The High Point Police Department is placing a new emphasis on the physical and emotional health of its officers and civilian staff through the recent hire of a new police wellness coordinator.Skyler Byerley’s first day with the HPPD was less than two months ago. She is a former college soccer player with a master’s degree in exercise physiology who admits she never imagined she would end up working for a police department. Her job is to help everyone there become more physically and mentally healthy.”I really want it to encompass and embody what everyone else wants and needs,” Byerley said.When she is not leading workout classes herself, she is working on an app where police staff can track their nutrition and workout progress, watch videos demonstrating proper technique, and also ask her questions.”Dialing in and having a routine with physical wellness is one of the keys to having a healthy mental health, and so I did intentionally start with that approach first to build this out because of the many, many benefits that it can offer,” Byerley said.Another component of her job is to direct officers and civilian staff to the appropriate mental health resources, which is where The FMRT Group in Winston-Salem enters the picture. CEO and managing member Elizabeth Morris says they serve about 700 public safety agencies nationwide with psychological and medical services. Specifically with the HPPD, everyone has a mandatory, confidential, hour-long session each year with a psychologist from The FMRT Group.”We want to protect our protectors. They are in high-stress and high-stakes situations on a daily basis, and they deserve the opportunity to share and feel those emotions because they’re human just like we are,” Morris said. “I don’t think that most people really understand that they are in that hyper-vigilance on a daily basis.”High Point Police Officer David Needham is a 15-year veteran of the force and says his first evaluation through The FMRT Group was helpful.”To be able to sit down and talk to someone and even if you don’t have big, deep, dark secrets and things that keep you up at night, just getting to check in with someone (is helpful),” Needham said. “If you keep things bottled up, if you just keep things inside, you never process it, you never deal with it, you never come to any kind of resolution, so it never goes away.”Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III first pushed for these mental wellness appointments to be part of the department’s annual physicals a few years ago, back when he was Assistant Chief. Now that he is in charge, he believes this big-picture approach to health will help with recruitment, retention, and morale.”The reception, the feedback has been very positive, which to me is an indication that one — our folks want it, and two — we needed it,” Cheeks said. “I definitely think it’s having a positive impact on the lives of the people here.””I’m excited. I really do think we’re going to make this something special and something we can share with other departments,” Byerley said.Chief Cheeks said he has already heard from people at other law enforcement agencies who are curious about what they’re doing and want to know if they could do something similar. Another goal of this initiative is to improve the snack options for people in the building, especially for those who work third shift.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here
The High Point Police Department is placing a new emphasis on the physical and emotional health of its officers and civilian staff through the recent hire of a new police wellness coordinator.
Skyler Byerley’s first day with the HPPD was less than two months ago. She is a former college soccer player with a master’s degree in exercise physiology who admits she never imagined she would end up working for a police department. Her job is to help everyone there become more physically and mentally healthy.
“I really want it to encompass and embody what everyone else wants and needs,” Byerley said.
When she is not leading workout classes herself, she is working on an app where police staff can track their nutrition and workout progress, watch videos demonstrating proper technique, and also ask her questions.
“Dialing in and having a routine with physical wellness is one of the keys to having a healthy mental health, and so I did intentionally start with that approach first to build this out because of the many, many benefits that it can offer,” Byerley said.
Another component of her job is to direct officers and civilian staff to the appropriate mental health resources, which is where The FMRT Group in Winston-Salem enters the picture. CEO and managing member Elizabeth Morris says they serve about 700 public safety agencies nationwide with psychological and medical services. Specifically with the HPPD, everyone has a mandatory, confidential, hour-long session each year with a psychologist from The FMRT Group.
“We want to protect our protectors. They are in high-stress and high-stakes situations on a daily basis, and they deserve the opportunity to share and feel those emotions because they’re human just like we are,” Morris said. “I don’t think that most people really understand that they are in that hyper-vigilance on a daily basis.”
High Point Police Officer David Needham is a 15-year veteran of the force and says his first evaluation through The FMRT Group was helpful.
“To be able to sit down and talk to someone and even if you don’t have big, deep, dark secrets and things that keep you up at night, just getting to check in with someone (is helpful),” Needham said. “If you keep things bottled up, if you just keep things inside, you never process it, you never deal with it, you never come to any kind of resolution, so it never goes away.”
Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III first pushed for these mental wellness appointments to be part of the department’s annual physicals a few years ago, back when he was Assistant Chief. Now that he is in charge, he believes this big-picture approach to health will help with recruitment, retention, and morale.
“The reception, the feedback has been very positive, which to me is an indication that one — our folks want it, and two — we needed it,” Cheeks said. “I definitely think it’s having a positive impact on the lives of the people here.”
“I’m excited. I really do think we’re going to make this something special and something we can share with other departments,” Byerley said.
Chief Cheeks said he has already heard from people at other law enforcement agencies who are curious about what they’re doing and want to know if they could do something similar. Another goal of this initiative is to improve the snack options for people in the building, especially for those who work third shift.
Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here
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