conflict-related stress has on their health— report less job stress and fewer health complaints than officers in control groups.118 A trauma resilience training program effectively decreased cortisol (high levels of cortisol are an indicator of stress) and self-reported stress among rookie officers. An adjusted version of the program was associated with reductions in physiological stress responses for special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team officers.119 A psychophysiological intervention program, built on the trauma resilience model, improved officers’ use of force decision-making in a “shoot/don’t shoot” exercise, which researchers hypothesize is the result of enhanced physiological control and situational awareness.120 110 Boyce et al., “Police Weight-Loss Competition.”

111 Kuhns et al., Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

112 Boyce et al., “Police Weight-Loss Competition.”

113 Kuehl et al., “The Safety and Health Improvement: Enhancing Law Enforcement Departments Study;” Kuhns et

al., Health, Safety, and Wellness Program Case Studies.

114 Martinussen, Richardsen, and Burke, “Job Demands.”

115 Boni, Exercise and Physical Fitness.

116 Arnetz et al., “Trauma Resilience Training;” Andersen et al., “Applying Resilience Promotion Training;” Garner,

“Police Stress.”

117 Garner, “Police Stress.”

118 Garner, “Police Stress.”

119 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness.”

120 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness.”

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76 Mindfulness skills are also associated with promising wellness outcomes in officers. In one study, a mindfulness-based resilience training (MBRT) program for first responders was linked to better emotional regulation, less fatigue, and reductions in perceived stress among active-duty officer participants.121 Greater mindfulness skills can also reduce PTSD symptoms such as intrusive memories and hyperarousal in officers.122 Practitioners and researchers have begun to develop123 and evaluate124 emotional intelligence training opportunities specifically tailored to law enforcement personnel. This training may improve emotional intelligence and employee perceptions of well-being and job satisfaction.125
Comprehensive mental wellness programs have also been linked to increased officer participation in mental health services. One multifaceted training program for officers in Newark, New Jersey, featuring lectures on stress management, PTSD, critical incident stress management, and substance abuse was associated with significantly increased use of a department-provided volunteer mental health hotline.126 Further, the Montreal (Quebec) Police Department’s “Together for Life” program, which trains officers on how to identify and intervene with suicidal officers, was associated with a 79 percent reduction in officer suicide deaths in a 12-year period, even as other departments in the area experienced an 11 percent increase during the same time.127
Peer-led models
There are different models for providing various kinds of wellness services to police officers. Officers may place greater trust in peer-led wellness programming than in models led by department service providers.128 Peer-led wellness programming can be especially effective as a form of support following critical incidents.129 Researchers studying a peer-led health curriculum focusing on mental and physical wellness for officers in Oregon and Washington state found that the program was associated with improvements in officers’ dietary habits, increased sleep quantity, and reduced stress in officers.130 121 Christopher et al., “A Pilot Study.”

122 Chopko and Schwartz, “The Relation between Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms.”

123 Turner, “Understanding the Benefits of Emotional Intelligence.”

124 Risan, Binder, and Milne, “Emotional Intelligence in Police Interviews.”

125 Cherniss and Goleman, The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace; Groves, McEnrue, and Shen, “Developing and Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of Leaders.”

126 Amaranto et al., “Police Stress Interventions.”

127 Mishara and Martin, “Effects of a Comprehensive Police Suicide Prevention Program.”

128 Stephens and Mantel, OSW Group Meeting Summary; Miller, “Stress in Policing.”

129 Prati and Pietrantoni, “The Relation of Perceived and Received Social Support; Collins and Gibbs, “Stress in Police Officers.”

130 Kuehl et al., “The Safety and Health Improvement: Enhancing Law Enforcement Departments Study.”

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77 Officers participating in critical incident support groups for first responders report fewer depressive symptoms,131 indicating that perceived support from peers is a critical factor for officer mental wellness following traumatic events.132 To address common fears about confidentiality associated with seeking mental health support,133 officers in agencies such as the New York City Police Department have formed private, volunteer peer support groups organized outside of the agency for increased assurance of confidentiality.134
Psychological counseling
Research on the effects of psychological counseling for officers has been inconclusive. In other professions, mental health treatment intervention is associated with increased productivity.135 Although some evidence suggests that officers participating in psychological counseling over an extended period score higher on overall wellness measures,136 a recent meta-analysis of psychological interventions for officers found limited effects of individual counseling on physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.137
Researchers have suggested that instituting mandatory counseling for all officers may improve the efficacy of counseling.138 Officers often express confidentiality concerns about department-provided mental health services,139 yet officers working in departments where counseling is readily available report both significantly less stress and a greater willingness to use counseling.140 Periodic, mandatory counseling for officers has been proposed as a technique to reduce stress-inducing stigma associated with counseling while connecting officers to resources they may not otherwise seek out.141 Researchers have also suggested that family counseling may improve perceptions of support among officers142 and reduce secondary traumatic stress in families.143 Despite the identified benefits, family counseling is currently used by fewer than eight percent of law enforcement families.144 131 Collins and Gibbs, “Stress in Police Officers.”

132 Prati and Pietrantoni, “The Relation of Perceived and Received Social Support.”

133 Crank, Understanding Police Culture; Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

134 PERF, Labor and Management.

135 Hilton et al., “The Association between Mental Disorders and Productivity;” Langlieb and Kahn, “How Much Does Quality Mental Health Care Profit Employers?”

136 Tanigoshi, Kontos, and Remley, “The Effectiveness of Individual Wellness Counseling.”

137 Patterson, Chung, and Swan, “Stress Management Interventions.”

138 Carlan and Nored, “An Examination of Officer Stress.”

139 Fox et al., “Mental Health Conditions.”

140 Carlan and Nored, “An Examination of Officer Stress.”

141 Carlan and Nored, “An Examination of Officer Stress.”

142 Karaffa et al., “Perceived Impact of Police Work.”

143 Arredondo et al., Law Enforcement and Corrections Family Support.

144 Karaffa et al., “Perceived Impact of Police Work.”

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78 Conclusion
Police officers are vulnerable to many physical and mental health concerns that threaten their well being. Law enforcement leaders should recognize the need to address these challenges and invest in the health and safety of department personnel. Wellness programs can improve officers’ physical and emotional health, yielding positive outcomes for police officers, their agencies, and the communities they serve.

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79 14 Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program

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80 The Wellness Unit: Laying the
Groundwork for Successful Wellness
Programming in San Diego
I learned that if your organization thinks something is important, it needs to be on the organizational chart and have the highest -ranking person possible in charge of it. It needs to be a visible, dedicated arm of the organization. Otherwise, it’ll fall away.
— Assistant Chief (ret.) Sarah Creight on, San Diego Police Department When the SDPD created the Wellness Unit in 2011, then Captain Sarah Creighton145 was selected to lead it, and she recruited then Sergeant Tod Bassett146 to join her. While the tragedies of July and August 2011 made clear how much the department needed the Wellness Unit, Creighton and Bassett had to determine exactly what their mission would be and the specific issues they needed to address to achieve that mission.

The department’s needs drive the Wellness Unit’s priorities To begin the process of defining their mission, Captain Creighton and Sergeant Basset developed a survey to identify the concerns of SDPD personnel. In August 2011, they sent a needs assessment survey147 to the entire department, including civilians, officers, and volunteers.148 The survey asked department members a wide variety of specific questions such as the extent to which marital issues interfered with their ability to focus on their jobs. It also asked if they were contending with issues such as chronic back pain, sleep disorders, or high blood pressure.

The results were telling. Many of the more than 700 respondents were very concerned about their financial stability, their personal relationships, and their physical health.149 They were grappling with stress, anger, depression, and “work turn-off.”
145 Sarah Creighton retired from the department in 2017 as an assistant chief.

146 Tod Bassett is currently a lieutenant with the SDPD. 147 See appendix A for the survey.

148 SDPD, Changing Organizational Culture.

149 As of 2016, SDPD had approximately 2,500 employees (1,800 sworn officers and 700 civilians).

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81 These survey results offered the Wellness Unit a clearer picture of the critical wellness issues facing the department, and the unit used them to craft its mission statement and define its goals.

Mission and goals
It is extremely important to have an open atmosphere where our department personnel can feel comfortable having truly candid conversations. I want to make sure we’re a healthy department, because being healthy means we will be that much better equipped to go out into our community and provide excellent service.
— Chief (ret.) Shell ey Zimmerman, San Diego Police Department The SDPD ultimately defined the mission of the Wellness Unit as “reducing or removing interferences to employee wellness, whether personally or professionally induced, by providing help resources, training and intervention.”150 In order to achieve this larger mission, its specific goals are as follows:
• Identifying and enhancing existing wellness resources • Developing and providing wellness education
• Collaborating with academic institutions on innovative [law enforcement] studies • Developing partnerships with health and wellness providers • Staying abreast of wellness program best-practices through research • Serving as an advocate for employees enduring personal or professional difficulties151 The Wellness Unit also assembled a panel of experts to provide advice and input on programs and policies.152 Called the Wellness Advisory Committee, it includes physicians, psychologists and mental health experts, academics, employee union representatives, and police chaplains, as well as civilian and sworn members of the SDPD.153
150 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 3.

151 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 3.

152 The Wellness Advisory Committee meets on an as-needed basis.

153 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 5.

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82 Overview of services
To support the Wellness Unit’s mission to support the emotional and physical health of SDPD employees, the Unit offers a range of specific services and activities. They largely fall into three categories:

1. Providing services for individuals

2. Agency-wide activities and services

3. Interagency/interdisciplinary activities and services These services are available directly to all department members. Employees are not required or expected to notify their supervisors or ask for permission to use wellness services. Department members’ families and loved ones may also use these services, all of which are offered free of charge.

Services for individuals
The Wellne
ss Unit’s firs t broad category of duties is to provide individualized support for members of the police department. Employees who are in crisis or are experiencing a particular personal or professional issue often approach the Wellness Unit staff directly. Other times, an employee’s colleagues or loved ones ask the Wellness Unit staff to check in on the employee. Wellness Unit members also are proactive about engagement; every day, they review major incidents from the previous day and may contact officers who might need wellness services as a result.

Sometimes, the Wellness Unit has found that the only thing an individual requires is someone to listen to him or her. If an employee wants a referral to a wellness service provider or other expert (such as a financial planner or a nutritionist), staff members are trained to connect them with the appropriate resources.

Operational philosophy
Ideally, ret
ired Assistant Chief Cre ighton said, all employees’ direct supervisors would serve as their “primary caregivers” and offer the sort of individualized support that the Wellness Unit provides.

However, in practice, that is not always possible, because some supervisors lack the time or skills to give employees the assistance they need. The Wellness Unit fills that gap. “There has to be some place or some person where a supervisor who doesn’t have the right interpersonal skills— or sufficient amount to time to address the issue— can send employees who need assistance and where employees who need assistance can go if their supervisors can’t provide it,” Creighton explained.

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83 Supporting direct managers

The Wellness Unit also addresses this issue by engaging with managers directly. “We tell supervisors and management that they are the primary caregiver for their employees. That’s part of a leader’s role,” retired Assistant Chief Creighton said. “We’ve done training to make supervisors more comfortable in this role, which has been an ongoing educational agenda. This is about a larger culture change. Wellness is about good leadership and helping department leaders become better at providing services themselves.”
Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen, who took command of the Wellness Unit upon Creighton’s retirement in early 2017, counts this effort among her top priorities for the Wellness Unit. “We’re working on turning the Wellness Unit more into facilitators, coaches, and teachers,” she said. “We want to use them to develop the wellness-related and interpersonal skills of our executive staff. Our command staff and managers have responsibilities to their people as leaders, and this is part of those responsibilities.”154
Agency-wide activities and services
The second type of services the Wellness Unit provides is geared toward the entire police department or groups within the department. Developing and delivering wellness training to department members is one example of these duties. This category also includes managing, coordinating, and deploying all of the SDPD’s help resources, including police chaplains, peer support employees, and psychological services personnel. In addition, the Wellness Unit
• provides educational seminars and workshops on wellness-related issues that are important to SDPD employees (e.g., sleep hygiene, financial planning, and nutrition); • provides wellness-related training to department members; • keeps a record of wellness contacts to track use and trends in wellness issue areas (no

identifying information is associated with these records);

• identifies new help resources to use as referrals for department members.

Interagency and interdisciplinary activities and services The Wellne
ss Unit also ha s a third set of duties as part of its mandate: engaging with external partners.

In practice, this means developing partnerships with academics and other wellness experts to ensure that the SDPD’s wellness programming is informed by promising practices. 154 See “Training: Building a Culture of Wellness” beginning on page 47 for more details.

