CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR MALES IN THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION TRANSITIONING TO RETIREMENT
A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of Master of Science in Counseling,
Career Counseling
By
Deanna Gurrola
December 2015 The graduate project of Deanna Gurrola is approved:
______Cathy Severson, M.S. Date
______Merril A. Simon, Ph.D., Date
______Mark Stevens, Ph.D., Chair Date
California State University, Northridge
ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my amazing and warm-hearted sister, Kathryn, who remained understanding throughout this process which, had to be a challenge considering the due date of my project was also one of the most important days of her life: her wedding. Katie (aka moto), you make me laugh, you remind me of what matters, and will always hold our childhood in your eyes. Thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I look forward to more sister time now that this is over!
To my incredible parents, thank you for all of your love and encouragement. It meant the world to me to be able to live with you during my grad school experience, have warm meals, long talks, and oodles of hugs whenever I needed them. Mom, your positive words, happy-go-lucky attitude, and your singing opera voice, always made me smile as I worked. Dad, you always make me laugh no matter what the circumstances and your inquiries into how I was doing during this process always made me feel like what I was doing was truly important. I also love how you are so excited to share this project with your LE buddies. I love you both!
To my best friend Kate, we’ve come a long way since our 7th grade “fun runs”. Thank you for being the initial inspiration for me to enter grad school again and for being my number one cheerleader and confidant throughout the experience. I don’t know if I could have done this without you telling me everything would be ok and how strong I was. I love you and cherish our friendship. Now, let’s go celebrate our favorite time of year!
To my CSUN buddies Esmeralda and Destiny, your constant positivity and caring inquiries helped me more than you know. I always felt like you both had my back no matter what and were helping me to take one step at a time. Destiny, I hope we can continue our weekly lunches!
To Arpi, my very first friend in the program, you have been such a comfort during these two and a half years, always telling me I could do it and being such a ray of sunshine. I would not have kept my sanity without being able to constantly text you about this project at all hours and you being there to help me calm down and take a deep breath.
To Dr. Merril Simon, for constantly believing in not only me but also my entire cohort and striving to juggle so many responsibilities with such strength and positivity. Thank you for your words of encouragement, wisdom, support, many detailed edits, and late night hours you spent on my project. I would not have been as successful in this program without you and your guidance.
To Christina, for being my sister away from home, I love you and all of your encouragement and positive vibes. Your words are like warm hugs and I will always feel so blessed to not only have met you during this experience, but to have you in my life for what I feel will be a very long time. You have helped me to grow not only as a counselor, but as a person as well. Now, let’s go to Disneyland, do our nails, or play with O2!
iii
To the amazing and supportive staff of the CSUN Career Center and the way they welcomed me during my internship. Special thanks to Nyla Jolly Dalferes, who has played so many roles for me in my grad experience but always with inspiration, support, an open door, and an open heart.
To Brian Finck, the most supportive and caring supervisor I have ever had. I have been so lucky to have someone like you to help me build the foundation of who I am as a counselor. Thank you for your constant belief in me, and always encouraging me to take care of myself.
To Cathy Severson, thank you for your amazing support from so far away and for all of your research on the retirement population that served as such an inspiration for this project.
To Dr. Mark Stevens, thank you for all of your incredible feedback, insightful perspectives, and how quickly you always got the many pieces of my project back to me. Every time I came to your office I felt a sense of calm and I appreciated the snacks too!
To Serena, who was my favorite professor and who is now one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. Thank you for your constant caring check-ins and for giving me the opportunity to have my first official position in the career counseling field. I’m so thankful for our mutual appreciation of the MBTI as well, ENFJs rule! I am so excited to continue working with you and learning from you.
Last, but certainly not least to Dr. Greg Jackson and Dr. Julie Hau because this accomplishment would not have been possible without your acceptance of me into the program and your belief in me as a future career counselor.
