Employee Wellness and Development

Arlington County’s Public Safety agencies have two dedicated Public Safety Wellness Coordinators to provide clinical support for public safety personnel and their families. Both coordinators are licensed clinical social workers. These positions encompass 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 and implementing best practices for programming and resources related to public safety wellness. Additionally, one of the coordinators is the handler for wellness K9 Dottie, a facility dog, that provides support for public safety personnel in Arlington and surrounding jurisdictions.

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 2028.

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, advanced blood panel screening / testing, VR headset stress management courses, fitness training, health coaching and nutrition services. The Foundation also collected data from the Department which reflected positive changes among personnel in three areas: psychological, physical health and job performance. The initial study period was extended for several cycles allow for continued research of the interventions. The research was concluded in November 2025 with the results demonstrating positive impacts in the areas of psychological well-being, stress management, cardiovascular health, and overall wellness. The department is grateful for the support and contributions provided to our officers and professional staff in establishing and maintaining positive health practices.

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.

The Public Safety Wellness Coordinators and Peer Support Team have worked to identify and implement additional resources for officers, professional staff and their family members to include a multi-faith chaplain program, external mental health providers familiar with the challenges posed by working in public safety, a privately funded equine program at LiftMeUp! and training provided through non-profit and partner agencies.