Annual Wellness Visits for First Responders

Proactive Care for Public Safety Professionals

Annual Wellness Visits through The Counseling Team International (TCTI) are a proactive tool for building stronger departments.

Unlike fitness-for-duty exams or reactive interventions, wellness visits are about prevention, performance, and tools for resilience. These confidential, one-on-one check-ins with a culturally competent clinician are not evaluations. There are no notes taken, and no diagnosing. Instead, they are designed to catch stress early, normalize conversations about wellness, and give responders tactics to stay at their best.

Most agencies schedule visits once per year for their employees; others choose more frequent check-ins for assignments that encounter more trauma than other employees. Every visit is delivered by culturally competent clinicians who understand public safety culture and speak the language of police, fire, EMS, dispatch, and public safety professionals.

"Your wellness visit is completely confidential. No records are shared with anybody. In fact, even though your department is paying for this service, your name doesn’t show up on a bill. Nobody knows that you’re here."

Deana Kahle, LMFT
Executive Director, TCTI

Why Agencies Use Wellness Visits

Reduce Stigma

Wellness visits promote a culture of wellness and “professional maintenance.”

Protect Readiness

Supports staying focused, present, and mission-capable at all times.

Catch Problems Early

Identifies stress injuries, burnout, or trauma before they escalate into crisis or misconduct.

Support Families

Encourages healthier relationships at home by addressing stress before it spills over.

Demonstrate Leadership Commitment

Shows employees that their agency values their well-being as much as their performance and prioritizes retention of valued employees.

The Wellness Visit Process

Agency Partnership

Departments contract with TCTI to provide wellness visits for personnel.

Scheduling

Visits are set on an annual basis.

Confidential Sessions

Each employee meets privately with a clinician. There are no notes taken, and no diagnoses. The focus is strictly on wellness.

Resources & Tools

Clinicians may provide coping strategies, referrals, or follow-up options if additional support is needed.

Aggregate Reporting

Agencies receive de-identified data with insight into wellness trends across the organization.

Why TCTI?

Over 40 Years of Service
A pioneer in culturally competent behavioral health for first responders.
Respected Nationwide
Partner to hundreds of law enforcement, fire, and public safety agencies.
Cultural Competence
Staffed by clinicians and advocates who “get it,” eliminating the need for employees to explain the job before receiving help.

“When done right, wellness visits change the entire culture within a department. They open the door and offer access to support, which allows employees to address issues early, when problems are manageable and not yet impacting job performance. This is a win for both the employee and the agency.”

Dr. Nancy Panza, Ph.D., ABPP
Board Certified Police & Public Safety Psychologist