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84 It also includes managing the County Wellness Forum. Created by the Wellness Unit, the forum meets once a quarter. Participants, who include representatives from all of the law enforcement agencies in San Diego County as well as other help resources providers, discuss promising practices, and share resources, which increases access to wellness services across agencies.155 Each meeting also typically includes an educational presentation delivered by an expert on a wellness-related topic.

Organization
The Wellnes
s Unit has g rown since 2011. Today, it is composed of two sergeants, one officer, and one dispatcher, all of whom are under the command of an assistant chief (see figure 1). The Wellness Unit also oversees and manages all of the SDPD’s help resources providers. This includes peer supporters, police chaplains, and Focus Psychological Services, which provides psychological services for employees and their dependents.156
Figure 1. SDPD Wellness Unit organizational chart
Assistant Chief
Wellness Unit
(two sergeants, one officer, one
civilian)
Help Resources
(peer supporters, police chaplains,
FOCUS psychological services)
155 SDPD, Changing Organizational Culture.

156 For detailed information about these programs, see “Help Resources” beginning on page 35.

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85 Help resources

Many help services provide rs in the SDPD predate the Wellness Unit, but prior to 2011 they were under different commands and had little substantive interaction. The various providers self-deployed to critical incidents and operated largely independently of one another. Bringing them all together under the Wellness Unit ensured that their management, coordination, and training were centralized. “There was no communication among help resources prior to the Wellness Unit,” Lieutenant Bassett explained. “Now it’s automatic that we work together and coordinate deployment if there’s a critical incident or any other need. Because all of the SDPD’s help services are centralized, we are able to send the appropriate resources in the appropriate quantity.”
Organizing all of the SDPD’s help resources under the Wellness Unit also made them a more integral part of the department, said police chaplain the Reverend Chuck Price. “Once the police chaplains were brought under wellness, we got broader visibility,” he explained. “We came in with peer support and the other wellness components. It was nice to have a home and a known advocate within the organization, and it also brought us symbiosis with all of the other help services entities.” Organizational visibility was one of retired Assistant Chief Creighton’s goals. “We had all of the resources that we needed at the SDPD— chaplains and peer supporters for example— but they were all under different umbrellas and didn’t communicate with each other,” she said.

Civilian representation in the Wellness Unit
Another i
nnovation of the Wellnes s Unit is that it includes a civilian member of the department.

Currently, dispatcher Deanna Dotta, who provides wellness support to civilian and sworn employees, fills that role. She said that her inclusion in the Wellness Unit sent an important message to the department’s nonsworn staff members. “Civilians can sometimes be a second thought in law enforcement agencies, so having a civilian in the Wellness Unit makes the civilian members of the department feel like they’re a vital and valued part of the department,” she explained. “Communications and crime lab personnel experience repeated exposure to trauma. These individuals need emotional support and the opportunity to debrief just as officers do.” Physical location: Making the Wellness Unit visible In addition to appearing on the SDPD’s organizational chart, the Wellness Unit is also a visible physical presence in the department. The Wellness Center, which is the Wellness Unit’s main office, is strategically located in SDPD headquarters to encourage officer engagement and reduce any stigma associated with utilizing wellness services. The Wellness Center is usually open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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86 Moving the Wellness Center to headquarters

The Wellness Center was moved from an off-site location to headquarters in 2012 as part of a larger effort to normalize wellness at SDPD. “We were initially off-site because of concerns that department members would be less likely to come to the Wellness Center if they thought that their colleagues might see them,” said retired Assistant Chief Creighton. “Moving the Wellness Center to headquarters really normalized Wellness as just another resource. It’s just like walking into operational support and getting a battery for your flashlight. It destigmatizes asking for help.” The Wellness Center is also purposefully designed as a relaxed social space that encourages department members to drop in even if they are not seeking wellness services. It sits across the hall from the cafeteria, offers free coffee and snacks, and is centered on a lounge area with a couch, coffee table, and chairs.

The move to headquarters paid dividends, retired Assistant Chief Creighton said. “We saw a dramatic uptick in utilization once we moved over from our previous off-site location,” she explained. “Having the Wellness Center off-site unintentionally implied that there was something shameful about Wellness.

Moving it to headquarters got rid of that.”
Confidentiality
Studies have shown that police officers’ concerns about confidentiality are a significant barrier to seeking mental health support,157 especially when the support services are provided by the police department.158 The Wellness Unit worked to overcome officers’ reluctance to seek services by writing and publicizing a clear confidentiality policy and adhering to it.

The Wellness Unit’s confidentiality policy159 states that the success of the Wellness Unit is predicated on maintaining the confidentiality of employees who use wellness services and requires that the “strictest confidentiality . . . be maintained, within the guidelines of the program.”160 The confidentiality policy also explicitly describes the limited types of situations that are not covered and that Wellness Unit members are mandated to report, namely when any of the following conditions are met:
• The employee is a danger to him- or herself or to others • There is suspected child abuse
• There is suspected domestic violence or a fear thereof • There is suspected elder abuse161
157 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

158 Fox et al., “Mental-Health Conditions.”

159 See appendix B for the full policy as outlined in the Wellness Unit’s operations manual.

160 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 4.

161 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 13.

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87 The following are also specifically described as issues that should be reported to the Wellness Unit commanding officer:
• Narcotics offenses (i.e., using narcotics on duty, committing a felony related to narcotics) • Felonies
• Felonies committed while on duty
• When the person receiving wellness services requests in writing that information be shared with the Wellness Unit Commanding Officer
• “Matters that would jeopardize the safety of the public or other officers”162 “The minute that the confidentiality policy as we’ve outlined it is violated, the credibility of the Unit goes out the window,” said retired Assistant Chief Creighton. “You can ruin years of hard work and building trust by one mishandled incident.”
The Wellness Unit’s policy states that, irrespective of department rules, conversations between department employees and Wellness Unit staff— i.e., the SDPD members who are staffed to the Wellness Unit full-time— are not considered privileged because the members of the Unit are not licensed mental health professionals.163 That is not true, however, of all help services providers who work with the SDPD. Focus, for instance, is an outside organization that contracts with the SDPD to provide psychological services for department members and their dependents. Though Focus psychologists work closely with the Wellness Unit, they are independent mental health care providers, so all discussions are protected by patient-provider privilege. “The biggest hurdle when it comes to getting police officers to utilize mental health services is confidentiality,” explained Dr. Jolee Brunton, the chief psychologist for Focus. “On the first day that we sit down with someone from the department, we discuss confidentiality in detail and also describe to them the circumstances in which we’re mandatory reporters: child abuse/neglect, elder abuse/neglect, and Tarasoff situations.164 We are not mandated reporters of domestic violence. We’re clear and forthright,” she said, “and the officers respond well to that.”
Thus, SDPD employees who need wellness services have access to a wide range of providers who offer different degrees of confidentiality as well as different areas of expertise. 162 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 5.

163 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 5.

164 In the California Supreme Court’s 1976 decision in the case Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California,

the court found that “When a therapist determines, or pursuant to the standards of his profession should determine, that his patient presents a serious danger of violence to another, he incurs an obligation to use reasonable care to protect the intended victim against such danger.” For the full text of the decision, see Vitaly Tarasoff et al. v. The Regents of the University of California et al., 17 Cal. 3d 425 (1976). https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=263231934673470561.

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88 Recruitment and rotation in the Wellness Unit
Officers’ concerns about confidentiality speak to another, practical concern that the SDPD faces when working to make the Wellness Unit successful: SDPD employees will not open up to someone they do not trust. As a result, the SDPD has focused on recruiting for interpersonal skills rather than rank when bringing new team members into the Wellness Unit.

Picking the right people
“The succes
s of the uni t is based on picking the right people,” retired Assistant Chief Creighton said. “There is no substitute for genuine caring.” When discussing why she recruited Lieutenant Bassett for the Wellness Unit, Creighton explained that “he reads people really well and is all about putting others before himself. He’s someone who people gravitate to, and he’s also a cop’s cop. He lent legitimacy to the work, and people knew that they could trust him.”
“Gossip can ruin careers,” Lieutenant Bassett explained. “I understand that. Before I joined the Wellness Unit, I had a good reputation for not sharing people’s private information if they confided in me.” Being nonjudgmental is also critical, said Sergeant Ed Zwibel.165 “We have people of all ranks calling on us for support. We’re outside of their command and they know that we won’t judge them,” he explained. “They need to know that we’re there for them and that we’re there to support them as people, not criticize them for what they’ve done or what they’re going through.” It is also important that members of the Wellness Unit “walk the walk,” said Assistant Chief Albrektsen. “The credibility of the unit in general is rooted in the credibility of its members. The people in the Unit need to be well themselves.”
Recruitment and selection process
To identify new recruits t o staff the Wellness Unit, Assistant Chief Albrektsen taps into the knowledge that her captains have of the officers in their divisions. “I wanted the selection process for the Wellness Unit to be transparent,” she said, “so I start by asking the captains who they would recommend for the unit and go from there.”
When there is a position open in the Wellness Unit, candidates are interviewed informally. “We don’t ask them a list of standard questions,” explained Sergeant Carmelin Rivera, who is currently in the unit. “We want them to explain why they want to work in Wellness and why they think they would be a good fit. We’re also looking for people who have been here for a while and have a good understanding of the organization of the department. Understanding those nuances lends you credibility.” Depending on the needs of the agency, other departments may find it useful to create structured interview questions to promote consistency and impartiality during the selection process. 165 Zwibel was previously with the Wellness Unit.

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89 Lessons from San Diego: Characteristics to look for when selecting members of a wellness team
• Nonjudgmental . Someone who knows how to mak e people feel cared for and who understands that the role of the wellness team is supporting others, not passing judgment on them
• Compassionate . Someone who is empathetic and cares for others • Experienced. Someone who is familiar with the department and has a personal understanding of the stress associated with working in a law enforcement agency • Proven legitimacy. Someone who m members of the department already gravitate toward when they are seeking assistance, advice, or support
• Trustworthy . Someone who does not gossip about others • Demonstrates wellness . Someone who attends to his or her own emotional and physical health and models that for others
Ensuring the wellness of the Wellness Unit
The serio
us respons ibilities of the Wellness Unit can take an emotional toll on its members, which makes the risk of employee burnout high. “I mandated psychological services check-ins for myself and the other members of the Wellness Unit,” said retired Assistant Chief Creighton. “I also allowed the team to work out while they were on duty, because it was so important that they stay healthy and have effective mechanisms for managing their stress.” She added that members of the Wellness Unit also check in with one another informally on a regular basis to ensure no one is overwhelmed.

Rotating out of the unit: The two-year limit
Assistant C
hief Albrektsen f ormalized in policy a practice of putting a two-year limit on assignments to the Wellness Unit because of how emotionally taxing the work can be. Based on the experiences of former and current Wellness Unit members and the fact that they are essentially on-call 24/7, it was determined that the two-year limit would protect the emotional health and well-being of staff members. The limit also ensures that SDPD employees seeking services can be confident that the unit’s members are emotionally equipped to assist them.

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90 Training for help services providers
All members of the Wellness Unit (as well as all peer supporters) are required to attend a Commission on Police Officers Standards and Training (POST)–certified three-day peer support training.

Dr. Nancy Bohl-Penrod, head of Counseling Team International (CTI) and a POST peer support trainer, said that the training starts with a description of the characteristics of a successful peer supporter (empathetic, nonjudgmental, respects confidentiality, etc.). The training then transitions into a series of topic areas such as active listening, crisis intervention, grief, and substance abuse, each of which is followed by a role play exercise. “We also teach them about when they need to pass the baton to a professional, maintaining boundaries, and when to refer and when to not make a referral,” she said.

The SDPD’s police chaplains complete their own specialized 40-hour POST-certified chaplaincy training.

Availability and assignments
While the Wellness Unit has a physical location with set hours, staff members also meet with employees in need at any time and in any place. SDPD employees do not need to go to the Wellness Center to receive wellness services. Members of the Wellness Unit are available 24/7.

On-call protocol
To accommod
ate off-hour requ ests for assistance, the Wellness Unit has an on-call protocol. The Wellness Unit is included on watch commanders’ text lists, and if there is a critical incident or an employee in crisis calls the watch commander, the on-call Wellness Unit member is notified and responds. So that they are able to do so as quickly as possible, Wellness Unit members have assigned cars and take-home privileges when they are on call. If more than one member of the Wellness Unit needs to respond to an incident, whoever is not on call goes to the station to pick up his or her car before going to the scene.