iv Table of Contents
SIGNATURE PAGE ...... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iii
ABSTRACT ...... viii
Chapter I: The Problem ...... 1
Statement of the Problem ...... 1
Importance of the Problem ...... 5
Identifying the Population ...... 7
General Characteristics of the Population ...... 8
Consequences of the Problem ...... 10
Introduction to Theoretical Approaches ...... 12
Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-Space Theory ...... 12
Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory ...... 15
Limitations of the Project ...... 16
Definition of Technical Terms ...... 17
Summary and Transition to Chapter Two ...... 19
Chapter II: Literature Review ...... 21
Summary of General Theoretical Perspectives ...... 21
Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-Space Theory Application to Population ...... 22
Expanding Super’s Disengagement Stage ...... 24
Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory Applied to Population ...... 25
Population Characteristics ...... 28
v Career Interventions for Population ...... 46
Existing Programs for the Population ...... 52
Transitional Model of a Program for the Military Population ...... 55
Summary and Transition to Chapter Three ...... 57
Chapter III: Procedure ...... 59
Description and Justification ...... 59
Structure of the Program ...... 60
Program Goals and Objectives ...... 62
Resources Needed ...... 63
Summary and Transition to Chapter Four ...... 67
Chapter IV: The Program ...... 69
Session 1: What Type of Retiree Am I? ...... 72
Session 2: Strong Interest Inventory Group Interpretation ...... 75
Session 3: Retirement Values Card Sort and Interpretation ...... 80
Session 4: Encore Career Part 1 – What is an Encore Career? ...... 85
Session 5: Encore Career Part 2 – Professional Development ...... 88
Session 6: Encore Part 3 – Becoming an Encore Entrepreneur ...... 94
Session 7: Staying Connected, Goals, and LEO Retiree Panel ...... 96
Chapter V: Program Evaluation ...... 100
Evaluator Credentials ...... 100
Summary of Evaluator Feedback ...... 101
Incorporation of Feedback ...... 107
Conclusion ...... 110
vi References ...... 113
Appendix A: Eligibility Criteria Form ...... 119
Appendix B: Intake Form ...... 120
Appendix C: Consent Form ...... 126
Appendix D: Program Evaluation ...... 127
Appendix E: Program Schedule ...... 128
Appendix F: Resources for Career Counselors ...... 129
Appendix G: What Type of Retiree Am I? ...... 130
Appendix H: Retirement Goals Worksheet ...... 132
Appendix I: Retirement Activities/Values Card Sort Worksheets ...... 134
Appendix J: Encore Career Exploration ...... 136
Appendix K: Professional Development ...... 138
Appendix L: Entrepreneur Exercise ...... 148
Appendix M: Resources for Participants ...... 149
Appendix N: Questions for Program Evaluators ...... 151
vii ABSTRACT
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR MALES IN THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION TRANSITIONING TO RETIREMENT
By
Deanna Gurrola
Master of Science in Counseling, Career Counseling
The career development needs of males retiring from the law enforcement field have not often been studied. This is likely due to the assumption that this population is secure in their retirement needs because of the excellent benefits that this occupational field provides. However, often these benefits and guidance are of a financial nature only.
Retirees or soon-to-be retirees also need to explore what comes after they leave law enforcement and re-enter civilian life and become a more full time member of their family. This problem is important to address because there are large numbers of retiring males in the law enforcement field moving into retirement, they retire much earlier than males in other occupational fields, and leaving this line of work is often strongly tied to the male law enforcement officer’s sense of personal identity. The proposed program is designed to encourage, assist, and inspire retiring or soon-to-be retiring males in the law enforcement field in their retirement transition. Through the use of career interventions grounded in career and adult development theory, the program strives to engage individuals in the process of rediscovering themselves and educating them on areas of professional development.
viii Chapter I: The Problem
Introduction
Retirement is a time to make the inner journey and come face to face with your flaws, failures, prejudices, and all the factors that generate thoughts of unhappiness. Retirement is not a time to sleep, but a time to awaken to the beauty of the world around you and the
joy that comes when you cast out all the negative elements that cause confusion and
turmoil in your mind and allow serenity to prevail. – Howard Salzman
We experience career transitions throughout our lives. Whether these transitions are of a positive nature or a negative nature one still has to make an adjustment, create a new normal, and then continue on with life. These adjustments could be made easier by our own knowledge of life’s experiences, resources we may obtain, education, or by our social support network. Retirement is one such life transition and according to the
Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, ranks 10th out of 43 on the list of stressful life events
(Holmes & Rahe, 1967). This chapter will explore the challenges of law enforcement males and the absence of the support of career development resources as they transition into retirement, the importance of the problem, and the consequences. Characteristics of the population will be discussed, as well as a brief description of the theories proposed to support the career development program. Lastly, limitations of the project will be explored.
Statement of the Problem
Retirement according to Purcell (2008) is most often defined in reference to whether an individual participates in the labor force, and whether he or she receives income from a pension or social security. There are many people in between these two extremes; for example, those in law enforcement may be considered retired in one part of the above definition but not the other. This is because law enforcement professions provide pensions upon retirement, but individuals may continue to work in other jobs
(Purcell, 2008). This may be partially explained as many retire from law enforcement earlier than the typical retirement age for most American men.
In recent years, the definition of retirement is expanding and it is not so black and white. Changes are happening fast with baby boomers entering retirement and society’s expectations and stereotypes of what a retiree is, are struggling to catch up as are the resources available to active retirees. Retirement used to mean giving up work and now there are many models of retirement such as: (a) working part time, (b) replacing one career with another, (c) regularly volunteering or going back to school, and
(d) luxuriating, devoting time to family and social life or other personal interests
(Schlossberg, 2004).
