“Checkup From The Neckup”. The Truth About Wellness Checks.

Jul 1

So…your agency just rolled out “mandatory mental health check-in’s”, and you’re wondering what to expect. Here’s what you need to know and how to judge if the check-in is legit or not - from a LE counselor.

“Wellness check-ins”, “Checkups from the neck-ups”, or whatever your agency is calling them are becoming a popular option in LE agencies. What even are they though and what is the point of them? Check-ins are typically a 45–60-minute conversation with a mental health professional and completed yearly by each sworn officer on the department. Depending on the department, non-sworn staff are also required to complete them and it doesn’t matter how new you are or how long you’ve been on.

Check-ins are designed for you to get to know a mental health professional in your area and but also, to go over how you are doing personally and professionally. Before you roll your eyes or cringe, it’s critical that you establish a relationship with a professional in the event that something happens personally or professionally.

You can talk about as much as you want or as little as you want in the session but typically, we MH professionals have some things we ask about, so don’t feel pressured or nervous about coming up with things to talk about. But, again, the goal is for us to establish a relationship with one another. We often cover things like your hobbies, your schedule, sleep, department morale, career ambitions, coping skills, relationships, retirement aspirations, trauma resources available to them through therapy, etc.

In terms of therapist documentation at check-ins, every therapist will do something different. My clinic has the client “check off” if they prefer very little documentation or if you’d like, we can keep some basic notes about our meeting for the next time we meet if you choose so. And, don’t forget your rights! You can talk with the therapist about what their notes entail if you’re ever curious or concerned.

After completion, a notification is sent into the department stating that you’ve completed your check-in for the year and/or you may receive a note from the therapist.

Something to note: If your department offers free therapy sessions, they may require documentation of your name or a specific incident - ask about your EAP resources or a wellness coordinator if you have one.

We take confidentiality seriously with LEO’s and our biggest goal is that you trust the providers that are contracted with your department so here are some questions I would consider before your next wellness checkin.

Things you should be thinking about during this check-in:

· If something were to happen either personally or professionally, does this person feel like someone I could reach out to that could help?

· Does this person’s style mesh well with what I need?

· Is this person trauma trained?

· Does this person feel knowledgeable about LE issues?

· Do I actually have good coping skills?

· If you decide this person isn’t a good fit, it might be a good idea to look into other therapists and establish a relationship prior to anything happening so the trust is already built if/when you do need to talk to someone. Sometimes, it takes a few counselors before you find the right fit.

Check-ins are designed to be as painless as possible, not meant to dig up all of your deepest thoughts and, is certainly not used to assess if you have any mental health disorders or are fit for duty. If you’d like to unpack up your deepest thoughts, you will be prompted to schedule a therapy appointment with them or another therapist.

At the end of the day, check-ins are basically a friendly conversation between you and a therapist to get to know each other and for you to know that we aren’t a bunch of weirdos and can be helpful if you need one.

Written by Mel Koenen

Mel is a licensed associate therapist that specializes in first responders and is the wife of a trooper. She is passionate about bringing good, practical wellness solutions to first responders.

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