In addition to this on-call protocol, SDPD employees often contact individual members of the Wellness Unit directly because they know and trust them. When that happens, “you take the call,” said Sergeant Rivera, echoing similar sentiments from other members of the Wellness Unit. “This is a 24/7 job,” said retired Assistant Chief Creighton, “and people need to have access to us at all times.”
Deployment
A critical lesso
n that th e Wellness Unit learned from its first month of operation in 2011 was how to deploy help resources. Waiting for a request from command staff to send help resources to the scene of a critical incident was impractical and delayed response time. Instead, Wellness Unit staff members dispatch these service providers— and respond themselves— immediately.

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91 This nontraditional deployment also extends to the scene itself. During the manhunt following the fatal shooting of Officer Jeremy Henwood in 2011, police chaplains and psychologists were taken to officers’ posts to begin providing support to them immediately, even as the search continued.166 Building awareness of and trust in the Wellness Unit Ultimately, all of the operational components of the wellness program— the physical location of the unit, the availability of wellness services, the training and education sessions that the unit develops— are intended in part to build awareness of the Wellness Unit. To ensure that services are used and to build department members’ trust in wellness services, the Wellness Unit has an active internal outreach program.

Going to lineups
The unit ha
s proactiv ely engaged with SDPD employees since its inception. “We went to lineups,” retired Assistant Chief Creighton said, “to talk to members of the department about who we were, what the Wellness Unit was, and what we wanted to accomplish for them.” These early efforts were critical to obtaining support, said the Reverend Dale Lowrimore, a police chaplain. “We went to every lineup at every command and gave a presentation to every single person,” he said. “We needed to explain what was changing in terms of the reorganization and what the confidentiality policy was, to overcome fears that Wellness was a ‘tattle tale’ place. We also needed command staff to understand who we were and what we were about.” Newsletters, brochures, and written announcements
The Wellnes
s Unit also pro duces written materials to explain its services and publicize its events, including a Wellness Unit Employee Resources brochure167 and a monthly newsletter, Wellness News.168 The Wellness brochure is a one-page, double-sided quick reference guide that lists all of the help services offered and outlines additional resources that the SDPD provides. The information in the brochure includes the following:
• The mission of the Wellness Unit
• Wellness Unit services
• The names and contact information (office number, cell number, and email) of all members of the Wellness Unit
• A list of the SDPD’s peer supporters
166 SDPD, Changing Organizational Culture.

167 See appendix C for a copy of the brochure.

168 See appendix D for a copy of the monthly newsletter from August 2017.

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92 • The mission of the police chaplain program
• A list of the SDPD’s police chaplains and their contact information (phone and email) • A description of Focus Psychological Services, who they serve, and the services that they provide as well as their contact information (email and phone)
• A description of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) and contact information (email and phone) for the SDPD’s ASAP counselors
• A list of additional resources and contact information (phone) for the following:
• Medical assistance
• EAP
• The San Diego Police Officers’ Association (SDPOA)
• The San Diego Metropolitan Employees Association (SDMEA) • AFSCME127 (a local labor union)
The Wellness Unit distributes this brochure widely, sharing it at trainings, events, and lineups. Wellness Unit members also give a copy of this brochure to new officers the day they start the academy as part of a strategy to create a culture of wellness in the department by normalizing wellness services among new hires.169
Wellness News, the Wellness Unit’s monthly newsletter, is distributed using the SDPD listserv. It provides articles on wellness topics, information about upcoming wellness-related events, and wellness tips and resources. The information that it offers is holistic, touching on all aspects of wellness.

The August 2017 newsletter170 included
• a message from Assistant Chief Albrektsen on the benefits of blood donation; • an informational flyer about an upcoming blood drive; • an announcement about the negative effects of neglecting self-care, including the impact on officers’ families;
• a fitness and weight loss success story, with photos, written by a department member; • an article about wellness, mindfulness, and the Wellness Unit, written by Deanna Dotta of the Wellness Unit;
• an article titled “The Lies We Tell Ourselves— Barriers to Wellness,” written by Sergeant Rivera of the Wellness Unit;
• an announcement about fitness opportunities at the department and workout resources; 169 This is part of a larger strategy to create a culture of wellness in the department. 170 See appendix D.

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93 • a list of items that officers should always have in their gear bags, including disinfecting wipes, a first aid kit, and extra gloves;
• book recommendations, including a discount coupon code for one of the suggested titles; • an SDPD wellness resource list (including contact information for Focus, the EAP, police chaplains, and the Wellness Unit staff).
“The wellness newsletter is fantastic,” said Marie Cuvadar, a police dispatch supervisor and peer supporter, “and they reach a really wide audience.”
In addition to announcing upcoming training and educational seminars in the newsletter, the Wellness Unit sends out announcements to encourage participation. “We’ve put together workshops on retirement, healthy eating, and sleep hygiene,” explained Lieutenant Bassett, “and we always put out department-wide announcements so that people are aware that these events are coming up and these resources are available to them.”
The Wellness Unit also created posters that describe the unit and wellness services and include contact information for the unit and other help resources.171 These posters are displayed around SDPD headquarters and in division stations.

Building trust
The key is when you get someone who has used wellness services and tells someone else that they had a good experience.
— Assistant Chief (ret.) Sarah Creighton, San Diego Police Department While these materials make department members aware of wellness resources, ensuring that employees use the resources depends on trust. “It has taken a lot of meetings and a lot of groundwork to build an understanding of what Wellness does,” said the Rev. Lowrimore. “Wellness has a great reputation because we hold confidentiality in the highest possible regard.” Retired Assistant Chief Creighton said that building a reputation for discretion takes time. “It’s slow going convincing people that you respect confidentiality, even when you have the best people on your team,” she said.

Lieutenant Bassett underscored the importance of individual interactions in building trust, person by person, over time. “In the beginning, people would fish and ask who I was going to tell about our conversation,” he said. “I would say that the only person who could tell anyone was him or her.” 171 The poster has been modified since PERF’s research into the SDPD’s Wellness Program.

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94 What using wellness services looks like in practice: A scenario Officer Adams is going through a difficult divorce. Since proceedings began, he has been increasingly irritable . He has told his friend, Officer Smith, that he is having trouble sleeping , and Smith is worried that Adams may be starting to drink more than normal after his shifts.

Smith tries to talk to Adams about how he is coping with his divorce, but Adams rebuffs him.

Smith is familiar with the Wellness Unit because of the training the Wellness Unit provided in the academy and after field training. He knows that he can get the contact information for anyone in the Wellness Unit from several places, including the SDPD intranet , brochures, and posters located throughout headquarters .

Smith calls the Wellness Unit and asks one of the sergeants to check in on Adams. The Wellness Unit sergeant calls Adams at the end of his shift. She explains the services that the Welln ess Unit provides and that the Wellness Unit is there as a resource for him. She says that she can connect him with anyone who might be helpful to him, including financial counselors, psychological services, and peer supporters who have had similar experie nces.

The sergeant also encourages Adams to visit the Wellness Center. He agrees to stop by the next morning. While there, she gives him the contact information for two service providers and several peer supporters and says that she will call to check in on him the following day.

The sergeant underscores that Adams can reach out to her at any time if he needs to talk.

Adams calls one of the peer supporters that afternoon, and they talk several times over the course of the week. Two weeks later , on advice of his peer supporter , he makes an appointment with a financial counselor recommended by the Wellness Unit sergeant as well .

Metrics for success

The only product we produce as an agency is our employees, and all of their work is improved if they’re well.
— Sergeant Ed Zwibel, San Diego Police Department
The Wellness Unit uses several mechanisms to measure its success: surveys, utilization reports, and a quarterly management report (QMR). For a unit that operates under a confidentiality policy, these metrics are especially critical in demonstrating the success and impact of their efforts. “There is all of this hidden work that we do that most people never know about unless they’re using wellness services, and that’s exactly how I hoped it would be,” explained Sergeant Ed Zwibel.

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95 Utilization reports: Recaps

Each month, the Wellness Unit produces a report, called a recap, on the number of wellness contacts (i.e., one-on-one contacts— in person, on the phone, via text, via email, etc.— that they have with department members) made that month. Each report contains the following information:
• Number of individuals served
• Type of service they received
• General demographic information
• General description of the issue(s) for which each individual was seeking assistance Every member of the unit and every help services provider is required to submit a “recap sheet”172 on the 10th day of the month that captures this information. The Unit then combines these submissions into a single report.

Importantly, recaps contain no identifying information about the employees who use wellness services. Their purpose is to assist the Wellness Unit in identifying themes and trends; to inform their outreach, events, and training protocols; and to keep track of how many department members are using help resources.

Quarterly management report (QMR)
The Wellnes
s Unit pre pares a report for the chief’s executive committee every quarter. It documents the following:173
• The number of employees who provided wellness assistance and the number of hours they spent on wellness contacts
• The issue areas they addressed with department members, ranked from most to least prevalent • The training that the Wellness Unit and help services provided • Any new or ongoing projects and community partnerships • Summaries of critical incidents
172 See appendix E for a recap sheet.
173 SDPD, Changing Organizational Culture.

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96 2013 survey

At the close of its first two years in operation, the Wellness Unit also conducted a survey174 to assess its progress. The 240 respondents said the following:
• 78 percent felt like there was a lot more discussion about issues like suicide, substance abuse, and other ineffective coping behaviors than two years earlier. • 70 percent felt that the stigma associated with asking for help was decreasing. • 89 percent trusted that if they had a personal issue that was interfering with work or home, they could ask for help and receive help.
• 79 percent said that they would feel comfortable walking into the Wellness Center regardless of the reason for their visit.

Sustainability planning
While the Wellness Unit has proven critical to the department, Assistant Chief Albrektsen said that sustaining it long-term depends on demonstrating that it saves money. “Partnering with other first responders and working with risk management in the city is what makes this work in the long term,” she said. “You have to work with other agencies and demonstrate a dollar savings for the city, showing that this is preventing all sorts of negative outcomes related to poor physical and emotional health in the department.” Indeed, poor physical and mental health among officers can lead to absenteeism, increased usage of workers’ compensation and sick days, and increases in early retirement,175 which has proven to be a costly burden for agencies.

Promising practices: Building and sustaining a wellness program First steps
• Conduct a department-wide survey to ask employees what they need and what their primary wellness concerns are. Use that information to guide the development of wellness programming and services.
• Have a clear, written confidentiality policy, communicate it to department members, and adhere to it. Ensure that reporting requirements and exceptions are understood, such as information indicating that an employee may be a danger to himself or herself or to others or that domestic violence or child abuse may be occurring. Some providers, such as clinicians, may be bound by more stringent confidentiality rules than police department employees. Ensure that employees understand these differences and understand the confidentiality rules that bind each category of help services providers.
174 See appendix F for full survey and results.

175 Andersen et al., “Mental Preparedness;” Garner, “Police Stress.”

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97 • Locate your wellness office or center in headquarters or another high-visibility location to reduce any stigma that employees may feel about seeking help. • Your department’s help resources providers should be in close communication with one another and should work together to deliver wellness services. This includes  having a common mission and messaging so that they are working together toward a shared wellness goal for the overall good of the department;
 communicating with each other to coordinate responses to critical incidents.

Outreach and engagement
• Make wellness services visible on your organizational chart to demonstrate their importance. • Go to officer roll calls to explain wellness services. • Develop materials to publicize the services and how to access them, including  brochures;
 newsletters;
 posters.

Recruiting
• When recruiting p eople for wellness-related programs, look for interpersonal skills, not

necessarily rank. Wellness unit staff members should be

 compassionate;
 nonjudgmental;
 experienced in the organization;
 trustworthy;
 respected by colleagues.

Training
• Mandate that help services providers receive formal training— for example, POST-certified peer support training— to ensure that they have the right tools to be successful in supporting their colleagues.
• Provide opportunities for help services components to train together. This improves team building and ensures that all providers share common messaging and goals.

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98 Operations
• Do not neglect civilian employees. Include them in wellness services as providers and as

recipients.

• Wellness providers need to be available 24/7. Crises are not confined to business hours. • In addition to serving as a resource during regular business hours, wellness services providers should be able to meet with employees seeking help at the times and locations that work best for them.
• To accommodate off-hour requests for assistance, develop an on-call protocol for the wellness services providers and advertise to department employees. • Assignments for wellness providers should be made based on relationships and trust. Often, whether at the scene of a critical incident or when someone walks into the Wellness Center, an employee wishes to talk to a specific help services provider. • Establish a policy that allows wellness services providers to deploy help services during or immediately after a crisis without needing to wait for a request from command staff. • Wellness services providers should check in regularly with those who use their services and follow up on anniversary dates as well.

