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spouses and families while combat­
ting their stress in a positive way.
These are just a couple of the
outlets that our agency has recently
provided to our staff. We also offer
yoga, meditation, and Zumba
classes.

Concluding Thoughts
Mental health awareness has
come a long way in the last 10
years. Now is the time to move
from speaking about it to acting on
it. Agencies need to create a variety
of paths for their employees to posi­
tively cope with their stress.
The actions that agencies take,
or choose not to take, will have a
tremendous impact on their officers’
wellness throughout their careers—
whether that be in a positive or
negative way. The path that your
working in this field. After witness­ people manage their problems agency chooses will determine if
ing the many tears shed during through exercise or other physical you simply continue to develop
our classes, we knew we needed activity. Others may go the medita­ more statistics or if your agency
more than one in­service class to tion route or lean toward something becomes one of the leaders of
truly fight the battle of the mental a little more spiritual. There is no change in officer wellness. 
breakdowns that many correctional limit to the amount of outlets that
officers experience in their everyday an agency can create. With regard
roles. And we learned that officers to officer wellness, the more outlets Sergeant Justin Beetz started his
needed daily outlets to help them the better! career in corrections with the Hernando
with these battles. One outlet that our agency County Sheriff’s Office as a detention
deputy in 2013 and has become dual
has adopted to combat the men­ certified for both corrections and law
Wellness Committee tal health crisis is to completely enforcement. He is employed by Pasco
Since that training, our agency revamp our gyms at the Sheriff’s Hernando State College as an instructor
has created a wellness committee Office and the Detention Center. where he spends time teaching correc-
tions recruits various topics, and devel-
that commits its time to strictly Just as when a new gym opens in oped the Officer Wellness Program at
finding different outlets that we your area, people tend to join just the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
can bring to our employees. These to see the new equipment and to which includes “Officer Wellness
outlets guide them to better solu­ experience the atmosphere. The Sessions.” He can be contacted at
tions to alleviate their stress than same was true when our agency jbeetz@hernandosheriff.org.
choosing unhealthy foods and revamped our gyms. The amount Sergeant Javier Dejesus, CCS,
alcohol. The wellness committee of employees who are utilizing the currently serves as Housing Shift
gives deputies the opportunity to gyms has grown exponentially. Commander and is the Commander of
the Special Response Team (SRT). He
volunteer their time to help guide Another outlet that our agency started his career in corrections with
the positive change in our agency. developed for our employees is to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
The committee meets twice a month provide a free bike rental service. as a detention deputy in 2010, and is
to discuss improvements that can be Employees can borrow bicycles for dual certified in corrections and law
made to help our deputies’ manager themselves and family members enforcement. He also is employed by
the Withlacoochee Technical College as
with the stress they accrue from from the Sheriff’s Office in order an instructor where he teaches cadets.
their shifts. to get some exercise together. This He has worked extensively on develop-
Outlets come in many shapes not only encourages our employees ing the Officer Wellness Program at the
and forms, and not every outlet to exercise, but also allows them Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. He
can be contacted at jdejesus@hernan-
works for every person. Some to spend quality time with their dosheriff.org.

26 | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2021 AMERICANJails