Struggle Well Case Study: Tucson PD

How To Set Up For Success

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There are key steps that needs to be taken to successfully integrate Struggle Well into your department. The following outlines a roadmap for success.

​Start with Leadership

  • Start by orienting and training all department leaders in Struggle Well

​Demonstrate Long Term Commitment

  • Develop and implement long term goals based on PTG practices
  • Secure Funding Upfront — it’s an investment in the staff and the agency
  • Plan for broad and sustainable cultural change
  • Plan for program refresher courses to keep wellness practices going

​Prepare & Prevent

  • Frame the Struggle Well training as a health and wellness initiative focused on preparing staff to navigate their challenging and stressful jobs
  • Consider allowing agency staff to become expert guides

​Consider Logistics

  • Plan and evaluate logistics like departmental cost center analysis
  • Problem solve creatively and schedule trainings in advance to ensure coverage and no perceived consequence for attending training

​Set Staff Expectations

  • Communicate that everyone will have exposure to the training
  • Offer Struggle Well across all stages from Academy to Retirement
  • Utilize peer-peer marketing of Struggle Well

​Class Make Up

  • Develop each class recruitment plan to draw from multiple teams to minimize department burden and to include a wide variety of staff depth across ranks
  • Analyze participant list for prior conflicts before each class to promote success
  • Always have a command staff involved with either Opening or Closing the training to role model sharing in a safe place

​Anticipate Impact on Wellness Services

  • Have staff wellness practitioners attend a training to be familiar with concepts, language, and in preparation for staff being more open to support
  • Prepare for increase in usage, identify external resources to manage expected rise in demand of services, identify additional resources and/or facilities to support wellness practices

​Intentional Integration

  • Seed concepts of Struggle Well (e.g., daily gratitude practices) into culture in advance of training
  • Be considerate of displacing existing traditions and/or institutional memories
  • Make App available immediately upon completion of the program to create a sense of community
  • Consider adding visual cues of PTG tenets or SWAG to saturate culture and signal support and adoption