Strengthening Officer Recruitment and Retention Through Family Wellness Programs

Agencies across the United States are struggling to recruit and retain officers and are dealing with staffing shortages. To address this challenge, agencies can incorporate family wellness programs to support personnel. Family wellness has been identified as a key component in retaining officers. When agencies recruit officers, they also recruit their families. Participants will learn about promising practices to promote family wellness and how this plays a role in the recruitment and retention of personnel.

• Describe the importance of family wellness.
• Discuss how taking care of officer's families can increase retention within an agency.
• Identify strategies agencies could use to engage officer's families in the department and with recruitment.