Correctional Officer Mental Health & Substance Use Services
Approximately two million men and women are in the nation’s prisons and jails. And with these record-high incarceration rates, understaffing and trauma are serious problems for correctional officers, leading to physical, mental, and emotional health consequences for those in the profession.
While rarely discussed, correctional officer mental health is a major issue. The challenges faced by these individuals are both external and internal, and any one of them can result in mental health and/or substance use disorders. At Healing Our Heroes Retreat Behavioral Health, we remain committed to serving any correctional officers in need of help with specialized correctional officer support services and resources on an inpatient or outpatient level.
The Need for Tailored Correctional Officer Support Services
To address the unique needs of prison staff suffering from mental distress, treatment professionals should be aware of the challenges they face. Without an accurate understanding of the connection between on-the-job trauma and poor mental health, mental health services may not be sufficient to meet the needs of these individuals.
Correctional officers are exposed to many different situations on a daily basis which include, but are not limited to:
- Inmate fighting
- Officer assault
- Higher rates of disease exposure, including Hepatitis B and C
- Exposure to inmates with mental health Conditions
Combined with long shifts, low retention rates, chronic understaffing, and burnout, correctional officer stress can lead to mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorder, and/or suicidal ideation.
Unfortunately, access to mental health resources for this community remains low. This partially reflects the greater stigma in law enforcement of seeking mental health care and a lack of policies that acknowledge the stress and trauma inherent in the job. In fact, the California Correctional Officer Survey found that while 10% of correctional officers in the state’s system have thought about suicide, 73% never speak out about it.
Retreat Services Addressing Prison Staff and Mental Illness
Correctional officers are a vital part of our society, and we are proud to offer them the specialized care they need through our Healing Our Heroes program. This program is available at our Florida treatment centers located in Miami-Dade, Orange, and Palm Beach County.
Retreat services are available on an inpatient or outpatient basis. They are overseen by a staff of licensed psychiatrists, therapists and counselors, nurses, and medical professionals committed to our larger mission of compassionate care for all. Services are intended to treat a range of mental health and substance use disorders, including co-occurring disorders. We also offer support services for the family members of correctional officers, many of whom are directly impacted by their loved ones’ mental distress.
Program includes the following:
Our Florida Treatment Centers
Correctional officer support services are available at three Healing Our Heroes Retreat Behavioral Health treatment centers in Florida. We offer mental health care and rehab for correctional officers with 24/7 admissions to ensure that help is always available. If you are a correctional officer struggling with these issues, or you know a correctional officer who is struggling, please contact us now.
Call (855) 859-8808 for direct assistance