Employee Wellness and Safety

Arlington County’s Public Safety agencies have two dedicated Public Safety Wellness Coordinators to provide clinical support for public safety personnel and their families. These positions encompasses three primary functions: providing initial and short-term counseling support for public safety employees, working to develop and provide training on wellness topics for public safety and researching best practices for programming and resources related to public safety wellness.

In June 2023, the Department expanded our wellness program offerings by adding a full-time Cognitive Performance Specialist through O2X. The specialist provides coaching, training and education for individual officers and supervisors, as well as workgroups and specialty units. This additional resource is also focused on supporting the Department’s leadership development across the management spectrum from first-line supervisor to the executive level. Specific focus areas include cognitive performance education, stress mitigation, strategies and skills to maximize performance and success for individuals and teams, and optimization of mental and physical health for employees to support wellness and success on and off-duty. 

An internal team comprised of specially trained officers who provide assistance, support services, and appropriate resources to officers and professional staff members who have experienced or have been exposed to traumatic incidents or other emotional crises. The Team is accredited by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services through May 2025.

In May 2021, the County accepted a donation of services from the Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health, to conduct research on occupational stressors and develop a holistic wellness model for Arlington County Police that can also serve as a template for public safety agencies around the country. As a result of the partnership, the Foundation introduced additional health resources to department personnel, including resiliency training, VR headset stress management courses, an exercise specialist and health coach. The Foundation also collected data before and after their partnership with the Department which reflected positive changes among personnel in three areas: psychological, physical health and job performance. This evidence-based data resulted in the Foundation reaffirming their commitment to officer safety and wellness by extending their financial support and research for an additional 12 months.

Virginia Hospital Center and Arlington County’s Public Safety agencies collaborated with Cigna and Arlington County Human Resources to establish and develop outpatient services specifically designed for first responders in need of clinical assistance. The development of this program included consultation with facilities and clinicians that specialize in treatment of first responders, to improve the quality of patient care. This program maximizes accessibility of clinical resources for first responders throughout the region as they confront personal and professional challenges.

In September 2023, former police officer and country music artist Frank Ray unveiled the Country’s first FRAY (First Responder Mental Clarity) decompression room within the Arlington County Police Department. Officers often respond to serious, stressful and emotionally impactful incidents and witness serious injuries and death. The decompression room is a quiet space designed to help officers decompress, refocus and relax. The hope is that the decompression room will reduce fatigue and help officers maintain mental clarity, both on and off-duty.

Through a partnership with LiftMeUp!, public safety personnel work with trained horses and instructors in group exercises to improve self-awareness, decision making, problem solving and to build confidence.