Maintaining the wellness of help services providers
• It is important to ensure that employees who provide wellness services are themselves in good physical and emotional health. Be aware that assignment to a wellness unit can be stressful, and be mindful of the wellness of help service providers. Adopt policies and protocols to promote their physical and emotional health. Examples include
 having mandatory psychological service check-ins;
 allowing wellness workers to exercise while on duty.
• Have a protocol for rotating wellness service providers out of help services roles to prevent burnout. This might include one (or both) of the following:
 A policy limiting the amount of time that someone can spend in a wellness-related role  A form that wellness service providers can fill out and submit without penalty asking to be relieved of wellness-related duties
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99 Metrics for success
• Develop a mechanism for tracking the use of help services, such as the monthly recap report that the SDPD’s Wellness Unit compiles every month based on recap sheets (see appendix E) completed by each help services provider.
• Survey the department after wellness services have been in place for a year or more to determine their levels of visibility, employee trust, and use. Modify your approach as needed based on results.

Sustainability planning
• Make it clea
r that a su ccessful wellness program is good for the financial health of your law enforcement agency—i .e., keeping officers physically and emotionally healthy is a cost-saving measure in the long term— to secure support for wellness programming from city government.

External partnerships
• Draw upon the expertise of people outside of your organization. This might include  a nearby law enforcement agency that already has wellness services;  academics with experience in wellness-related topics;  police psychologists.
• Partner with mental health providers, academics, and other outside experts to refine wellness program methods and initiatives and provide needed services to department members.

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100

Help Resources: Providers and
Programs
The help resources that the Wellness Unit manages— police chaplains, peer supporters, and psychological services— are critical components of the SDPD’s wellness program. Many providers said that while these programs predate the Wellness Unit, their efficacy has increased now that they are working together under one command and toward a common goal.

Pooling knowledge improves the delivery of wellness services to those in need.
— Police Dispatch Administrator Mellissa Santagata, San Diego Police Department
“If we have an issue that we haven’t encountered previously, it’s likely other wellness providers often have seen it, and the Wellness Unit can give us the information and referrals we need without us having to reinvent the wheel,” Mellissa Santagata, a police dispatch administrator and peer supporter explained. The SDPD’s individual wellness initiatives are interconnected and serve as force multipliers for one another.

Peer Support Program (PSP)
The SDPD’s Peer Support Program (PSP) encompasses the following:
• General peer support. Support provided by civilians and officers to department members and loved ones experiencing difficulties in their lives
• Officer involved shooting (OIS)/in-custody death peer support. Support provided by officers to officers involved in a shooting or in-custody death
All members of the peer support program provide general peer support. When there is an OIS or an in- custody death, however, sworn peer supporters who have themselves been involved in a shooting or an in-custody death respond. Peer supporters who do not have this experience are not assigned to supporting an involved officer in the wake of a shooting or in-custody death.176 176 This is generally true, though in extraordinary circumstances such as a mass casualty incident, as many peer supporters as needed would be mobilized to respond regardless of status.

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Before the Wellness Unit was created, and indeed until 2016, general peer support and OIS peer support were two distinct programs. The former was called the Member Assistance Program and the latter was called Peer Support. They were combined to align the program with the IACP’s recommendations on peer support as well as standard practice in California.

Training
All peer supp
orters at the SDPD a re required to attend POST–certified three-day peer support training.

In addition to the POST peer support training, the SDPD’s peer supporters are also required to attend two refresher training sessions every year. These sessions, held quarterly, are organized by the Wellness Unit and are each dedicated to a different wellness topic such as mindfulness and sleep hygiene. The SDPD invites outside experts in to present during these trainings.

OIS peer support
OIS peer suppo
rt is a service pr ovided to officers who are involved in a shooting or an in-custody death by other officers who have had the same experience. The goal of OIS peer support is to provide officers who have been involved in or have witnessed a shooting or in-custody death with emotional support and help them navigate the post-incident investigative process.177 Recruitment
There are approximately 30 peer supporters who provide OIS-specific support (OIS peer supporters) in the SDPD Peer Support program. The eligibility requirements to provide this type of peer support include the following:
• Being a nonprobationary POII, POIII, or sergeant
• Having met departmental performance standards
• Having experience of a shooting or in-custody death (which must have occurred more than 12 months prior)
• Being a good listener and good with people
• Being available at all times (both on duty and off) to respond to critical incidents as needed • Having a recommendation from his or her commanding officer178 177 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 11.
178 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 9.

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As Sergeant Rivera explained, “OIS peer supporters are vetted. We ask them to apply to be a peer supporter and if they happen to have a qualifying incident, we take them through an extra interview process to determine if they would be the right fit for providing peer support during OIS incidents.” These interviews, said Dr. Bohl-Penrod, are done by a licensed clinician and one or two members of the Wellness Unit.

Operations
If they are responding to a scene as an O IS peer support officer while they are off duty, or if they work past the end of their shift because they are doing so, OIS peer supporters are paid overtime.179 Deploying to the scene
All officers involved in a shooting or an in-custody death receive an OIS peer supporter. While they do self-deploy, Sergeant Rivera explained, it is the responsibility of the supervisor on-scene to request peer support. The first OIS peer support officer who arrives at a shooting is responsible for assessing the scene to determine if additional OIS peer supporters are needed. Ideally, said Detective Sergeant Jeff Sterling, there is a one-to-one ratio of OIS peer supporters to shooting and witness officers. If that is not possible, OIS peer supporters always maintain a one-to-one ratio with shooting officers.

If the officer involved would like a particular peer supporter, that request is honored as a matter of policy and practice. “If I get to a scene and the guy knows another OIS peer supporter already and wants to talk to him or has a good relationship with him, I’ll let the other peer supporter know and just stay there with the officer until the other peer supporter shows up,” explained Detective Sergeant Sterling.

Sergeant Michael Shiraishi agreed, saying, “We ask the officer if they know anyone on peer support they’d rather talk to. There’s no ego there. If there is and they would, we make the call.” Activities on scene
As officers who hav
e been in sim ilar circumstances themselves, OIS peer supporters have a comprehensive understanding of the post-shooting investigation process, and they begin to help officers through it once they arrive on scene. “We sit and talk to them about what is going to happen next and what the process looks like, but it’s a fine line because we don’t want to take a statement,” Detective Sergeant Sterling said. “Our role is to give them information, drive them, get them in touch with their attorney, wait with them while they’re doing their walk-throughs on scene, wait while they’re doing their detailed interviews, and drive them home when they’re all done.” Follow-up activities
Officers invo
lved in shooting s and in-custody deaths participate in mandatory critical incident debriefings that are facilitated by a Focus psychologist. OIS peer supporters are not currently involved in those debriefings, but they do provide continued follow-up and support to officers. 179 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 9.

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OIS peer supporter Detective Nestor Hernandez described his method as following up within the first 24 hours, then every two days for the first two weeks, and then letting the officer determine their level of contact once the two weeks have passed. Sergeant Shiraishi said, “After the debrief, one of the things that I ask them about is their home life. I talk to them about signs they should look out for, like if they become hypersensitive to their kids or if they have more tense interactions with their significant others.

I’ve had officers reach out to me after the fact to say that they’re noticing that kind of stuff, and I drive them down to the psychologist at Focus to get them an appointment to talk to someone.” Peer support (non-OIS)
The SDPD’s Pe
er Supp ort program also includes peer supporters who do not provide OIS-specific support. These peer supporters include sworn and civilian members of the SDPD. Their purpose is to provide support to department members and their loved ones who are grappling with challenges in their lives.

Recruitment
There are approx
imat ely 40 sworn peer supporters and 13 civilian peer supporters at the SDPD in addition to the peer supporters who provide OIS-specific services. Eligibility criteria for becoming a peer supporter include the following:
• Having met departmental performance standards
• Having a reputation as someone whom others already seek out for informal peer support and who can keep information confidential
• Being a good listener and good with people180
Making peer supporters accessible: The intranet directory All peer supporters have a profile on the SDPD’s intranet that includes their photo as well as a description of the particular issues with which they have experience, such as divorce or the death of a loved one. Their profiles also include their contact information. Members of the department can review these profiles and reach out to the peer supporters who can speak directly to their issues and concerns.

Operations
Peer support
ers are volunt eers, providing assistance on their own time and without compensation. As a result, the policy of the peer support program is that departmental and regular duties are a peer supporter’s first priority. It states that peer support work should not take peer supporters away from their jobs or negatively impact their performance.181
180 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 12.
181 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 12.

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Police chaplain program
The SDPD’s police chaplain program was created in 1969. It is a volunteer corps of faith leaders from the community who offer emotional support and spiritual guidance to police employees and their families.

They do not proselytize, and the support they offer is nondenominational.182 Police chaplains, the Reverend Lowrimore said, are a critical component of wellness programming. “Wellness programs should address the mind, body, and spirit, and without chaplains they’re not well- rounded in my view,” he said. “Additionally, a lot of officers won’t necessarily go to a psychologist, but they will speak with a chaplain.”
The SDPD’s police chaplain program has undergone an evolution since 2007, the Reverend Chuck Price said. “For many decades we defaulted into crisis-driven chaplaincy,” he said, “and there was no training, policy, or organization” to the program. In an effort to change this, the Reverend Price and the other active members of the program researched chaplaincy programs and developed a written policy, based on established standards, for the program.

Recruitment
SDPD curre
ntly has 11 police chap lains and space for nine more. “It’s a challenge to fill 20 slots,” said the Reverend Lowrimore, “because all of the agencies in this area are drawing from the same pool of resources. Many of us are already doing double and triple duty with different agencies.” The eligibility requirements for those who would like to join the chaplain program include the following:
• Chaplaincy recognized by a religious body and approximately five years’ experience in ministry • Current involvement in a ministry, congregation, or church-related organization in San Diego County
• Pass an oral interview and a background check
• Master’s degree from an accredited graduate institution or a denominational equivalent • Demonstrable experience and training in counseling and theology183 The emphasis on faith leaders with experience, said the Reverend Lowrimore, is intentional. “We look for senior people,” he said. “We want people who have experience and who have been in ministry for a long time. We deal with life and death every day, so having a minister who is young and somewhat inexperienced doing this work may not be a good fit.”
There are particular personality types to look for in recruiting for the program, the Reverend Price explained. “We’ve learned that we really need to look for humility. We have some people who come in humbly and want to learn how to do this, and those are the ones who do well.” 182 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 16.
183 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 16.

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“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that police chaplains have to be tenacious,” said the Reverend Lowrimore. “As chaplains, we have to keep going. We’re not always everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s fine— we just keep going.”
Training
The SDPD’s po
lice chap lains are required to complete a 40-hour POST-certified chaplaincy training program. In addition, they have bimonthly meetings that include an educational component. “At our meetings we tend to have a training of some sort, or at least a debriefing about major incidents,” explained the Reverend Lowrimore. “We may hit something specific like death calls, including what you should do when you get there, what you should have with you, and what your role should be. Police chaplains need to know what they’re doing.”
Duties and assignments
Police chap
lains are asked to dedi cate at least 10 hours per month to providing support to the SDPD with the understanding that they are available at all times as a resource. Responsibilities include the following:
• Responding to an OIS and other critical incidents
• Participating in next-of-kin notifications as a resource for officers and family members • Serving as a support system for officers in crisis184 Unlike any other help resources at the SDPD, police chaplains are all assigned to specific divisions. The Reverend Lowrimore, for instance, is responsible for the SDPD’s Western Division. “If something happens with someone in Western Division and I get a call, I go,” he said. While officers are encouraged to rotate among divisions every five years, police chaplains typically stay where they are assigned for long periods of time.

As a result of these assignments, chaplains often get to know personnel in their divisions on a personal level. Relationships of trust are established from hours spent in cars together during ride-alongs and the familiarity that develops from seeing someone day in and day out. Sometimes officers call police chaplains whom they know from their previous positions. “They might want to talk to their previous chaplain, and that’s fine,” the Reverend Lowrimore explained. “We want whatever is best for the officer.”
Building trust: The role of ride-alongs
As both the Reverend Pric e and the Reverend Lowrimore underscored, building trust takes time. A critical component of that effort for police chaplains at the SDPD has been participating in ride-alongs with officers in their divisions. “They help build rapport, and the more time that I spend with officers, 184 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 16.