The idea of retirement is a relatively new phenomenon. In the mid twentieth century workers just stopped working when they had no choice in the matter with mandatory retirement ages in many organizations and fields (Pascale & Primavera,
2012). Specifically, in the 1950s things began to change, and it is only within the last few decades that the idea of retirement has become the norm (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
The retirement age is changing as well and more are entering retirement before the age of
65. While there are many reasons for retiring early or not being able to retire early, certain occupations like law enforcement often have employees retiring as early as 50 years old. Improvements in medical care and greater financial security have extended the
2 life span of the population (Pascale & Primavera, 2012). At age 50, there is so much life left to live, not to mention the energy and cognitive abilities that result in a retiree that is continuing to want to lead an active life and possibly enter another career.
Within the transition and adjustment of retirement there are different challenging areas a retiree may experience. According to Pascale and Primavera (2012), 75% of pre- retirees believe they will find their lives satisfying in retirement but only 54% actually have that experience. Our perceptions from the workforce give us a different image of retirement compared to when retirement becomes a reality. While working, hobbies are a way of escaping and one looks forward to having that leisure time, but in retirement leisure activities are now part of everyday life. Relationships with co-workers are often taken for granted as well. Pole (2006) states that sometimes retired police officers are surprised in the way that they seem to have been forgotten by their department once they have entered retirement. Personal relationships with spouses and family are also overlooked in the fact that the entire family goes through the retirement transition, not just the retiree.
Often what we do for a living is tied to our identity, and one of the first things we discuss when we meet someone new. Losing that side of our lives could be like losing a large part of one’s identity. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) stated that one’s social identity is often associated with a chosen occupation. One’s occupation often defines “social location and social worth” (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005, p. 1165.) Retirement may not only be seen as the end of one’s career but could be seen as the end of their personal and social worth especially in police officers. Those in law enforcement also tend to retire early between 50-55 years of age, and encounter challenges when trying to enter another career
3 field. In general, older workers have a negative stigma surrounding them. Often employers and fellow co-workers do not encourage or want to invest time in training an older worker because they think it will not be worth it or that it will take too long
(Greller, 2004). Ruiz and Morrow (2005) state that retiring law enforcement officers
(LEO) may feel inadequate as they step back into the job market due to a perceived lack of commercial skills.
Lastly, while career counseling would be a crucial resource for the retirement population in general, law enforcement males specifically, often do not see counseling as a desirable option. Rehm (1996) researched that fewer than 15% of police agencies in the
U.S. provide retirement counseling. Youself, Popat, and Hunter (2015) suggested that the possible reason why men hold more negative attitudes toward psychological help seeking is their attitudes about how men should think and behave based on cultural norms. Police retirement pitfalls need to be addressed with regards to providing necessary resources to promote development, implementation, and establishment of preretirement training programs that are regarded as policy and not a short-lived project or program (Caudhill,
2009).
The goal of the proposed program is to assist males in the law enforcement profession in transitioning to retirement. It is proposed that program sessions would help the soon-to-be retirees identify their values and also define retirement on their own terms whether that be living a life focusing on leisure, taking on new hobbies, furthering their education, working part or full time in another job, or becoming an entrepreneur.
4 Importance of the Problem
One of the most important factors in researching the problem of the lack of resources for retiring law enforcement males is the amount of retirees transitioning into retirement. This encompasses not only the law enforcement field, but in the general workforce overall. Caudhill (2009) researched that baby boomers (those born between
1945-1964) are felt to constitute the last vestiges of one of the most significant change generations ever to occur in American culture. They also compose the bulk of officers nearing or in the retirement phase of their career. In 2010, the Baby Boomer generation represented approximately 27% of the United States population and by 2030 the population of those over 60 is expected to be approximately 91 million (Schaefer, 2010).
According to Mermin (2007), 68% of older workers intend to work in retirement and
38% want to gradually ease into retirement instead of leaving the labor force altogether.
This is what Purcel (2008) calls “Phased Retirement” and some employers may begin altering their retirement and pension plans to accommodate employees who may want to transition from full-time work to part-time.
While these statistics do not specify how many of those are within the age range of the population being studied, based on the overall numbers of Baby Boomers, it is safe to assume that there is and will continue to be baby boomers with transitional career concerns and needs. Four out of five baby boomers desire to continue working beyond retirement age and many will require upgraded skills and credentials (Schaefer, 2010).
