0500.00 Portland Police Bureau Wellness Program
Refer:
• ORS 181A.832, Mental health wellness policies for law enforcement agencies
• DIR 0210.70, Secondary Employment
• DIR 0240.00, Employee Assistance Program
• DIR 0280.00, Fitness Room
• DIR 0305.00, Active Bystandership, Intervention, and Anti-Retaliation
• DIR 0316.00, Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco-Free Workplace
• DIR 0410.00, Injury, Illness, and Disability
Definitions:
• Wellness: An active process that helps individuals reach their optimal well-being by integrating all the dimensions of wellness into their lives: physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial. The Bureau recognizes the following five dimensions of wellness:
o Emotional Wellness: The ability to understand emotions, express them in a constructive manner, adapt to stress and change, and the knowledge to seek support when needed.
o Financial Wellness: A state of financial well-being in which one can comfortably manage their bills and expenses, pay debts, weather unexpected financial emergencies, and plan for long-term financial goals.
o Mental Wellness: An internal resource that helps one to think, feel, connect, and function. Mental Wellness is also an active process to help build resilience, grow, and flourish.
o Physical Wellness: The practice of self-care for the needs of your body, which may include physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and avoiding harmful behaviors.
o Social Wellness: Building and engaging in trusting, respectful, and authentic relationships through social connection and proactive intervention.
• Wellness Time: Allotted time for members to participate in Bureau-approved wellness activities.
• Wellness Training: Bureau-provided instruction and advice that identify wellness activities, such as physical exercise, meditation, mental health services, and other wellness-related educational opportunities, and the benefits associated with those activities.
Policy:
1. This Directive establishes the Portland Police Bureau Wellness Program. The goal of the program is to enhance the physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial health for all Bureau members while increasing organizational wellness, excellence, and efficiency.
2. The Bureau recognizes that all five wellness dimensions are interconnected and contribute to members’ overall wellness, and that positive member wellness is essential. Therefore, the Bureau is committed to fostering a culture of wellness to best serve its members, their families, and the community. Increased member wellness can lead to better decision-making, community interactions, and safety, which leads to increased wellness in the community.
3. The Wellness Program strives to increase readiness and resiliency, enhance morale, increase productivity, reduce sick leave use, and increase job and life satisfaction. The Bureau is committed to providing wellness-related training, resources, and opportunities for members, and paid Wellness Time, all of which are mutually beneficial to members and the Bureau.
Procedure:
1. The Wellness Program.
1.1. The Bureau shall maintain a Wellness Program and designate, at minimum, a sworn officer as Wellness Program Coordinator to develop wellness-related training, refer members to wellness resources, and provide wellness-related educational opportunities. The Bureau shall strive to build a Wellness Unit staffed with both sworn and professional staff to optimize wellness for all members.
1.2. Wellness Program Objectives.
1.2.1. The Wellness Program aims to increase member and community wellness by:
1.2.1.1. Increasing member resilience in response to physical injury and potentially reducing injury-related leave.
1.2.1.2. Increasing member resilience in response to emotional injury, stress, and trauma.
1.2.1.3. Improving member morale and building a culture of community and wellness within the Bureau and within the larger Portland community.
1.2.1.4. Increasing safety and trust in the community through improving member decision-making, communication, and community interactions.
1.3. The Wellness Program Coordinator shall oversee the Wellness Time program and Wellness Training, review, document, and approve organized wellness initiatives, and coordinate with Responsibility Unit (RU) Wellness Committees and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to offer services to all Bureau members.
1.4. In coordination with the Strategic Services Division (SSD), the Wellness Program Coordinator shall periodically submit a report to the Chief of Police outlining Wellness Program project goals and measurable outcomes to evaluate efficacy.
1.5. Wellness Committees.
1.5.1. Each RU shall establish and maintain a Wellness Committee that represents its staff and includes a member in a leadership position (i.e., at minimum, a sergeant or professional staff equivalent).
1.5.2. The committee shall coordinate with the Wellness Program Coordinator and develop a Wellness Plan that establishes the RU’s scheduling and approval process for Wellness Time.
2. Wellness Time.
2.1. Allocation and Use.
2.1.1. The Bureau grants members four hours of Wellness Time per workweek. Members may take up to 90 minutes of Wellness Time (or the maximum time allotted in their RU Wellness Plan) during the member’s regular shift and during paid work hours.
2.1.1.1. RU Managers or their designee may approve sessions longer than 90 minutes at their discretion.
2.1.2. Wellness Time is not accrued and unused hours cannot be banked or carried over to the following week.
2.1.3. Members may not use Wellness Time during overtime work hours.
2.1.4. The Wellness Time allotted includes time for changing clothes, showering, and the wellness activity.
2.2. Cancellation or Modification.
2.2.1. Any supervisor may cancel, reschedule, or modify Wellness Time at their discretion based on the operational needs of the Bureau. Supervisors shall communicate both the beginning and the end of the cancellation period to the members they supervise and to the Wellness Coordinator.
2.3. Participation.
2.3.1. All Bureau members are encouraged to participate in Wellness Time.
2.3.2. Member participation is voluntary.
2.3.3. Participating members should consult their doctor regarding any prior or existing medical conditions or limitations that put them at risk for injury or illness while participating in the program.
2.4. Approved Wellness Activities.
2.4.1. The following activities are approved for Wellness Time:
2.4.1.1. Physical exercises (e.g., strength training, cardio exercise, stretching, mobility etc.)
2.4.1.2. Mindfulness (e.g., meditation, breathwork, etc.)
2.4.1.3. Relaxation (e.g., massage chair, alpha stim, light therapy etc.)
2.4.1.4. Martial Arts (e.g., boxing, jiu jitsu, wrestling, etc.)
2.4.1.5. Personal finance management (e.g., financial services appointment, retirement benefits review, etc.)
2.4.1.6. Mental health activities (e.g., EAP check in, mental health clinician, etc.)
2.4.1.7. Social wellness activities (e.g., creating social connections through emotional and physical support, such as group physical exercise, group art, etc.).
2.4.2. Other activities promoting one of the five dimensions of wellness require prior approval and documentation by the RU Wellness Committee.
2.5. Scheduling, Approving, and Documenting Wellness Time.
2.5.1. Members shall schedule Wellness Time in accordance with their RU’s Wellness Plan.
2.5.2. Members shall document their Wellness Time, using the Wellness Program-designated medium, by the end of their regular work week.
2.5.3. Supervisors shall approve Wellness Time in accordance with the standards set forth in this directive and the RU Wellness Plan.
2.6. Telework.
2.6.1. Members may participate in Wellness Time on days they are in telework status and shall comply with all scheduling, approval, and documentation requirements.
3. Illness and Injury Reporting.
3.1. Members shall report injuries incurred while participating in Wellness Time to a supervisor as soon as practicable and shall comply with Directive 0410.00, Injury, Illness, and Disability.
Effective: 5/17/2025
Next Review: 5/17/2027