Photo courtesy of Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies gathered at the jail Monday to receive training on a new app that supports overall health and well-being.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office held a launch event Monday to familiarize deputies with the multifaceted, evidence-based platform, which it hopes will encourage BCSO staff to support the overall health and well-being of their deputies.
It’s called MAGNUSWorx and is accessible through an app on a phone or computer where officers can find a variety of resources for law enforcement.
MAGNUSWorx is branded as a “communications hub and wellness coach in every officer’s pocket,” and officers can use it to log their mood, provide anonymous feedback, and access a library of content related to what MAGNUSWorx calls the “11 Circles of Wellness.”
These rings include, but are not limited to, relationship growth, family dynamics, emotional development, optimizing physical health, mental strength, and more.
BSCO is one of the first law enforcement agencies in the state to use the platform, with fewer than 10 of the 92 county sheriff’s offices currently using it.
The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association applied for and received a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to cover the costs of the platform and provide access to the platform to interested departments.
“It’s not prescribed that they have to do it, but this is a tool for them. Part of my job and my administration’s job is to provide these tools,” Sheriff Chris Lane said. “… I think they’ve hit a home run by providing this to every sheriff across the state.”
Lane said doing all he can to support officers is a top priority for his administration, given the stresses inherent in the job.
“The average person will see what are called significant events a few times in their life, maybe a couple of times. But we see hundreds of events like this throughout our careers,” Lane said. “… I think the average life expectancy of a police officer is about 58 years. We have to change that. I’m passionate about this. I’ve been a police officer for over 30 years, and when I became sheriff, I wanted to make things better for police officers.”
“More officers lose their lives to their own guns than to street actions, so it’s important that we take steps to reverse these numbers,” Lane said.
Statistics show that police officers are three to five times more likely to die from suicide than the general population, and police officers are at higher risk of suffering a heart attack than any other profession.
The average life expectancy of law enforcement, correctional and public safety employees is just five years after retirement, MAGNUSWorx representatives said in a presentation to BCSO.
Each ring has a subject matter expert who curates resources in their area for officers to learn about. For example, say a police officer wants to learn more about finance. Jeff Kingsfield from MAGNUSWorx will pick and choose various topics that are appropriate to help them grow in that area. Three of the subject matter experts are former police officers.
Once a week, officers are asked five questions to take their “pulse” and gauge and evaluate how the officer and the organization as a whole are doing.
Providing their pulse allows officers to be more internally aware of their situation, and the anonymous data helps paint a picture that can be used to make changes internally if necessary.Once a quarter, members of BCSO’s wellness team receive a report that doesn’t provide information on individual officers but does give a big picture of the situation.
While the platform has a strong focus on mental health, underlying it is a more holistic approach: the idea that all 11 rings of wellness are important to enhancing wellness and performance.
Deputies also receive short weekly fitness segments that, for example, encourage them to work out a new muscle group, and MAGNUSWorx representatives say that just 10 minutes a week of using the app can make a noticeable difference.
A lieutenant on BCSO’s wellness team likened the mindset of officers to that of professional athletes in some ways: If a coach asks an injured athlete if they can play, the athlete instinctively says yes. The same is true for law enforcement personnel, who feel an obligation to go to work whenever possible.
Using the app, and based on a particular officer’s pulse, they could be told it’s time to cut down on their call volume and give more time to themselves.
“Resilience fitness” expert Tiffany Andrus outlined the process.
“We’re going to look at the 11 Rings of Health and some organizational structures to understand where leadership within the organization can better support you and give you the tools and skills to better support yourself, your family and the community that you serve,” Andrus said. “The big goal here is that just 10 minutes of your time each week can make the difference between five years and 25 years in retirement.”