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the more trust I build,” the Reverend Price explained. The Reverend Lowrimore echoed him, saying, “It’s all about building bridges, and we do it one officer at a time. When we’re on a ride-along, whatever they do, we do, and whatever call they go on, we go on. We’re out there in the blood and the guts and the vomit with them. It helps us understand them and it shows them that we’re committed to them.” Focus Psychological Services
Focus is an independent group with whom the SDPD contracts to provide counseling services to department members and their loved ones free of charge. Focus is “law enforcement–oriented,” chief psychologist Jolee Brunton said. “We know the population, and we remove every barrier possible to get them through the door.” Focus also provides counseling services for San Diego Fire-Rescue workers, the San Diego State University Police Department, the University of California San Diego Police Department, and other fire and law enforcement agencies in San Diego County.

Services
Focus’s p
rimary service is counsel ing, which can be related to any issues facing department members and their loved ones regardless of whether it is associated with police work. Focus also provides specialized training for department members as needed and participates in delivering wellness-related training with the Wellness Unit, including the wellness module of Advanced Officer Training and Effective Interactions training for new officers.185 Focus teaches a five-hour block to new sergeants on topics of critical incident stress, suicide prevention, and recognition of stressful life and work events (for example injury, discipline, retirement, deployment). In addition, Focus provides consultation services for special teams and leads critical incident debriefings (which take the place of fitness-for-duty exams at the SDPD) for the department.

Staffing and training
Focus cu
rrently has nine psy chologists, two of whom are former law enforcement officers who were recruited specifically because of their experience as officers. All Focus psychologists have developed an understanding of policing because of Focus’s onboarding protocol. “Most people don’t have an expertise in police psychology, so when I take people on, in their first year I have them do ride-alongs, witness debriefings, meet with families, and go to lineups until they feel comfortable in the position,” Dr. Brunton said.
185 See Training section beginning on page 47 for more details about these trainings.

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Breaking down barriers for officers to take advantage of services

As clinicians, Focus psychologists are bound by legal privilege. “We are very clear about our confidentiality policy,” Dr. Brunton said, “because if cops don’t think we protect confidentiality, they won’t use our services. We’re mandated reporters for certain things as medical professionals, but we are completely transparent with officers. The first day they come in, we discuss confidentiality and when we’ll report something.” Officers, she said, respond well when psychologists are forthright.

Focus psychologists are also flexible about where and when they will meet with department members. “I have people who don’t want to come through the door to our offices, so we’ll schedule them at a time that no one is in the office, or we’ll meet them off site, or do whatever we need to do to get them services,” Dr. Brunton explained. This includes making every effort to see department members within a day or two of hearing from them, she said, to make it more likely that they will keep their appointment.

Thinking creatively about communication has also proven successful in overcoming barriers to utilization. “I make myself available via text,” Dr. Brunton said. Focus has also seen an uptick in engagement through their website. “It’s amazing,” Dr. Brunton noted, “how many people will text or email even if they won’t call.”
Once I started giving out my cell number and telling officers that they could text me, our utilization increased dramatically. I get more texts than phone calls.
— Dr. Jolee Brunton, Foc us Psychological Services
Last, she said that she emphasizes that Focus is not part of the SDPD. “It’s critical to draw the boundary with officers that we’re an external entity and that command staff don’t get access to our records and who uses the service.” The only information that is communicated to the department is the monthly number of hours of use.

Use
Use of service
s has increas ed significantly since the creation of the Wellness Unit, according to Dr.

Brunton. “Since we’ve had the Wellness Day with new recruits and their family members,” she said, “the new recruits are much more likely to come in and use services.” In 2016, Focus dedicated 6,000 hours to providing services to SDPD members.

Anecdotally, associating with psychologists also seems to be less stigmatized in the department. “I’ve noticed a big increase in people actually making eye contact with me, talking to me, and talking about wellness since the unit was created,” Dr. Brunton said. “We’re working hard to normalize the experience Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 42

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and say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with you, but this is a unique job with unique challenges and we’re here to help you do your job. If you’re a tennis player, why would you practice doing a bad backhand? Why not learn how to do it right?’”
What using wellness services looks like in practice: A scenario Officer Brooks is struggling after the sudden death of her brother. She has noticed that it is more difficult for her to concentrate , and she is increasingly short -tempered with her colleagues and community member s. She feels exhausted all of the time and has lost interest in the hobbies that used to occupy most of her free time, like hiking and camping.

Though Brooks joined the SDPD before the Wellness Unit was created, she learned about it through the police chaplain at her division, Wellness Unit presentations at roll call, and the monthly Wellness newsletter. She calls an officer in the Wellness Unit one day after work and asks if he is free to meet her at a coffee shop near her apartment. He drives over and the y talk for two hours about the issues she is facing in the aftermath of her brother’s death.

The Wellness Unit officer helps Brooks make an appointment with Focus Psychological Services for the next day and offers to drive her there. Brooks declines, so instead the Wellness Unit officer calls her before her scheduled appointment time to ensure that she made it to the Focus office. He reiterates that she can call him at any time if she needs to talk and that he will call to check in on her later in the we ek. He does, and he also reaches out a month later on the anniversary of her brother’s death. Brooks and the Wellness Unit officer continue to communicate regularly via text, phone, and in person during the following year.

Alcohol/Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)
Among the specialized services that the SDPD offers is an Alcohol/Substance Abuse Program (ASAP). The primary goals of the ASAP are to help department members and their family members recover from substance abuse and, in so doing, to decrease the incidence of substance abuse overall at the SDPD.

Deanna Dotta, a 911 dispatcher in the Wellness Unit, is also the SDPD’s ASAP counselor. Her duties include the following:
• Providing alcohol and substance abuse information, counseling, training, and direct assistance to management, employees, and family members
• Liaising with Focus, the municipal EAP, the Public Safety Fellowship (a 12-step program), other government agencies, and treatment centers and substance abuse counselors • Assisting with the coordination of inpatient and outpatient treatment • Providing internal presentations and articles on ASAP and substance abuse issues186 186 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 20.

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“There are two [Alcoholics Anonymous] groups in the county that are for first responders only,” Dotta explained. She is also expanding the range of providers available to SDPD department members. “I’ve been building a network with treatment facilities in the greater southern California area beyond San Diego, because officers are often reluctant to go to the local treatment centers,” she said. “There is a real possibility they’ll run into people they may have arrested. Also, a lot of places don’t have the training and expertise to understand police work and the types of stressors that officers are under. I’ve also looked for facilities that provide a level of extra confidentiality, and that understand police officers’ concerns about that.”
In order to facilitate department members’ treatment for substance abuse, the SDPD allows employees to donate their leave time to others anonymously. “We have people donate their hours for catastrophic leave without knowing who they’re donating it to,” explained retired Assistant Chief Creighton. “That is important because it helps people get the treatment they need, and it shows them that the rest of the department cares.”
Recruitment and training
The SDPD’s AS
AP coun selors have all completed training at the Navy Drug and Alcohol Counseling School. Dotta graduated from the program in 2006.

The SDPD makes specific provisions regarding recruiting those in recovery to serve as an ASAP counselor. Policy states that a counselor may be someone who has not had an addiction problem187 or someone who is a recovering alcoholic with at least three years of continuous sobriety and who attends the Public Safety Fellowship or other 12-step program. 188 Promising practices: Help services and programs
Peer support
• When creating a peer support program, start small if resource constraints are an issue— the important thing is to start providing the service. Having a formal system for providing peer support and ensuring that helpful services are delivered are critical for department members’ wellness.
• Designate someone to be in charge of overseeing peer support activities to ensure that peer support is helpful and is offered according to protocols. • Wellness services supervisor(s) should interview all applicants to ensure they are suitable for the role.
• Peer supporters should be required to complete formal peer support training. This standardizes the delivery of peer support services and ensures that the services are helpful to officers. 187 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 20.
188 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 20.

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• Have a mechanism in place that allows peer supporters to leave the program at any time (for example, if they can no longer dedicate time to participating). • Establish protocols for removing peer supporters if there are performance issues. • Provide peer support services for civilian staff in addition to sworn staff. This includes inviting dispatchers to critical incident debriefings.
• Create a database that includes information about peer supporters, including the topics (such as divorce or death in the family) with which they have experience, so that department members can seek out a peer supporter with a first-hand understanding of their particular needs.

Senior, experienced peer supporters should show up on scene to help new OIS peer support officers fulfill their duties.
• OIS peer supporters should be attentive to officers’ basic needs— getting them water and food if appropriate, for example.
• Communicate to the officers involved what the investigation and debrief process will look like in practice (i.e., what their days will be like immediately following and potentially for months) so that they are prepared.
• Follow up with officers after they have slept and have had an opportunity to decompress. • If the officers involved have existing relationships of trust with a particular OIS peer supporter who is not the first OIS peer supporter to arrive on a scene, call that peer supporter so that he or she can take over.
• OIS peer supporters should follow up with the officers involved in an incident on a regular schedule and use multiple methods (such as phone calls, text messages, and in-person meetings) to ensure adequate outreach and support is conveyed to the officers.

Chaplains
• When recruiting for a police chaplain program, look for humility, credibility, and experience. • Police chaplains should not proselytize.
• Police chaplains should go on ride-alongs to get to know the officers and to build an

understanding of their jobs and the stresses and challenges they face.

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understanding by directing them to go on police ride-alongs, witness critical incident

debriefings, attend lineups, etc. as part of their initial orientation to working with police

employees.

• If resources permit, try to ensure that officers seeking psychological wellness services do not have to wait for a significant period of time to get an appointment. • Be absolutely clear about confidentiality rules.
• Be flexible in where and when you will meet with officers.

Alcohol/Substance Abuse Program
• Designate a qualified department member to serve as the primary coordinator or liaison for substance abuse–related programming and outreach.
• Develop a network of local substance abuse treatment providers, looking specifically for providers who specialize in helping first responders.
• Develop a mechanism for members of the department to donate their leave time, if they would like, to other department members who need inpatient treatment. This system should maintain the anonymity of the person receiving treatment.

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Training: Building a Culture of Wellness

One of the core duties of the Wellness Unit has been developing and implementing a training program that can embed wellness at all levels of the police department.

Reaching new officers
The heart of training for wellness is reaching new officers early and often to normalize wellness services.

Normalizing means trying to ensure that SDPD officers and other employees see nothing unusual in asking for these services, just as they would apply for any other benefits of employment.

The SDPD Wellness Unit tries to achieve normalization by • distributing the Wellness Unit Employee Resources Brochure to new officers the day before they start the academy;
• delivering training in the academy on Emotional Survival; • facilitating a Wellness Day— officially titled Psychological Preparedness Training for New Officers—i mmediately after graduation from the academy, which includes programming for officers and their family members;
• delivering a two-day training on Effective Interactions immediately after field training.

Engaging with senior staff members
New members of the police department are not the sole focus of wellness-related training. To reach senior officials, SDPD has
• made a wellness module part of mandatory advanced officer training; • made awareness of wellness issues a requirement for promotion (e.g., members of the

department must read and be tested on Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement to be

promoted to lieutenant, sergeant, detective, or senior officer);

• made a wellness module part of command training.

The Wellness Unit also provides specialized training and coaching to supervisors on wellness-related issues so that, as the primary caregivers for the employees who report to them, they are able to effectively address wellness concerns in their own commands. This includes leadership training for civilian supervisors, developed and delivered in mid-2017, said Assistant Chief Albrektsen.

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Responding to emerging issues
One of the defining features of the SDPD’s wellness training and educational program is its adaptability.

Training is modified as needed— sometimes in the moment during a scenario-based exercise— in order to ensure that it is effective and provides employees with the greatest benefit. The Wellness Unit also offers free-standing educational programming, such as seminars on nutrition or financial planning, as needs are identified.

Emotional Survival Training: (four-hour training delivered in the academy)189 The Wellness Unit created the SDPD’s Emotional Survival training based on the work of Dr. Kevin Gilmartin.190 The goal of Emotional Survival training is to equip new officers with tools to recognize and manage the unique stressors that are associated with a career in law enforcement. The Wellness Unit and the SDPD’s help services providers deliver the training in the academy. It is offered near the end of officers’ time in the academy so that they are more aware of law enforcement culture and can relate more directly to the training material.

Topics
In the two-hour block of E motional Survival training that PERF observed, which was the second of the two blocks into which the training was split, the curriculum emphasized the need to manage stress, cynicism, anger, and burnout. The training began with a discussion of Dr. Gilmartin’s book, Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement and a discussion among the new officers about how they have changed since entering the academy. Recruits were asked to identify different coping strategies such as engaging in physical activity, talking with friends and family, investing in hobbies, and using the resources of the Wellness Unit. The instructor also discussed how hypervigilance and repeated exposure to critical incidents can induce symptoms of PTSD. Warning signs of stress such as social isolation, infidelity, and procrastination in off-duty decision-making were also presented.