According to Purcell (2008), 40.9 % of men aged 55-64 who received income from a pension or retirement savings plan, were employed either full or part-time in 2007. It is important for soon-to-be retirees to realize that transferable skills will help keep them up
5 to date with the world of work but also open up areas of opportunity or even promotion if they did decide to continue stay in the law enforcement field. Spitulnik (2006) states that successful retirement includes a balance between the situation and the person’s desires and also being able to continue career paths in which there is still challenge, meaning, growth, and learning.
Many retirees in general are looking into possibly working either part-time or full- time in another job to transition into full time retirement and it is important to look at the way in which older workers are seen by the world of work. Hooyman and Kayak (2005) stated that older workers who have been in one occupation for many years may lack job search skills. Most retiring law enforcement officers have been known to be in this one career during their life thus far. The decisions they have made have been within their profession and they have been trained on what decision to make when, why, and how.
Taking charge of their next career journey may be a foreign concept to them.
Law enforcement males in the selected population for this project are considered early retirees because they can retire as early as age 50 and are usually not ready to step into a full time life of leisurely retirement. The ways in which employers of older workers and older workers themselves view their careers needs to change (Greller, 2004).
According to Adler and Hilber (2009), ageist stereotypes portray older workers as less productive, less creative, less trainable, less interested in new technology, and consequently less promotable. Even with state and federal legislation outlawing age discrimination in employment, many older workers have stated that they have experienced or been aware of age discrimination in the workplace (AARP, 2002). If older workers retiring from one area of work are looking to enter into another area it is
6 important to know what factors may be working against them. In an AARP survey of workers aged 45-74, 60% believed that age was a liability in the workplace.
Like other workers, older adults also want to feel productive, active, and valued
(Noonan, 2005). This can especially be seen in the retiring law enforcement population selected for this project. They are leaving a job that provided: (a) a social network,
(b) excitement, (c) a sense of family/camaraderie, and (d) a certain amount of status and power within the community. They leave all of that to become a civilian and as relevant, a more of a prominent part of their personal relationships and extended family. Success in the civilian workforce will depend mainly on what industry they choose to work in and older workers will face better odds of being hired and retained if they possess skills needed by industries that are growing strongly at the moment (Adler & Hilber, 2009).
Knowledge of occupations and career trends in the world of work and adding and exploring their transferable skills and how they can be applied to other areas will also add to success and easier transition.
Identifying the Population
The career development program proposed in this project is designed to assist law enforcement male retirees or soon-to-be retirees who are in the retirement transition process. The population to be studied is between the ages of 50-60 and has voluntarily chosen to retire. The retirement transition can include pre-retirement planning, being in the middle of retiring or having just recently retired within the year. Retirees or soon-to- be retirees could be looking to transition to full-time retirement, part-time retirement, or perhaps looking to change fields and begin a new career.
7 This population was selected because the retirement transition process for this population is overlooked because of the financial security this type of work provides.
However, there is more than the financial factors in the retirement transition, and there is little research on career development programs for retiring law enforcement officers.
This population often has their financial aspects of retirement solidified, but may forget about the psycho-social side of the retirement transition.
General Characteristics of the Population
The Baby Boomer generation can vary slightly depending on what source one is reading. According to Cogin (2012), the baby boomer generation is the generation born between 1940 and 1964. Basic characteristics of the early baby boomer law enforcement population researched for this project are that they are currently between the ages of 50 and 60. Based on the author’s personal experience with law enforcement family members and interviewing others in the profession, the members of this population most likely have had only one occupation beginning in their early 20s and less job or position change compared with most others their age. In the research of Spitulnik (2006), “choosers”– those who choose to retire rather than are forced or can’t afford to retire– possibly have the highest qualifications, income, and job status. The socioeconomic status of this population is difficult to define as it depends not only on how long the law enforcement officer has been with the department, but also at which rank they are choosing to retire.
But, most of the LEOs (law enforcement officers) interviewed are retiring at the $70K to
$100K a year range.
With regards to educational attainment, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (2014-15), a high school diploma is the only
8 educational requirement. However, with skills such as speaking another language and having higher degrees, the likelihood of being promoted will be more likely than other
LEOs, therefore the salary level at retirement will therefore be higher for those with additional education.
LEOs, in general, have grown up with very different work ethics and personal values than past generations. Cogin (2012) researched generational characteristics and explored how societal, economic, and cultural events have helped to shape the characteristics of certain generations. For example, baby boomers in the United States grew up being shaped by the Vietnam war, civil rights, and the sexual revolution (Cogin).
They may also have characteristics such as being used to working long hours, possessing strong social skills, but may be lacking in technical skills (which could apply to the law enforcement population), being loyal to employers, and respecting authority, but wishing to be viewed equally (Cogin). Members of this population in general, and of law enforcement in particular, may wish to ignore retirement because society views it as one of the last steps in a person’s life cycle. According to Caudhill (2009), members of this population may also require the most help when dealing with the retirement process due to lack of preparedness, failure to acknowledge the inevitable and outlook on life in general.
