LEO's Mental Health

Former law-enforcement professional and author Ernest Stevens joins host Sherry to discuss mental health, de-escalation, and the lasting impact of trauma on first responders and their families. He shares practical wellness habits, explains how 988 and Copline differ, and argues that agencies and loved ones can help by making support normal and setting clear boundaries.

• Stevens says crisis calls involving mental health can shift quickly, making de-escalation training a priority alongside staffing and behavioral-health partnerships.
• He describes how accumulated traumatic incidents can surface after retirement, especially when officers have had little time to process calls during their careers.
• Families are affected too; agencies can involve them from recruitment through retirement, and families can agree on supportive communication and boundaries.
• His co-authored workbook, 101 Questions to Ask Before Becoming a Law Enforcement Officer, prompts reflection on career choices, wellness, technology, testimony, and personal development.
• Stevens shares GEBY: gratitude, exercise, breakfast or nutritious eating, and time for yourself, with changes in these habits serving as possible warning signs.
• He encourages coworkers and loved ones to raise concerns compassionately rather than judgmentally when someone's behavior changes.
• He distinguishes 988, a crisis service offering call, text, and chat options, from Copline, which is staffed by current or retired officers; he also stresses clinician fit and cultural competency.
• Stevens defines trauma as what happens inside a person as a result of what happened to them, and urges first responders to normalize different reactions.
• He closes by urging officers to define success as making a positive difference, not merely surviving the career.