The training also addressed the leading causes of death among police officers, including heart disease and suicide. The importance of physical fitness and regular exercise to mitigate these risks is stressed.

The training concluded with the recruits dividing into small groups to discuss the symptoms and long term effects of stress and anger, followed by suggested coping strategies. 189 During the period of PERF’s observation of the SDPD’s wellness program, the Emotional Survival training was four hours in total and recruits were not required to read Dr. Gilmartin’s book. That has now changed: The training is six hours in total, and recruits are required to read the book and be tested on it. 190 Dr. Gilmartin is the author of Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers and Their Families.

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Format

This two-hour block of Emotional Survival training was interactive and centered on group discussions.

The instructor used a conversational tone, shared her own “war stories” from patrol, and asked questions to elicit participation from the class.

Psychological Preparedness Training for New Officers: (one full day immediately after graduation from the academy)
Since we’ve had the Wellness Day, new recruits are much more likely to come in and use psychological services.
— Dr. Jolee Brunton, Focus Psychological Services
The Wellness Unit began offering its 10-hour Psychological Preparedness Training for New Officers, known informally as its Wellness Day, in 2014. The goal of the Wellness Day, which includes officers and their families,191 is to set realistic expectations about the emotional impact that police work may have on officers192 and to underscore the importance of wellness and utilizing wellness services to long-term career success. The Wellness Day gives help service providers an opportunity to reach officers’ family members, familiarize them with the wellness services the department offers, and establish direct lines of communication with officers’ loved ones.

Topics and format
The Wellness Day is di
vided into two part s.193 During the first half of the day, officers and their families are separated. They are brought together in one large group for the second half of the day. As Sergeant Rivera explained, the day is split like this for a few reasons. “For officers it’s a 10-hour training day and a work day, but that’s too long for family members to commit to,” he said. “Also, there are certain things that we discuss with our officers and some language that our presenters use when talking about the trauma they’ve experienced and their utilization of services in a way that we might have to tone down if 191 Specifically, family members older than 15 years are encouraged to attend.

192 SDPD, Wellness Unit Operations Manual, 5.

193 See appendix G for sample agenda.

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family members were present. When we bring everyone together, we focus on that connection between officer and family, so we can accomplish everything we need to with the families in half a day.” Focus facilitates the training, which includes presentations from help services providers (such as the Wellness Unit and police chaplains), stories from members of the department who have experienced significant trauma or personal crises194 and who used help resources, and stories from the families of current department members.

Effective Interactions training: (two full days after field training) The longest single block of training that the Wellness Unit provides, lasting two days, is Effective Interactions training, which is mandatory for all new officers. The goal of the training is to help officers develop their emotional intelligence to make them more successful in their work and better able to manage the stressors associated with policing.

The Wellness Unit developed the initial iteration of its Effective Interactions training in partnership with Dr. Daniel Blumberg, a police psychologist who is developing strategies for agencies to prevent and respond to police misconduct. Training programs such as the SDPD’s are a critical part of prevention efforts and give officers tools to be successful.

The Wellness Unit offers Effective Interactions training immediately after officers complete their field training. This timing is intentional, explained Sergeant Rivera. “We wanted them to have some experience before doing this training,” he said, “so that they didn’t consider it an extension of the academy and so they can apply some of their experiences and stories to the training to make it more real for them.”
Facilitators
The Wellness U
nit facilitates Effe ctive Interactions training in partnership with Focus and senior members of the department who are involved in academy training.

Day one: Topics and format
During th
e Effective Interac tions training that PERF observed, the first day of training was centered on a discussion of emotional intelligence and included presentations, videos, group discussions (large and small), and breakout exercises. Facilitators arranged the room in clusters rather than classroom style to encourage discussion and participation.
194 SDPD, Changing Organizational Culture.

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Anonymous polling: Emotional intelligence

The day began with ano nymous, real-time polling of the new officers: Questions were posed on a screen at the front of the room using an online polling program, officers responded using their phones, and the results were captured and displayed. The facilitator put the following questions to the class, asking them to identify a percent range in which their skills fall:
• What is your proficiency with firearms today?
• What is your proficiency with the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC)? • What is your proficiency in defensive tactics?
• What is your proficiency in emotional intelligence?
While most officers rated their skill levels for the first three questions as high, they rated themselves lower in emotional intelligence. This was expected; the purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate to new officers that emotional intelligence is a skill that they need to develop in order to be successful police officers. As one facilitator said, “We don’t have a qualification phase to test your emotional intelligence. Your qualifications phase for this is when you’re on the street every day interacting with the community.”
Including a discussion of the science of emotional response, said retired Assistant Chief Sarah Creighton, helps officers to understand why it is important. It is not unusual for people to respond badly to stressful situations. “We need officers to understand that humans are wired in a certain way and how to work with it,” she explained. “The science gives us permission to not feel badly, but rather to understand the ‘why’ and how to work past it.”
The remainder of the morning on the first day of training was split among • presentations on topics such as the core components of emotional intelligence; the science of emotional response to stressful situations; and the challenges that police face in engaging with the community;
• videos of officers engaging with community members (some positive, others negative), followed by facilitated small-group discussions of the videos and then a debriefing with the entire training class;
• group scenarios in which the class acted out positive and negative versions of the same

community interactions (such as a traffic stop) and discussed the outcomes.

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The latter half of the first day was dedicated to interactive breakout sessions that demonstrated the effects of stress, exhaustion, and hypervigilance on the mind and body. Then, students were presented with tools to mitigate these effects in the course of their duties. The class was divided into five groups, which rotated among stations at which facilitators discussed one of five topics:

1. Self-awareness

2. Self-management

3. Social awareness

4. Relationship management

5. Communication with peers
At the self-management station, for example, the facilitator asked the officers to do 20 burpees (a strenuous exercise routine) and then attempt to thread a needle. The purpose of this exercise was to demonstrate the effect that physical exertion and adrenaline have on fine motor skills, and how fitness and stress-management techniques like tactical breathing can improve officers’ performance in the field.

Day two: Topics and format
The seco
nd day of Effect ive Interactions training was dedicated entirely to five interactive scenarios, performed by community volunteers and facilitated by sworn SDPD members. Some of these SDPD members volunteer; others were recruited by the Wellness Unit. “What we look for is someone who has a history of community engagement and outreach,” said Sergeant Rivera. “We also want people who have teaching experience.”
Community volunteers
The Wellne
ss Unit recru ited its community volunteers from a variety of sources, including the Civilian Complaint Review Board; clergy members; and CRISIS, a civilian crisis response team. This community involvement is critical because it gives community members an opportunity to contribute to and learn more about their police department while giving new officers a chance to engage with community members in an educational setting.

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Scenarios

The class was divided into five groups, which rotated among the following five scenarios:195

1. Responding to a large party

2. Parking in the red zone outside a 7-11 to take a break and being confronted by a community member

3. Responding to a disturbance call involving two community members

4. Stopping a jogger running late at night in an area where car break-ins have been reported

5. A traffic stop
Every officer (or pair of officers, depending on the scenario) went through each exercise, one by one.

The group members who had not yet completed the scenario were kept out of sight and hearing so that they were not able to prepare for the scenario before going through it themselves. Officers were told not to talk about the scenarios with one another on their breaks.

After each officer completed the scenario, the community members shared their thoughts about the interaction, and the facilitators provided constructive feedback. Officers who had completed the scenario then remained nearby to observe the other members of their group and learn from the feedback that they received as well.

While the scenarios were in progress, the Wellness Unit sergeant rotated among them, observing and sometimes modifying the scenarios to provide the greatest learning opportunity for officers. (These modifications might include asking a community member to be more confrontational, for example, or changing the facts of a scenario to explore different responses.) Floating among scenarios also afforded the Wellness Unit sergeant the opportunity to observe the new officers and identify and address any problematic behaviors.

Advanced Officer Training (AOT)
In addition to its training fo r new officers, the Wellness Unit also delivers a half-day wellness module during the department’s week-long Advanced Officer Training (AOT). The wellness module covers the following topics:
• Leadership
• Police suicide statistics
• The importance of maintaining a balanced life
• Coping skills and techniques
195 See appendix H for the scenarios.

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• Retirement planning
• Anger management
• Substance abuse awareness and prevention
It can be a tough group but humor is really helpful in getting through to people. You reach people you never thought you would. We’re often approached afterwards by people who ask us to check in on their friends and colleagues.
— Sergeant Ed Zwibel, San Diego Police Department
Videos were integrated into the module that PERF observed, including a video about the dangers that alcohol can pose to an officer’s career and how it is incumbent upon members of the department to ensure that colleagues do not put themselves and others in danger because of alcohol. The video was shot and edited by SDPD members with SDPD members acting roles in it.

Interactive exercises were also an important component of the training. For example, Dr. David Bond, a former police captain and current police psychologist with Focus, asked the class to write down what their ideal retirement looked like and who they would like to have with them in their retirement. Then he collected the responses and read them aloud, using them to launch a conversation about what the officers could do in the present to achieve their retirement goals and the role that wellness plays in securing their future.

Educational programming tailored to emerging issues The Wellness Unit responds to emerging trends at the SDPD, creating programming as needed to fill gaps and address employees’ concerns.

Series for Growth: Training for civilian supervisors
One such p
rogram, created in 2017, is the Series fo r Growth, which is intended for civilian supervisors. “I discovered that there was a lot of conflict in the ranks on our civilian side,” Assistant Chief Albrektsen said. “When we examined it in detail, we believed supervisory mentorship and training could be beneficial.”
To address this, Assistant Chief Albrektsen and the Wellness Unit developed a series of classes designed to improve civilian managers’ communication and leadership skills. “We’ve put together a management academy for them, which covers everything from management theory to the practical conflicts that they’re encountering,” Albrektsen said. Attendance is voluntary, and the class is held in the middle of the day to make it as easy as possible for department members to attend.

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According to Dotta, the benefits of the Series for Growth extend beyond skill building. “It shows civilians they’re a valued part of this organization,” she explained. “It shows that the SDPD cares about all of us.” Stand-alone workshops
In addition to develo ping new, long-term training programs, the Wellness Unit also organizes stand alone educational opportunities. The topics of these workshops are suggested by department members or are identified by the Wellness Unit in response to emerging trends. Past workshops have discussed financial planning, retirement, healthy eating, and sleep hygiene. The Wellness Unit identifies outside experts to make presentations and publicizes the workshops through the department listserv and the Wellness newsletter.

In identifying locations for these meetings, retired Assistant Chief Creighton said, the Wellness Unit often needs to think creatively. “We don’t have a budget for renting facilities,” she said, “so if it’s a big training, we ask our community partners if they have space we can use for free. Churches are great, for example.”
Promising practices: Training to build a culture of wellness • Draw upon vetted external experts, such as academics and psychologists, to develop wellness- related training.
• Include an explanation of the science of emotional wellness and psychology in this training. • Develop a plan for reaching new officers immediately with wellness-related training, which may include the following activities:
 Providing them with information about wellness services before they begin the academy  Incorporating a wellness module into academy training  Delivering a wellness training class after the academy • Involve officers’ loved ones in wellness training and awareness-building activities. For example, host a family wellness day after officers graduate from the academy to familiarize officers’ loved ones with available wellness services and to normalize the use of wellness services. • Use scenarios, discussions, exercises, and other interactive techniques in delivering wellness training.
• Include a wellness module in advanced officer training.

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• Tie wellness to career advancement by making awareness of wellness issues a requirement for promotion— e.g., members of the department must read and be tested on Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement to be promoted to any supervisory position. • Create educational programming such as stand-alone workshops or ongoing brown-bag round tables that addresses emerging issues in the department. Examples of topics include sleep hygiene, leadership skills, or financial planning. Identify and involve outside experts to deliver presentations during these workshops as appropriate.
• Think creatively when looking for meeting spaces in which to hold training and educational programming at low or no cost. For instance, consider reaching out to partners such as faith- based and community organizations to see if they have available facilities.

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Conclusion

Unaddressed physical and mental health issues can take a toll on officers both on and off duty. As a result, law enforcement agencies should proactively promote officers’ wellness through innovative programming. Because personal wellness is multifaceted, promoting wellness requires an inclusive and holistic approach. Addressing wellness is not limited to simply improving physical fitness or offering psychological counseling services. Although these are crucial components of wellness, agency leaders should consider other important topics such as promoting financial health, improving nutrition, and extending support to family members.

Implementing a wellness unit or developing wellness services is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor.

