MBRT A path from fitness to resilience Lt. Richard Goerling, MBA Mr. Brant Rogers, RYT Dr. Mike Christopher Dr. Matthew Hunsinger April 2014

Where we begin The backstory. A mariner. A policeman. A human being.

Notesthe small print Disclaimers The views expressed here are not necessarily the views of Disclosures Im here to sell conversation and collaboration. Dangers This is a tough conversation! I will make statements that may create an urge to reflect upon this sign as I present ideas for further dialogue and consideration.

Honor the Past, Lead toward the Future Palo Alto Police Dept. circa 1977

The State of the American Police Institution Legal Framework U.S. Constitution Federal and State Law Case Law Institutional Policy Social Forces Community Expectations (external) Organizational Culture (internal)

Code 9- Officer Needs Assistance! Deborah Louise-Ortiz experienced the reality of police occupational stress as she tenaciously navigated life with her husband after his retirement from a 22 year law enforcement career. Documentary via Dangerous Curves Productions.

Organizational Approach to Stress Historically, we have delegated stress management to the officer (CISM, EAP, FFD- All REACTIVE) Facilitating holistic wellness through resilience building strategies is a new concept (organizationally and culturally) Resilience is hampered or enhanced by organizational leadership & management* Stinchcomb, J. Searching for Stress in all the wrong places: Combating Chronic Organizational Stressors in Policing. Police Practice & Research. July, 2004.

Whats the state of our culture? We are in a helping profession. Okay- what does that mean? Our responders face -extreme operational stressors -shift work stressors -work-life alignment challenges -administrative stressors -our Monkey Mind or ANTs -maladaptive behavior How are we doing with helping our own people thrive in this environment ? -Human Sustainability Model -Distress & Eustress

21 st Century: Our New Normal As a profession, we have navigated through the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent & significant changing landscape in American policing. increasing demands on operations with decreasing resources decreasing crime rate (so the data suggests)yet an increase in violence against policecoupled with an increase in single-incident mass casualty violence increased visibility of police stress, police officer suicide, emotional trauma inside the Thin Blue Line, & late-career police misconduct

21 st Century: Our New Normal increasing hostility toward authority and/or eroding trust of police in our communities and among activist groups consistent, antagonistic scrutiny of police operations and tactics, seemingly focused on the individual police actor Intervention from U.S. Department of Justice into municipal policing politics and process increasing numbers of combat military veterans accessing into the police community

Social Costs of APIs Suffering Propensity for a negative police-citizen encounter The broader community relationship The ability of API to culturally evolve socially and technologically at or near the pace of society

Implications Resilient first responders are better positioned for stronger physical, cognitive and emotional performance. Forging and sustaining a culture and practice of resilience will improve the outcome of the police-citizen encounter, particularly when responding to acute crisis.

Engaging the Village A corporate suffering exists within the American Police Institution which has significant ripple effects in our communities. These social costs have historically been masked, ignored or gone unrecognized. This phenomenon is rarely considered at the macroeconomic analysis.

Impact of Always On There is a place for the edgy warrior intensity. This focus of purpose and attunement to our environment is critical to our survival. It becomes dysfunctional when it becomes our way of being and impairs our ability to relate to normal people.. most often affecting first those in our closest social circles, then those we serve in our communities.

Stressors, Coping & the Cycle of Predictable Outcome Critical Incidents Chronic exposure to suffering Cumulative organizational stress Public Perception & Misperception Legal challengeslawsuits Culture of apathy and/or fear Family pressures Maladaptive coping strategies Propensity for unkindness on duty Challenging cycles of behavior, fed by self, culture, system, and community

Change from the Outside-In Our American Police Institution is ailing. External stakeholders must engage with police leaders at all levels and forge relationships for change Relationships between academia and API leadership are key Application of new and fresh knowledge to leadership and management strategies within API are needed

Warrior Ethos What role does vulnerability play? Daring Greatly. How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead. Brene Brown. www.brenebrown.com Livestock model? Sheep, Sheepdogs and Wolves. On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace. Dave Grossman.

Guardian Ethos Instead of panicking or returning to business as usual, commit to grounded compassion, pragmatic wisdom, and skillful action. Let awareness be your weaponBe there for those who have suffered more than we have. Step beyond yourself and be of use to someone. Be courage in uncertainty. Be love in chaos. -Richard Strozzi-Heckler

Our Institutional Response Internal Leadership Opportunity We need to take a holistic approach to officer safety- from vest use and seat belt wear to officer wellnessit is incumbent upon us to look at officer safety in a different way. This approach needs to address both the officer and the person. - Chief Walter McNeil Workshop at IACP fall conference in 2014?

Our Institutional Response Internal Leadership Opportunity We need to take a holistic approach to officer safety- from vest use and seat belt wear to officer wellnessit is incumbent upon us to look at officer safety in a different way. This approach needs to address both the officer and the person. Chief Walter McNeil it is our (IACP) hope that all law enforcement leaders will embrace the reality that there is more to officer safety than protective equipment, policies and training. Protection requires the adoption of a culture of safety that provides officers with the tools, the resources, the support, and the training they need to live a safe, balanced, and healthy life both on and off duty. Erin Vermilye, et al.

What is Resilience? The ability to live a purposeful life in the face of adversity. Chopko Resilience is cultivating a practice of wellness in many dimensions of our lives: -Physical -Mental -Emotional -Social/Family -Spiritual

Post 9/11 lessons from U.S. military *Cowper, T. The Myth of the Military Model of Leadership in Law Enforcement. POLICE QUARTERLY Vol. 3 No. 3, September 2000 Conventional wisdom proposes that American policing is modeled after the military. This notion has become a counterproductive fallacy. * Phil Zimbardo Abu Ghraib & The Lucifer Effect

Total Force Fitness-Mindfulness- Resilience. Dr. Liz Stanley Mind Fitness studies Dr. Chris Johnson, U.S. Navy Mindfulness training to SEALs Mindfulness Meditation- empirical evidence shows that this enhances: -mental agility -emotion regulation -attention -situational awareness

Engaging our Community Our Way Ahead Collaborate. Multi-disciplinary partnerships have been the tipping point ingredient for success. Network outside of your organizations- US Network into your police organizations- THEM

On Mindfulness the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non- judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment. (Kabat-Zinn 2003)

A Way Ahead Scientific conference presentation Pacific University Center for Wellness Continued training in MBRT Tactical applications of MT Research on bias

Courage & Grace

1.Brown, B. Daring Greatly. September, 2012. 2.Feemster, S. Officer Wellness. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. May 2009. 3.Stanley, E. &Jha, A. Mind Fitness. Joint Force Quarterly. Issue 55. 2009. 4.See www.umassmed.edu/cfm for further on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training.www.umassmed.edu/cfm 5.Alpert, G. & Dunham, R. Officer and Suspect Demeanor. Police Quarterly. October, 2008. 6.See www.mind-fitness-training.org for further information on Mindfulness training in the military.www.mind-fitness-training.org 7.Zimbardo, Philip. (2007). The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. MIT. 8.Stinchcomb, J. Searching for Stress in all the wrong places: Combating Chronic Organizational Stressors in Policing. Police Practice & Research. July, 2004. 9.www.mindful.org Mindful magazine.www.mindful.org Richard Goerling [email protected] www.leadingresilience.org (503) 502-0661 cell

Documents

MBRT A path from fitness to resilience Lt. Richard Goerling, MBA Mr. Brant Rogers, RYT Dr. Mike Christopher Dr. Matthew Hunsinger April 2014