Regarding the law enforcement population, in particular, many of these workers have had a stressful career. Many may not have the coping skills or resilience to successfully and comfortably make that transition out of the department and into either retirement or another part- or full-time career. Police officers generally have atypically high levels of stress-related outcomes such as alcoholism, physical health problems, and
9 divorce (Pole, 2006). While police departments often encourage officers to emotionally distance themselves or use avoidance coping skills to be successful at their job, this does not fare well in day-to-day civilian life. According to Pole officers who are not used to expressing sadness and fear may be free from mood and anxiety disorders but may have physical health problems from emotional suppression.
Consequences of the Problem
Retirement itself presents problems of adjustment and stress for any individual.
Middle-aged men are particularly likely to feel hopeless because of the increasing number of educational and technological skills required for the current job market for which they are unprepared. This may cause struggles with depression, anxiety, and possible loss of self-esteem, self-confidence, and social support (Murphy & Shillingford,
2012). Law enforcement males in particular experience adverse consequences more intensely than their civilian counterparts, which could then also affect post-retirement longevity (Caudhill & Peak, 2009).
Careers in law enforcement have been known to take their toll mentally and physically on an officer. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) have found that retired police officers often suffer higher levels of job-related health problems, depression, suicide, and employment issues. While police coping mechanisms that work on the job, but not in civilian life are discussed in the next chapter, if substance abuse–in this context, also a possible coping mechanism–is a factor when exiting their career, retirement can be both a psychological and physical disaster (Ruiz & Morrow). For the LEO who is not prepared for retirement psychologically, and only financially, the transition could contribute to even more stress and physiological problems.
10 Another factor that may not always be considered for law enforcement retirees is
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to Ruiz and Morrow (2005) someone does not need to experience a traumatic event in order to have PTSD, but often police officers are exposed to traumatic events such as homicides, dead bodies, accident and assault victims, and abused children. It is estimated that 7-19% of police officers have
PTSD (Ménard & Arter, 2014), so it is a factor that needs to be considered when creating a program for law enforcement retirees and understanding their needs.
Retiring from law enforcement can also create other internal and social relationship challenges for the retiree. Pascale and Primavera (2012) found that the loss of direction and purpose could cause: (a) weakened self-esteem, (b) reduced levels of motivation and open-mindedness, (c) bouts of loneliness, and (d) lower energy levels.
This can then trigger personal relationship issues. Perceived marital quality drops from
87% (at the beginning of retirement) to 63% after retirement (Pascale & Primavera). In the study of retiring police officers, the transition that spouses and immediate family members experience during the LEO’s retirement is often not addressed. Pre-planning and better communication on expectations prior to retirement that includes the spouse and family have the potential to alleviate some of this tension.
Retiring police officers are also often surprised at how fast they feel disconnected from the their social network of fellow police officers. Research has found at the beginning of retirement, 78% of retirees feel they will have continued co-worker friendships, after two years this number drops to just 35% (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
There are limited opportunities in retirement to meet others unless one becomes involved in other hobbies, activities, or begins another job. Friendships and social interaction is
11 important for psychological well being regardless of age or life-stage, so it is a crucial part of the retirement transition because it helps determine the quality of life for the retiree (Pascale & Primavera).
Introduction to Theoretical Approaches
In the following section Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-Space theory will be presented as well as Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. Both theories provide foundation and structure for the career development program proposed in this project. In the following chapter, these theories will be discussed in greater depth and specifically how they relate to the population and to the development of the program.
Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-Space Theory
Donald Super was the first theorist to combine one’s personal or social life and their vocational life into a combined developmental process (Chen, 2011). According to
Donald Super (1980), “ . . . a career is defined as the combination and sequence of roles played by a person during the course of a lifetime” (p. 282). Super’s theory of life-span and life-space deals with one’s self-concept and the fact that throughout our vocational journeys we have numerous roles that each has their own expectations.
Life Roles and Life Spaces
According to Super (1980), the term “role” is understood and defined in terms of expectations and performance. Expectations of each role are defined as the expectations of those viewing the person in that role and as the perceptions of the person in that role
(Super). Performance of each role is defined in two parts: enactment of the role and the satisfaction shown, and shaping of the role by the expectations of others and of the person in the role in developing it (Super). Life roles will change with increasing age as when
12 considering the different definitions of a child or how the role of worker changes with positions with a certain company or changing the type of work performed altogether.