Agencies must tailor their wellness initiatives to meet their specific needs. Ask department members what their wellness-related concerns and issues are and build programming around those topics. Also, engage with external partners to expand expertise and consolidate resources. Developing partnerships with academics and other wellness experts ensures that wellness programming is informed by best practices. Collaborating with help service providers and representatives from other law enforcement agencies also allows for the sharing of resources and access to wellness services across agencies.

One of the most important lessons from the case study of the SDPD’s wellness initiative is that wellness programs only work when the members of the department are invested in them. “The biggest single piece of advice that I have for other agencies is that people want to feel like they’re co-creating the wellness program,” said retired Assistant Chief Creighton. An SDPD officer expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “This is a program for officers, and it’s officers who need to sell it. I don’t need my captain to sell me on it, I need my partner to.”
Achieving a high level of acceptance of wellness programs requires time, patience, and persistence. “It will take a long time, even if you have great ideas, because you have to break down the stigma that’s associated with seeking help,” said Sergeant Rivera. Normalizing wellness within the agency will reduce the stigma associated with seeking help. Wellness providers and programs should be visible in the agency to encourage officer engagement and increase the use of wellness services. Build awareness through active internal outreach. Promote wellness initiatives by presenting at roll call, offering training and education sessions, and producing written materials (e.g., newsletters, brochures, and written announcements) to publicize services and events.

When conducting outreach to encourage use of the wellness resources, agencies must remember that confidentiality is paramount in establishing trust and legitimacy. Building a reputation of trust takes time and is done by respecting confidentiality. A clear confidentiality policy should be publicized and adhered to absolutely. In addition, internal and external wellness providers should explain confidentiality guidelines to department employees prior to offering services.

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The results of an internal SDPD survey issued to department members two years after the Wellness Unit’s inception demonstrate that these strategies work. Not only did a majority of respondents say they had heard about the services offered but 70 percent also felt that the stigma associated with asking for help was decreasing, and 79 percent said that they would feel comfortable walking into the Wellness Center regardless of the reason for their visit. Focus psychological services also reported a significant increase in the use of counseling services since the creation of the unit. These outcomes reflect a broader culture change facilitated by the Wellness Unit’s devotion to normalizing wellness and destigmatizing seeking help.

Another important takeaway for agencies just getting started is that to effectively promote the health of department members, wellness must be embedded within the culture of an agency. An agency-wide commitment to wellness relies on the support of every employee. As such, wellness services and resources should be extended to all department personnel. Exposure to trauma is not limited to sworn employees—c ivilian employees, such as dispatchers and crime scene technicians, encounter unique stressors and should have access to wellness resources and support systems.

Finally, according to the Reverend Lowrimore, agencies simply need to get started. “People procrastinate, but agencies should start moving on wellness, because officers need someone to talk to and to offer them help,” he said. “And there are people like us in every jurisdiction who will help. You just need to ask.”
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Summary of Promising Practices

Building and sustaining a wellness program
First steps
• Conduct a department-wide survey to ask employees what they need and what their primary wellness concerns are. Use that information to guide the development of wellness programming and services.
• Have a clear, written confidentiality policy, communicate it to department members, and adhere to it. Ensure that reporting requirements and exceptions are understood, such as information indicating that an employee may be a danger to himself or herself or to others or that domestic violence or child abuse may be occurring. Some providers, such as clinicians, may be bound by more stringent confidentiality rules than police department employees. Ensure that employees understand these differences and understand the confidentiality rules that bind each category of help services providers. • Locate your wellness office or center in headquarters or another high-visibility location to reduce any stigma that employees may feel about seeking help. • Your department’s help resources providers should be in close communication with one another and should work together to deliver wellness services. This includes  having a common mission and messaging so that they are working together toward a shared wellness goal for the overall good of the department;  communicating with each other to coordinate responses to critical incidents.

Outreach and engagement
• Make wellness services visible on your organizational chart to demonstrate their importance.

• Go to officer roll calls to explain wellness services. • Develop materials to publicize the services and how to access them, including  brochures;
 newsletters;
 posters.

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Recruiting
• When recruiting people for wellness related programs, look for interpersonal skills, not necessarily rank. Wellness unit staff members should be  compassionate;
 nonjudgmental;
 experienced in the organization;
 trustworthy;
 respected by colleagues.

Operations
• Do not neglect civilian employees. Include them in wellness services as providers and as recipients.
• Wellness providers need to be available 24/7. Crises are not confined to business hours. • In addition to serving as a resource during regular business hours, wellness services providers should be able to meet with employees seeking help at the times and locations that work best for them.
• To accommodate off-hour requests for assistance, develop an on-call protocol for the wellness services providers and advertise to department employees. • Assignments for wellness providers should be made based on relationships and trust. Often, whether at the scene of a critical incident or when someone walks into the Wellness Center, an employee wishes to talk to a specific help services provider. • Establish a policy that allows wellness services providers to deploy help services during or immediately after a crisis without needing to wait for a request from command staff. • Wellness services providers should check in regularly with those who use their services and follow up on anniversary dates as well.

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Maintaining the wellness of help services providers
• It is important to ensure that employees who provide wellness services are themselves in good physical and emotional health. Be aware that assignment to a wellness unit can be stressful, and be mindful of the wellness of help service providers. Adopt policies and protocols to promote their physical and emotional health. Examples include  having mandatory psychological service check-ins;
 allowing wellness workers to exercise while on duty.
• Have a protocol for rotating wellness service providers out of help services roles to prevent burnout. This might include one (or both) of the following:
 A policy limiting the amount of time that someone can spend in a wellness-related role  A form that wellness service providers can fill out and submit without penalty asking to be relieved of wellness-related duties
Metrics for success
• Develop a mechanism for tracking the use of help services, such as the monthly recap report that the SDPD’s Wellness Unit compiles every month based on recap sheets (see appendix E) completed by each help services provider.
• Survey the department after wellness services have been in place for a year or more to determine their levels of visibility, employee trust, and use. Modify your approach as needed based on results.

Sustainability planning
• Make it clear that a successful wellness program is good for the financial health of your law enforcement agency— i.e., keeping officers physically and emotionally healthy is a cost- saving measure in the long term— to secure support for wellness programming from city government.

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Help services and programs
Peer support
• When creating a peer support program, start small if resource constraints are an issue— the important thing is to start providing the service. Having a formal system for providing peer support and ensuring that helpful services are delivered are critical for department members’ wellness.
• Designate someone to be in charge of overseeing peer support activities to ensure that peer support is helpful and is offered according to protocols. • Wellness services supervisor(s) should interview all applicants to ensure they are suitable for the role.
• Peer supporters should be required to complete formal peer support training. This standardizes the delivery of peer support services and ensures that the services are helpful to officers.
• Have a mechanism in place that allows peer supporters to leave the program at any time (for example, if they can no longer dedicate time to participating). • Establish protocols for removing peer supporters if there are performance issues. • Provide peer support services for civilian staff in addition to sworn staff. This includes inviting dispatchers to critical incident debriefings.
• Create a database that includes information about peer supporters, including the topics (such as divorce or death in the family) with which they have experience, so that department members can seek out a peer supporter with a first-hand understanding of their particular needs.

Peer support specific to an OIS or in-custody death
• When recruiting for OIS peer support, look for maturity, credibility, and active listening skills.
• Require a qualifying incident for OIS peer support officers. • If possible, have a combination of uniformed officers and investigators as peer supporters to provide a wide range of relatable experience.
• Have a mentoring system in place for OIS peer supporters. This includes mentoring in the field: Senior, experienced peer supporters should show up on scene to help new OIS peer support officers fulfill their duties.
• OIS peer supporters should be attentive to officers’ basic needs— getting them water and food if appropriate, for example.

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• Communicate to the officer involved what the investigation and debrief process will look like in practice (i.e., what their days will be like immediately following and potentially for months) so that they are prepared.
• Follow up with officers after they have slept and have had an opportunity to decompress. • If the officer involved has an existing relationship of trust with a particular OIS peer supporter who is not the first OIS peer supporter to arrive on a scene, call that peer supporter so that he or she can take over.

• OIS peer supporters should follow up with the officers involved in an incident on a regular schedule and use multiple methods (such as phone calls, text messages, and in-person meetings) to ensure adequate outreach and support is conveyed to the officer.

understanding of their jobs and the stresses and challenges they face.

Psychological services
• Use multiple forms of communication— including technologies like text messaging and email or online appointment request forms— for making appointments and engaging with department members. This has the potential to dramatically increase use of services. • Many psychologists do not have an expertise in police psychology. Build psychologists’ understanding by directing them to go on police ride-alongs, witness critical incident debriefings, attend lineups, etc. as part of their initial orientation to working with police employees.
• If resources permit, try to ensure that officers seeking psychological wellness services do not have to wait for a significant period of time to get an appointment. • Be absolutely clear about confidentiality rules.
• Be flexible in where and when you will meet with officers.

Summary of Promising Practices 63

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Training to build a culture of wellness
• Draw upon vetted external experts, such as academics and psychologists, to develop wellness-related training.
• Include an explanation of the science of emotional wellness and psychology in this training. • Develop a plan for reaching new officers immediately with wellness-related training, which may include the following activities:
 Providing them with information about wellness services before they begin the academy  Incorporating a wellness module into academy training  Delivering a wellness training class after the academy • Involve officers’ loved ones in wellness training and awareness-building activities. For example, host a family wellness day after officers graduate from the academy to familiarize officers’ loved ones with available wellness services and to normalize the use of wellness services.
• Use scenarios, discussions, exercises, and other interactive techniques in delivering wellness training.
• Include a wellness module in advanced officer training. • Tie wellness to career advancement by making awareness of wellness issues a requirement for promotion— e.g., members of the department must read and be tested on Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement to be promoted to any supervisory position. • Create educational programming such as stand-alone workshops or ongoing brown-bag round tables that addresses emerging issues in the department. Examples of topics include sleep hygiene, leadership skills, or financial planning. Identify and involve outside experts to deliver presentations during these workshops as appropriate. • Think creatively when looking for meeting spaces in which to hold training and educational programming at low or no cost. For instance, consider reaching out to partners such as faith- based and community organizations to see if they have available facilities.

Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 64

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Appendix A. 2011 Needs Assessment
Survey
NOTE: This appendix has been slightly modified to conform to COPS Office publishing standards.

This is the survey that the SDPD’s Wellness Unit sent to the entire department in 2011 to determine department members’ needs and concerns. The Wellness Unit used this information to craft its mission and goals.

Survey letter
Dear SDPD member:

As you are probably aware, the department recently formed a Wellness Unit. The unit’s primary mission is to assist you, the employee. It is our belief that by removing obstacles from your work environment and providing resources to help with preoccupying personal issues, you will better serve yourself, your coworkers, and your family. We recognize that we cannot fix everything, but we are committed to providing feedback to management (City and internal) in the interest of making any changes we can and to provide resources for you for any personal issues that you may want to address. As you are aware, several effective resources have been in place for a long time. In the survey we ask that you rate any services you have used and that you answer questions about your experiences at work and at home that will help us identify services that should be made available. It is our hope to add services as indicated by your responses. We recognize that anything we build should be based on the needs and desires of our employees and volunteers for maximum effectiveness and utilization.

Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary and your individual responses will be held strictly confidential. Your responses will not be traced to you. For those of you completing the survey online, simply submit your completed survey as instructed. To ensure confidentiality for those submitting a hard copy, the Police Officers Association (POA) has provided their ballot bags and will have a volunteer pick them up and deliver the contents to us in mass so that no division or unit will be specifically identified. Demographic information captured on the survey is only intended to assist us in tailoring services to a particular population (i.e., sworn vs. civilian) and may be used to assist University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical School as pilot data for a future study on law enforcement wellness.

The POA, Local 127, and Municipal Employees Association (MEA) fully support the wellness effort in the police department and have been consulted on the survey and other aspects of the program. A member of each organization will be represented on our advisory board.

If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to call the Wellness Unit.

