The Ethical Society of Police 4th Annual First Responder Health & Wellness Retreat
ESOP is seeking sponsors to offset the costs for future mental health programming and resources, especially for police officers of color
ST LOUIS, MO – The Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) Charitable Foundation is hosting the fourth annual health and wellness retreat June 6 to June 8 at the beautiful Kentucky Lake Glamping site for St. Louis-area police officers and other first responders. The weekend of rejuvenation, self care activities and connection is designed to give first responders a break from their demanding job to focus on physical and mental well-being and also to address the pervasive mental health issues and unique challenges commonly experienced by officers of color.
“The mental health of police officers is a matter of public safety. Therefore, it is important to provide officers with the resources they need to stay healthy and well functioning so that they can continue to protect our communities,” said Lt Ray Rice, St. Louis County Police Department and Ethical Society of Police Vice President.
The retreat provides officers with a safe space to communicate mental health challenges and develop effective coping skills and self-care tools to improve their mental health under the guidance of highly specialized mental health practitioners, Dr. Marva Robinson and Dr. Keisha Ross, who will facilitate and provide therapeutic support at the retreat.
Black officers are at high risk for exposure to traumatic events related to their daily professional duties in addition to race-based trauma and traumatic stress, including marginalization and microaggressions within their departments as well as the communities they serve. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), police officers suffer from higher rates of depression, substance use, burnout, PTSD and anxiety than the general public. Many first responders experience multiple traumatic events during their careers, with approximately 85% experiencing symptoms related to mental health conditions. Almost 25% of police officers nationwide have experienced suicidal ideation at least once in their lifetime, yet most officers suffer in silence. An additional layer of trauma exists for Black officers who find themselves in the dual role of maintaining law and order while also being members of the community with valid criticisms of the same system and organizations they work for.
“Our goal at the retreat is to provide that safe space to begin healing racial trauma, and purge the chronic stress they carry while taking with them new tools to move forward,” said Dr. Ross. “Law enforcement, particularly Black officers, experience the intersection of being a part of two marginalized groups and are at much higher risk for mental health challenges. It is paramount for Black police officers to have a safe space for them to validate their experiences and to learn adaptive coping strategies to maintain mental health,” said Dr. Ross.
ESOP is seeking corporate and private sponsors to reduce the cost for each officer to attend and help expand the program, both in St. Louis and nationally, in future years. A limited number of spots are available for officers to attend. ESOP is a St. Louis-based non-profit organization and national voice that aims to act as a bridge between the community and police while working to address racial biases that impact employees and the communities they serve.
“Of all the populations I have worked with, Black law enforcement officers are by far the most unique. They have insurmountable stress in both their personal and professional life. In their community, they deal with the daily stressors of navigating life in Black skin. In their professional life, they have encountered the stress of showing up for people under the worst circumstances — and they show up as a representation of a profession that hasn’t always protected and served the communities they likely come from. They carry all of that, while also operating within an institution built on white supremacy. It is an unimaginable burden for anyone to carry,” said Dr. Robinson.
Dr. Marva Robinson is a licensed clinical psychologist and has worked with her colleagues in St. Louis Association of Black Psychologists to address the acute crisis needs of the Ferguson and greater St. Louis community. Her recent work to help address the pain of the St. Louis community led her to become a respected clinician in the field. Dr. Robinson has conducted workshops to help prepare other clinical psychologists on how to address community trauma.
Dr. Keisha Ross leads Minority Stress Resilience (MSR) Groups, working with people of color (POC), focused on treating race-based stress and trauma (RBST). She specializes in treating and understanding complex trauma; racial/ethnic diversity, religion/spirituality, inclusion and cultural competence; wellness, leadership and advocacy. Her passion is centered on decreasing the stigma around mental health with a focus on advocacy and empowerment in urban minority and underserved populations.
Since the event is funded in great part by a generous grant, participants only pay a $50 registration fee. For more information, visit www.esopstl.org/retreat-2025. Email Lt. Ray Rice, 2nd Vice President at [email protected] with any questions, to donate or to register.
Tax-deductible donations to support future mental health programming and resources for officers of color, can be made at esopstl.org/esop-charitable-foundation
ABOUT THE ETHICAL SOCIETY OF POLICE (ESOP) CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) Charitable Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit and branch of the Ethical Society of Police, a police association with over 300 members. Founded in 1972 by African-American police officers to address race-based discrimination, ESOP works to cultivate and maintain police/community relations, increase diversity within police departments, and enhance accountability and professionalism in law enforcement. Today, almost every demographic is represented in our membership of commissioned and civilian employees of law enforcement agencies within St. Louis City and County. For more information, call (314) 690-3565, email [email protected] or visit www.esopstl.org. Donations can be made at esopstl.org/esop-charitable-foundation
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