During the life span one moves in and out of certain roles and may occupy one role or more than one at a time. These roles in chronological order are: (a) child, (b) student, (c) leisurite (i.e., one engaged in leisure activities), (d) citizen, (e) worker
(including unemployed and non-workers), (f) spouse, (g) homemaker, (h) parent, and (i) pensioner (Super, 1980). While there are many other roles that people occupy (and some that not everyone will experience) these are the general ones that Super uses in his theory.
It is important to note that the roles introduced above are not usually sex-linked especially in Western societies where men and women share certain responsibilities such as in the home and regarding supporting a family financially and emotionally (Super).
During the life span one may not only occupy multiple roles, often simultaneously, but will occupy them in different settings as well. Super labels these settings as ‘theaters’ such as: (a) the home, (b) the community, (c) the school, and (d) the workplace. As with occupying multiple roles at once, sometimes one role such as parent may be demonstrated in two areas such as the home and at the child’s school.
Emotional involvement with the different life roles will change depending on the life stage (Super, 1980). For example, being a teenage worker in the world of work may mean something different than it does when that teenager is a middle-aged adult and working to support a family. Success in one life role may help with success in other roles as does experiencing difficulties in one life role may also lead to difficulties in other life roles as well (Super).
13 Super’s Life Stages
Within the life roles played in the multiple settings there are also five life stages that Super’s theory (1980) states that one may move through during career development.
These stages are explained as “maxicycles” that could occur over a lifetime but also as
“minicycles” that could occur during life transitions (Blustein, 2014; Super). In the following paragraphs are brief descriptions of Super’s life stages followed by how
Super’s theory can be applied to the population of this project.
Growth Stage. This stage may occur during childhood and early adolescence and involves becoming concerned about the future, increasing personal control over one’s life, disciplining oneself to be successful in school and at work, and having competent work habits and attitudes (Bluestein, 2014; Super).
Exploration Stage. This stage encompasses adolescence to early adulthood and includes implementing a career choice (Bluestein, 2014; Super).
Establishment Stage. This stage occurs during early and middle adulthood and concerns entering and becoming established in one’s career and work life, stabilizing and promoting in one’s career are a focus of this stage (Bluestein, 2014; Super).
Maintenance Stage. This stage includes middle adulthood and retirement and involves maintaining what has been achieved in the work realm and also updating one’s skills and innovation (Bluestein, 2014; Super).
Disengagement Stage. This stage is the final stage and encompasses the retirement transition and begins when an individual retires or withdraws or disengages from the world of work (Bluestein, 2014; Super).
14 The above stages are not meant to be linear and sometimes one may cycle through them again as explained before during a life transition.
Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory
Schlossberg (2003, 2011) defined transition in three realms, anticipated life events, unanticipated life events, and nonevents. Anticipated life events may be divorcing, moving, or retiring, unanticipated events may be an accident or surprise promotion, and lastly nonevents occur when something is expected but does not end up happening like not being able to retire when one anticipated doing so (Schlossberg, 2003,
2011). The transition model helps us to understand transitions, coping with them, and applying them to one’s work and personal life. Each of us brings different strengths and weaknesses to life transitions and Schlossberg’s transition model helps to fill these gaps in adaptability. This model also helps us to understand why some transitions may be easier to navigate than others.
4 S’s System for Coping with Transition. According to Schlossberg (2011), there are 4 S’s for coping with transition common to all transitional events in four different categories: (a) situation, (b) self, (c) support, and (d) strategies. Below are descriptions of the 4 S’s according to Schlossberg (2003, 2011).
Situation. Situation refers to where a person is at the time of transition and what else is happening in a one’s life at this time (Schlossberg, 2003).
Self. This area includes personal inner strength that is brought to the transition by the person for example their resourcefulness or resiliency. Optimism may be important as well and if one is able to reframe the unexpected issues that a life transition will bring such as roles at home, self identity, and sense of purpose (Schlossberg, 2011).
15 Support. At the time of transition it is important to have a strong support system.
This can include family members, a supportive community, friends, and possibly co- workers that will ease the transition and possibly normalize the feelings associated with it
(Schlossberg, 2003).
Strategies. Strategies are specific coping mechanisms that one brings to the life transition. Schlossberg (2003, 2011) addressed three coping strategies: (a) changing the situation by taking action, (b) reframing the situation, and (c) changing one’s emotional reactions to the situation. Many other strategies may come out of assessing the other three
S’s and discovering more of one’s strengths and weaknesses in regards to what would help move one healthfully through a life transition.
Limitations of the Project
This project is limited to males between the ages of 50-60 retiring from the law enforcement profession. Many LEOs look to retire at or around the age of 50.
Participants are expected to have begun to plan for retirement, be in the process of planning, or possibly have just recently retired from the police department. Participants will be able to choose which sessions they attend, though attending all sessions would be recommended and the most beneficial. With regards to the initial intake interview, any potential participant(s) who may have deeper psychological problems such as dealing with active thoughts of suicide or other issues beyond the scope of the career counselors will be referred to another more appropriate resource.