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Survey questions
• What personal issues, if any, present a challenge to your general wellness? • Finances
• Controllable health
• Marital/relationship
• Time management
• Care of family/parents
• Chronic health issues
• Children
• Other
• Rate the level of challenge the following job related issues have on your general wellness (1=Not a challenge; 2=Rarely; 3=Occasionally; 4=Significant; 5=Overwhelming):
• Benefit changes
• Underappreciated
• Stress
• Ignored
• Layoffs
• Exposure
• Wasteful practice
• Supervisor pressure
• Turn off work
• Physical dangers
• Timelines
• Other
• Rate the level of interference the following personal issues have had on your ability to focus on your job (1=Not an interference; 2=Rarely; 3=Occasionally; 4=Significant; 5=Overwhelming):
• Financial
• Divorce
• Anger
• Depression
Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program 66

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• Alcohol
• Domestic violence
• Drug use
• Suicide
• Other
• Rate the following personal issues that interfere/or have interfered with your immediate coworkers' ability to focus on their job (1=Not an interference; 2=Rarely; 3=Occasionally; 4=Significant; 5=Overwhelming):
• Financial
• Divorce
• Anger
• Depression
• Alcohol
• Domestic violence
• Drug use
• Suicide
• Other
• What coping mechanisms do you regularly rely on when dealing with stress (circle all that apply)?
• Exercise/sports
• Family
• Vacations
• Hobbies
• Friends
• Faith
• Shopping
• Self-medication
• Meditation
• Counseling
• Extreme sports
Appendix A. Needs Assessment Survey 67

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• Gambling
• Group programs
• Other
• Do you have any of the following?
• Chronic back pain
• Sleep disorder
• High blood pressure
• Digestive problems
• Chronic headaches
• Obesity
• Frequent colds/flu
• Diabetes
• Ulcers
• Heart disease
• Would you participate in any of the following programs or support groups if they were offered? • Incentive fitness
• Incentive wellness
• Retirement planning
• Rec sports league
• Health fairs
• Faith-based programs
• Spousal support
• Support groups
• Smoking [cessation]
• Other
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Appendix B. Wellness Unit
Confidentiality Policy
NOTE: This appendix has been slightly modified to conform to COPS Office publishing standards.

The acceptance and success of the San Diego Police Department’s Wellness Unit will be determined, in part, by observance of confidentiality. It is imperative that the strictest confidentiality of all information learned about an individual be maintained, within the guidelines of the program.

The policy of the San Diego Police Department Wellness Unit is to maintain confidentiality.

Communication between Wellness Unit personnel and a peer is considered confidential except for matters that involve the following:

The employee is a
• danger to oneself;
• danger to others;
• suspected child abuse;
• domestic violence;
• factual elder abuse.

The following issues should be reported to the Wellness Unit commanding officer:
• Narcotics offenses (e.g., sales, transportation, cultivation, or manufacturing) • Felonies (crimes against persons)
• Felonies committed on duty
• When a peer requests, in writing, the information be divulged • Matters that would jeopardize the safety of the public or other officers Personnel should keep in mind that communication between Wellness Unit personnel and employees is not privileged conversation under the law, regardless of departmental policy, because peers are not licensed mental health professionals. As a result, courts may require disclosure of this information.

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Appendix C. Wellness Unit Employee
Resources Brochure
The following pages contain the Wellness Unit Employee Resources brochure.

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Appendix D. Wellness News Newsletter

This is the August 2017 edition of the Wellness News newsletter, which the Wellness Unit creates and distributes to SDPD on a monthly basis.

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1 SAN DIEGO POLICE
AUGUST 2017
VOLUME 44
A Message from
Assistant Chief
Sandra Albrektsen

The Benefits of Donating
Blood

Everyone has their own formula for what works best for them when it comes to healt
h and wellness. One way is donating
blood which can benefit you and someone else. Like any other health or wellness program always check with your primary physician to ensure you are a candidate.

For those who can donate blood (studies show fewer than 10% donate) there are huge benefits. According to an article in The Good Life, April 2017, there are some big positive outcomes:

Strengthening your Heart-Too much iron can stack up in your body causing people to have an elevated risk of cardio- vascular disease and heart attacks.

Free Check Up-Before any blood is drawn your vitals are checked. After you give blood, your sample will be tested for West Nile, Hepatitis, and Zika. You will be notified if anything were to come back positive.

Smile-Your donation could save as many as three people’s lives; everything from premature babies in need of a
transfusions, cancer patients mid-treatment or car
accidents.

How It Works:

As s
oon as you donate your red & white blood cell counts start to drop, this sends a signal to special cells in the kidneys to secrete a hormone (erythropoietin) into the bloodstream.

This hormone travels to your bone marrow where it kick-starts the production of new cells.

Your bone marrow churns out about 2 million red & 115,000 white blood cells every second (phew!), so within a few days or weeks your levels will be back to normal. Most people who are properly hydrated are back to normal within a few hours.

The Red Cross makes donating easy by having centers all over the county with weekend and night hours. Where I donate, in El Cajon, I pick my time online, check in, and I’m out within one hour. Please consider giving on September 19 in Room 213, HQ.

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San Diego Police Department & The American Red Cross
Invite You to Join Forces

To Deliver The

Most Successful Blood Drive to Date!

WHEN:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH

10:00-4:00PM

WHERE:

SAN DIEGO POLICE HEADQUARTERS

1401 BROADWAY, RM 213.

Reserve Your Preferred

Appointment.

Just copy & paste the link below:

https://esiebelarecprod;redcrossblood;com/eevents_enu/start;swe? SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=esiebelarecprod;redcrossblood;com
2

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INVISIBLE ROCK IN YOUR NEW BLE BACKPACK. THE FACT

THSEATLARGE MAJORITY OF SDPD EMPLOYEES ARE SUBJECT TO
HYPERVIGILENCE. UNWILLINGNESS.

BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS.

DENIAL. ANGER. CANCER. HEART ATTACK.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

PTSD. FEAR. DEPRESSION. SUICIDE.

POLICING IS NO JOKE. THIS JOB AFFECTS NOT ONLY

THE OFFICER, BUT THE OFFICER’S ENTIRE FAMILY
AS WELL.
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Success Stories
. . .

My Story, My Secret
By Steve Willard
Two years ago I weighed 301 pounds. Now I’m
181. As one might guess one of the most asked
questions I get is, “how’d you do it?” Stay tuned,
you may not like the answer.

According to the National Institute of Health, more than 2-3 adults are overweight or obese. More than 1-20 adults have extreme obesity. Now for something really scary. There aren’t a lot of obese senior citizens because the associated illnesses have killed them. Those who are alive are often on a slew of medicines.

Are you overweight? Men, if your waist size doubles to less than your height then you’re fine. At 6 feet tall I’m healthy. Two years ago I needed to be 7 foot 3.

Now for my secret:

1. You’re in for a long journey of hard work. Weight loss isn’t easy.

2. Come to terms with why you’re fat. For me that meant some counseling.

3. No more lies. Once, when I had to physically compete with some coworkers, I feigned injury so they wouldn’t see I couldn’t keep up. In the end I was only making an idiot out of myself.

4. No more diets. Diets are temporary plans to deliver temporary results. You need a new way of life. For me I eliminated sugar and meals after 6 pm. My portions were cut in half. When I deviate I add a half an hour to my next workout.

5. Exercise. Then, as you lose weight, dump your bigger clothes. This eliminates the scenario when you discover you pants are too snug so you grab the bigger pair.

The five rules caused my weight to drop. When my pants became too big they went to the Goodwill. I was there so often they started greeting me by name. The same at Nordstrom. I spent a fortune on clothing but the compliments came rolling in. That helped with motivation.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Today, I’m completely different physically, mentally and emotionally. I feel great! I can run the P.A.T. in under 3 minutes and I can run several miles without being wind- ed. When I first began my journey I couldn’t do 3 pushups. I can now easily do

40. Sit ups are almost double my pushup count. Please don’t take this as brag- ging. It’s not. It’s simply my story of sacrifice and it’s what’s kept me from allowing the weight to return – something that happens 85% of the time with diets. If you need to lose weight please look at my journey like this: If an average guy like me can do it, so can you. Good luck. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you need more specific
advice. We’re all in this together.
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The term “ Wellness”is used frequently within different forms of media. There are books, semi- nars, conferences, DVD’s and more selling the idea of Wellness. Health Insurance companies use it, doctors use it, QVC uses it, pharmaceutical companies holler wellness through medicine.

Pursuing Wellness is a choice, and it’s one that will impact our lives in a vital way should we choose to embrace, and pursue it’s fundamentals. Wellness requires action in order to achieve it. Action starts with “ Mindfulness.” Mindfulness is a way to periodically “reset” yourself so that you can focus on one thing (the thing you are currently doing) instead of five things simultane- ously. It can be done in minutes. Since the majority of us are rarely without our electronic de- vices, it’s safe to say that “hyper connectivity” is alive and well. For first responder’s, its one more feather in your hat of hypervigilance. How many times do you check your phone? Worried that you may miss a call or a text while you were busy doing your job? The more we strive for connectivity, the more we pile on opportunities for stress to increase.

Wellness, Mindfulness & You:

No one among you is exempt from the health affects of your job. There is no good that comes out of unmanaged stress, unresolved conflict, sleep depravation, poor eating habits, repeated exposure to traumatic incidents, and constant hyper vigilance. No one questions the cost emo- tional trauma can take on the mental and physical health of law enforcement officers. It’s al- ready proven. Left untreated, these lead to obesity, alcoholism, heart attacks, cancer, strokes and more. As a result, health professionals agree that standard stress management techniques do not work for police. What is needed, is a new cognitive response to managing stress in law enforcement. Tools to be accessed at any time or place. Tools that are found in the practice of Mindfulness. Mindfulness will lead to Wellness which means improved health all the way around.

Moving Ahead
The Wellness Unit is committed to continually searching out Best Practices in Wellness and Mindfulness as it pertains to Law Enforcement. We have already seen Sergeants and other first-line supervisors become more proactive with their employees. The effective supervisors both sworn and civilian, are the ones who take the time to know their employees, to understand who they are individually. In short, supervisors develop a knowledge of those who they are tasked to lead and develop. They are the supervisors who notice when something is off. Sec- ondly, these supervisors are reaching out to their employees and having crucial, candid conver- sations with them. No longer is it, (or should it be) okay to ask officers, detectives etc., to “suck it up” and move on. Law Enforcement Agencies understands the need to take better care of it’s members. Supervisors who are mindful and effective communicators, will be instrumental in bringing SDPD back to center, and back to being America’s finest. It’s one component of many to be implemented as we move north in change and progress. -Deanna Dotta
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The Lies We Tell Ourselves –
Barriers to Wellness
Sgt. Carmelin Rivera, Wellness Unit
Part one of a two-part series
One of the most powerful things we can do is teach people that it's okay to be human. The trauma, both physical and emotional, that police officers and civilian/professional staff encounter in this profession tends to be much greater than that of the average citizen. We have made great strides as a profession to diminish the impact of all the junk and messiness that we see, feel, and encounter daily at work, compounded by what we experience in our personal lives. We are still slowly unmasking many of the underlying causes of trauma that we experience in this profession.

While we are no different than any other people outside our profession, those that experience life without ever walking in our shoes only see the things that we see in their nightmares, where they have the option to wake up and horror immediately vanishes. We have tendencies to cope in neg- ative ways at alarming rates. It is impossible to walk through years of this profession and come out unscathed. It's difficult to walk in the shoes of police officer or civilian employee from our profes- sion.

We also need to recognize what our civilian employees encounter. Consider who are the in- dividuals in our department who receive the emergency calls and dispatch police officers to critical incidents? Who are the employees who are dealing with angry citizens who want their impounded property back? Who are the members in this department who are racing against time to identify a DNA profile to help investigators identify a serial rapist? Who is photographing and collecting the evidence from horrific crime scenes? Who is dealing with difficult customers wanting access to their police arrest records? These questions are just a sampling of the types of questions we need to ask ourselves to help us recognize the staff that supports much of our daily activities as police offic- ers and help serve our communities.

Now let us recognize the lies we tell ourselves that are barriers to the wellness of all employ- ees. In this newsletter, we identify the first five lies that end up insulating us from the truths we need to achieve wellbeing in this chaotic career.

1. I am in control. In this profession we are trained to always be in control…of every rything. Instead, we should recognize that there are many things out of our control, and we spend too much time trying to gain control over them that we often fail at the most basic things. Focus on the things you can control and let the rest go.

2. I can do this on my own. We train to handle incidents as a team in the field, but often fail miserably when we try to tackle emotional survival by ourselves. No one does anything alone.

No matter what accomplishments you have achieved, you didn’t do it completely on your own. It takes a great team, a wonderful group of talented people to make an impact. Ask yourself who has contributed to your success? Emotional wellness is a team activity and this department has a Well ness Unit, FOCUS psychologists, chaplains, and peer supporters to help you navigate through whatever you are going through.
(continued on next page)
-
thing. Wh
en we lose control that is sign of weakness, so we tell ourselves that we can master eve- -
7

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Berkeley City CouncilFebruary 8, 2022

Berkeley City Council
February 8, 2022