Margolis Healy invites you to join us for "Officer Safety, Wellness & Resiliency: A Toolkit for Police & Public Safety Officers and Their Agencies," a critical conversation on developing tools to mitigate the debilitating effects of stress, trauma and the post traumatic stress often induced by law enforcement's response to critical incidents. Featuring Retired Connecticut State Police Colonel Danny R. Stebbins and Salvatore "Sonny" Provetto, MSW, LICSW, who is the police clinician/psychological consultant to several Vermont law enforcement agencies, this free webinar takes place Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 1 pm ET. Register here.

When the massacre of 20 young children and 6 adults in Newtown, Connecticut devastated America in 2012, no one was prepared for the psychological trauma that would affect emergency first responders for years after this senseless tragedy.

Police and public safety officers routinely deal with horrors that can contribute to disproportionate and problematic personal issues. There are more than 100 police suicides annually in the United States, and a high level of strain is placed on police marriages, which can often lead to divorce. Law enforcement and public safety officers are required to perform at optimal levels on a daily basis yet stress, trauma and post traumatic stress can leave them incapable of providing their best -- undermining community trust and jeopardizing safety.

Colonel Stebbins, who  commanded the Connecticut State Police at the time of this tragedy, will share his emotional experience and reveal lessons learned about trauma, post traumatic stress and needed tools for equipping first responders to better handle a full range of incidents. He will address the mental health impact on his agency and how he managed to conquer historical stigmas and fears related to getting such help.

Next, Mr. Provetto will lead a conversation on the importance of: understanding trauma; building resilient police o

Sonny Provetto

rganizations; best methods for introducing officer safety and wellness programs, including peer support groups; and maintaining resiliency programs. Mr. Provetto plans to emphasize existing programs and tools available to enhance offer well-being, improve morale and aid in retention. He'll also discuss how to prepare agencies and their officers to respond appropriately to any critical incident on campus.

This hour-long webinar is intended to provoke key conversations about policing in the age of mass violence and protests, including whether leadership must do more to improve agency and officer safety, wellness and resiliency.