In studying this population, there were areas of research that were quite controversial and still in the beginning stages of research. One such area was LEO life
16 expectancy after retirement and if the retirement transition or other health problems contributed to a lower life expectancy.
Definition of Technical Terms
Bridge Employment or Jobs: Employment held after leaving a full-time career with the intention of gradually withdrawing over time from the labor force, older workers begin to disengage psychologically, but are not yet ready to begin life as retirees with no work responsibilities (Pascale & Primavera, 2012; Shultz & Wang, 2011).
Career Counseling: The National Association for Career Development (NCDA) defines career counseling as the process of assisting individuals in the development of a life- career with focus on the definition of the worker role and how that role interacts with other life role (ncda.org, 2009).
Critical Incidents: Incidents outside of the usual range of experience of a police officer that have the capacity to overwhelm the LEOs psychological defense and coping mechanisms (Ménard & Arter, 2014).
Encore Career: According to Alboher (2013) an encore career is a “ . . .new trend that is pertaining to baby boomers crafting a new stage of work. They are coming to realize that with midlife comes a newfound capacity to tap into their accumulated experience and wisdom to accomplish new things . . .” (p. 2) thus taking on another career after retirement.
Male Gender Role Conflict (GRC): Condition in which socialized gender roles have negative consequences on the individual or others (Wester, 2008).
Masculinity: Masculinity is defined as the combination of the practices, ideologies, and historical norms that cultures use to define what it means to be a man (Levant, 2008).
17 Multicultural Competency: The development of knowledge, awareness, and skills to no only focus on underrepresented or marginalized groups but also on the counselor’s understanding of him or herself and the client and being able to effectively work with a culturally diverse population (Liu, 2005).
Open Mindedness: While many know what this means, in the context of this project we are referring to the willingness to consider new values, ideas, feelings, and new experiences as an adaptive trait (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
Psychosocial Factors: According to Psychology Dictionary (n.d.) these are social, cultural and environmental influences that affect an individual’s mental health and behavior and could include social situations, relationships, health care, and resources and others.
Retirement: While this project revolves around this term, it has become more difficult to define and is mostly about how the retiree defines it. It could be leaving their full-time job completely and taking on a life without working at all. It could also be retiring from one occupation, such as law enforcement, and receiving retirement benefits but concurrently choosing to begin another job in another field (Purcell, 2008). Now being described as a process or career stage rather than a single event (Lytle, Clancy, Foley, &
Cotter, 2015).
Role Exit Process: When a person disengages from a role that has been central to that person’s identity (Schlossberg, 2003).
Social Anomie: According to Ruiz and Morrow (2005) social anomie is defined as
“ . . . a personal crisis experienced while moving from one culture to another: from blue-
18 collar worker to manager, from having little money to sudden wealth, from working to retirement. It is a time when the ground beneath one’s feet does not feel solid” (p. 1171).
Wellness: Wellness definition by Myers et al. (2000) “ a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community. Ideally, it is the optimum state of health and well being that each individual is capable of achieving,”
(p. 252)
Summary and Transition to Chapter Two
Chapter one has introduced the career development program for law enforcement males going through the retirement transition. It provided the statement of the problem, which is the need for a career development program to provide guidance, resources, and support to the selected population and the fact that there are very few, if any, programs existing that concentrate on this area of retirement transition for law enforcement males.
The importance of the problem and consequences of it not being resolved and explored more were also discussed. The major themes facing retirees or soon-to-be retirees are:
(a) the lack of career counseling, (b) the lack of social support and connections, (c) the disruption of personal relationships with significant others and family, (d) the loss of identity when transitioning out of the law enforcement culture, (f) the challenges of older workers, and (e) the susceptibility of officers in regards to health problems because of the stress of the job, inappropriate coping skills, and stress of the retirement transition.
This population is not often addressed because of the assumption that the law enforcement retirees are secure because of the typical financial benefits provided to this profession upon retirement. On the contrary, while financial and psychological programs
19 are available to help transitioning law enforcement officers, there is no within agency program that addresses career development or support should the retirees wish to pursue another occupation outside of law enforcement or to explore what else they can do to fill their leisure time.
Another reason this population may be overlooked is that law enforcement officers often retire quite early. They are considered early retirees because they retire as early as 50 as opposed to peers in other fields that tend to work significantly longer.
Society’s expectations and resources for retirees usually center on those above the age of
60. It should be also noted that given the United States society and its view on masculinity, and the law enforcement culture in general, that it is atypical for this population to ask for help with regards to anything relating to counseling.
