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What Are Wellness Checks?

Mental health wellness checks are confidential, one-on-one sessions with a licensed mental health professional designed specifically for first responders. These brief, structured conversations offer police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, corrections officers, and dispatchers an opportunity to talk through job-related stressors, critical incidents, and the cumulative toll of high-intensity work environments before those issues escalate into something more serious.

 

Wellness checks are not therapy, and they are not diagnostic. They are preventative in nature, designed to check in on a responder’s mental health and well-being in a supportive, stigma-free setting. Think of them as an annual physical, but for your mental health.

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Why Wellness Checks Matter

First responders are exposed to chronic stress, trauma, long hours, and high-pressure situations that most people never face in a lifetime. Over time, this can lead to:

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• Burnout and compassion fatigue

• Relationship strain

• Increased risk for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicide

• Sleep disturbances and physical health issues

• Decreased job performance and morale

 

Yet many responders avoid seeking help due to fear of stigma, judgment, or career impact. Wellness checks are designed to remove those barriers by normalizing mental health conversations in a proactive, non-punitive way.

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When built into a department’s culture, wellness checks:

 

• Encourage early intervention

• Build trust between staff and mental health professionals

• Reduce long-term psychological injury

• Strengthen team resilience and performance

• Show officers and staff their well-being is a priority

 

 

Legislative Support for Wellness Checks

Several states including Tennessee have recognized the critical importance of mental health support for first responders and passed legislation encouraging or requiring annual wellness checks.

 

Tennessee LegislationTennessee Code § 58-2-126 (2023) encourages public safety agencies to provide annual mental health wellness checks to first responders. While not mandatory, the law reflects a growing commitment to improving mental health access for those who serve on the front lines.

 

Additional Examples

Texas SB 1359 (2021) requires law enforcement agencies to offer voluntary mental health check-ins.

Colorado HB21-1214 established behavioral health support programs and peer support services for responders.

 

These laws reflect a national shift. Agencies are now expected to prioritize the mental health of their personnel, not just physical safety.

 

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What to Expect During a Wellness Check

A typical wellness check lasts 30 to 60 minutes and may cover topics such as:

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• Recent stressors on or off the job

• Reactions to critical incidents

• Sleep, energy, and mood patterns

• Coping strategies

• Support systems and self-careI

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It is not recorded in a personnel file, not diagnostic, and not shared with command staff. These sessions are confidential and designed to build trust and reduce stigma, not to evaluate or red flag anyone.

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Let’s work together to make sure your people are not just surviving but thriving.