The second installment of a two-part series, Jonathan Parker is back on Justice Clearinghouse to continue on his Watch Your Six course. In the first part, Jonathan unpacked the six vulnerable areas of health and well-being that individuals must focus on. This time around, he will be tying it all together by providing pointers to proactively keep these areas in check.
Our esteemed speaker, Jonathan Parker, served in the Chattanooga, Tennessee Police Department and Hamilton County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office where he served as a Patrol Officer and Patrol Training Officer. He also worked in various roles, as a School Resource Officer, Adjunct Training Instructor, Crisis Intervention Team member and volunteer of the Tennessee Public Safety Network’s Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team.
Areas he discussed in this session are:
- A brief recap of what was discussed in the first part of the webinar series.
- An article that was published in the Police Chief Magazine discussing officer wellness and resiliency, the evolution and observed shifts in these areas.
- The Watch Your Six approach that doesn’t only raise awareness on our vulnerabilities and its potential impact but also give strategies to overcome these, thrive and survive.
- Emphasizing the importance of proactiveness through Seth Franco’s story that exhibited how his decision to ignore minor health concerns led to a much bigger problem.
- The story of Elijah and it’s parallelism to present-day stress and trauma and the Watch Your Six approach.
- The six tips to prevent a personal crisis and build resilience.
- The importance of taking time to rest, especially after a traumatic incident, to allow the mind to recover.
- Committing to a healthy diet and reminding ourselves and others going through a critical incident to keep nourished.
- Changing the scenery to take one’s mind off of the stress – be it as fleeting as taking a few days off or completely changing one’s career path.
- Renewing one’s sense of calling and purpose by guiding the next generation to keep them from the same mistakes and build resilience.
- Reminding ourselves that evil will not prevail and help is available.
- Remembering that despite feeling like it, we’re never alone and there are people who care and have been through the same.
- Crafting our personal action plan following the Watch Your Six model and utilizing SMART Goals and an example of how this is done.
- The Watch Your Six Podcast which serves as a great resource to improve lives and create positive change in our health and wellness.
- Questions during the Q&A were about:
- Identifying one’s sense of calling by reflecting on experiences, passions, and strengths.
- Leading by example, starting at the grassroots level and providing credible resources to get buy-in.
- How the smallest efforts can make a difference in the long run when it comes to wellness.
- Reaching out and supporting others who are struggling.
- Engaging loved ones on the reality of the job without scaring them off.
- Implementing mentorship and peer support programs to help those struggling in specific areas of life and work.
Resources Mentioned During the Webinar:
Audience Comments
- “We need to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others.” — Renee
- “I love how Jonathan uses stories to get his information across.” — Shaylyn
- “This guy is an excellent speaker. I would love to hear more from him.” — Teresa
- “This topic, overall health, and wellness is vitally important in today’s world and quality training for public safety personnel is in short supply.” — Tony
