A casual conversation can make a world of difference. That’s what happened at the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) when a staff member facing a personal crisis turned to the agency’s new wellness app after a coworker’s suggestion.
The app’s helpline provided critical support during a difficult time, demonstrating the power of a proactive approach to mental health care. The employee later shared that “the coworker reaching out made a profound impact on their journey — and finding the help they needed during a critical time,” says Michele Cottingham, director of human resources at the CDOC.
This fusion of personal support and technology is the foundation of the CDOC’s dedicated wellness unit, launched in 2022. With a confidential app and tailored resources, the program offers “a holistic approach to address mental health concerns, a wrap-around service that’s tailored to correctional professionals,” says Cottingham.
Unique stressors for corrections officers
The mental health of correctional workers has only recently gained attention from researchers and public safety administrators.
According to multiple studies, correctional professionals are at an increased risk for mental health disorders. One paper found evidence that there’s a “high prevalence of PTSD, depression and anxiety (among correctional workers) when compared to other occupational groups and the general population.”
Researchers from Northeastern University in Boston did a sample survey of corrections officers in Massachusetts and found that their suicide rate was at least seven times higher than the national average. According to the study, 20% of corrections officers who participated in the study had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 25% had symptoms of anger and anxiety.
A 2024 study suggests that correctional workers are at a heightened risk of alcohol and substance use, specifically sedatives.
Many of the stressors in corrections are similar to other public safety professions, especially police: long, often tumultuous, shifts that can turn from mundane to violent in a split second; excessive overtime as a result of staff shortages; and anti-law enforcement sentiment, which in the past few years has dampened morale among many public safety employees.
But there are also stressors unique to corrections, says Cottingham, who retired from a career in federal law enforcement as an HR administrator before joining the Colorado DOC in 2023.
Also, there’s little understanding in the public about what corrections professionals really do, says Cottingham. Unlike police officers, who have regular interactions with the community, the work of correctional staff remains mainly invisible behind jail fences and prison walls.
Wellness solutions for corrections officers
The CDOC has recognized the high-stress environment of corrections, says Cottingham, and launched its wellness unit “as a proactive step to improve retention, resilience and overall employee satisfaction.”
Today, the corrections wellness unit has five full-time employees — a benefits manager, two wellness nurses and two wellness concierges, who guide staff to the specific services, resources and providers that best meet their needs. The unit serves the CDOC’s 6,000 sworn and civilian staff members in 39 locations across the state, 19 correctional facilities and 20 parole offices. The services are also available to employees’ families, as well as retirees.
CDOC’s wellness unit partners with the state’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which offers confidential support for mental health issues. The unit also taps into a broad network of outside resources, like licensed professional counselors, nutrition and fitness coaches, and 17 volunteer chaplains representing different faith groups.
A peer support team spanning all CDOC facilities currently has 76 staff members, and 19 more will join the team in January. They are trained to recognize signs of mental distress in their co-workers, offer confidential conversations and connect their peers to the help they may need.
Members of the wellness unit provide in-person training for new hires; classes on physical, emotional and financial resilience; and supervisor and roll call training in all CDOC facilities. They also set up critical incident response meetings to provide immediate assistance after a traumatic event.
Integrating technology into an officer wellness program
At the center of the CDOC’s wellness program is a mobile wellness app, introduced in September 2023 and serving as a conduit between the department’s different wellness resources. The Cordico app, part of Lexipol’s comprehensive wellness solution for public safety, features resources specifically for correctional professionals and others in high-stress occupations.
Developed by clinical experts specializing in working with first responders, the confidential app can be tailored to an agency’s needs and resources. The app offers on-demand access to practical first responder-specific content and is updated monthly. It features videos, articles, guided exercises and self-assessment tools on a range of topics such as stress reduction, mindfulness, healthy eating, insurance and benefits, financial planning, family relations, and alcohol and drug use.
There’s also one-touch calling for crisis support, whether it’s the national 988 crisis hotline or local chaplains, peer support team members or counselors.
“The app integrates seamlessly into our overall wellness program, offering on-demand access alongside one-on-one personalized services,” says Cottingham.
Getting staff buy-in didn’t happen without running into some cultural barriers, she says. In corrections, there is often a stigma around seeking help, with a prevailing attitude of toughing it out. “But we are seeing a change in that culture,” adds Cottingham.
Overcoming trust issues was another hurdle, says the HR director. That’s why the biggest selling point for the wellness app is the anonymity. It only tracks agency logins, not individual logins, and doesn’t request or store personal information.
Proof of success is in the numbers. A year after its launch in September 2023, 39% of the CDOC staff — almost 2,280 employees — had adopted the app. In the first 10 months after the launch, 1,031 staff members requested support through the app. Between July, the beginning of fiscal year 2025, and November there were 1,100 support requests and over 2,000 app interactions in November alone.
Growing the CDOC wellness program
Going forward, Cottingham says she and her team “want to keep the foot on the gas.” The plan is to further grow the Colorado Department of Corrections’ wellness program by adding more staff to the wellness unit and more resources to the Cordico wellness app, training more peer support team members and bolstering the use of the chaplaincy network.
Come 2025, the CDOC also wants to offer employees access to the Cordico wellness services via a website, Cottingham says, not just through a mobile app. Most correctional staff aren’t allowed to bring their mobile phones inside a facility for security reasons, which limits use of the app to after work hours. But with specially secured desktop computers installed inside the facilities, “staff can have 24/7 access to all the resources,” she adds.
The overall goal is to “continually reduce the stigma of asking for help and keep fostering an environment of openness and support,” says Cottingham — if necessary, one casual conversation at a time.
How does your agency measure up when it comes to wellness? Lexipol’s Wellness solutions help agencies deliver anonymous, 24/7 support, enhance peer support team readiness, and build a culture of wellness. Contact Lexipol at 844-312-9500 to learn more or request a demo.