The following chapter will serve to further discuss the topics discussed in the sections above with the support of additional research in the form of a literature review.
Chapter 2 will elaborate on the theoretical approaches of Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-
Space theory and Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition theory and how each applies specifically to the population selected for this program. The population’s characteristics and the different challenging areas that the population faces in the retirement transition will then be discussed. Considerations for the development of the program will be explored as well as interventions, existing programs, and a model of a career development program in existence for the military population.
20 Chapter II: Literature Review
In this chapter, the theoretical perspectives of Donald Super’s Life Span Life
Space theory and Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory will be presented as well as how they have been utilized to support the need for the development of the program for this project’s population. The characteristics of this population as well as the psychology and culture of males in the law enforcement field will be discussed. The interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socio-cultural challenges of the population will also be addressed.
While there are many resources available for law enforcement officers (LEOs) transitioning to retirement, there does not appear to be a program that addresses the career development and self-exploration components proposed in this project. The expectations of this project and how the population would be affected and suggested interventions will also be explored.
Summary of General Theoretical Perspectives
The population of male retiring police officers within the ages of 50 and 60 are experiencing or about to experience a major life transition. Many of these police officers may have only held jobs in law enforcement, and thus may also have their identity strongly tied to their profession.
Two theories will be discussed in this project that will help support the needed interventions and resources this population will need to navigate this time in their lives.
Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Model has been specifically used with the retirement population and helps to describe the altered roles, relationships, routines, and assumptions, where one is in the retirement transition process, and what strengths one has to get through it in the best way possible (Schlossberg, 2003). The second theory to be
21 discussed is Donald Super’s theory of life-span and life-space and describes one’s self- concept and the idea that throughout our vocational journeys and life-span we have numerous roles that we are moving in and out of (Super, 1980).
Donald Super’s Life-Span Life-Space Theory Application to Population
With regards to Super’s life-span and life-space theory, it is important to review how Super defines occupation and career and how it is applicable to the male retirees and soon-to-be retirees in law enforcement. Super (1980) defines a career as a sequence of positions held during the course of a lifetime, some held simultaneously. An occupation is defined as the sequence or combination of occupational positions held during a lifetime
(Super). Life roles lead to life style, which leads to structuring the life-space and constitutes the life cycle. This total structure is called the career pattern (Super). It is important to consider an individual’s complete career pattern because it may help with accessing their strengths, resources, and interests in order to move forward through the retirement transition. Super’s theory is developmental, studying the life-span and life- space, and the idea that occupational choice is not something that happens just once in a lifetime, but something that is continuously changing and developing throughout the life- span. This allows us to look at retirement from a more active area of understanding.
When originally researching Super’s (1990) theory and its application to the population selected, it would seem that only one of the stages could be applied to the male law enforcement retiree population between the ages of 50-60. In contrast, according to Super, all five of Super’s life stages can be applied to middle and late adulthood as they are transitioning from their current job into retirement. This is referred to as the recycling process by Super.
22 Growth Stage
In middle to late adulthood, this stage may be characterized by accepting one’s own limitations and developing non-occupational roles (Super, 1990). Whether a retiree decides to stay in their current line of work or decides to pursue another line of work or hobby, they will have to acknowledge any current physical and/or mental limitations.
They also will need to be conscious of the fact that they may have to learn some new skills. Developing new non-occupational roles would be, for example, dealing with family roles and possible roles within the community that may have not been held before.
Exploration Stage
The Exploration stage of Super’s theory encompasses realizing and addressing the new problems that may arise due to the retirement transition (Super, 1990). These problems could be adjusting to new roles, different financial pressures, and figuring out how to create purpose for oneself.
Establishment Stage
The Establishment stage could be characterized by developing new skills and participating in activities one has always wanted to try or do (Super). Developing new skills could be viewed as increasing one’s understanding of how to take care of one's physical and mental well-being as well as developing skills for re-entering the world of work. If a retiree makes the decision to retire full-time, assisting them to explore their interest areas could help direct them to different activities to become involved in.
Maintenance
While Super (1990) characterized the Maintenance stage of knowing how to keep up with the competition and how to keep up with what one still enjoys, the latter appears
23 to apply more to the selected population. Because law enforcement officers often begin their careers at young ages, their identity is even more likely to be tied to their occupation than the average person. Therefore, it is all the more important that the retiree is educated on what to expect with the retirement transition, and also to actively prepare mentally for what other sides of their identity can be nurtured so that the loss of their occupation in law enforcement does not contribute to the sense of losing one’s identity.
Disengagement
The Disengagement stage is characterized by focusing on essential activities and reducing work hours (Super, 1990). While this stage applies to the selected population, many retirees will be dealing with reduced work hours or having no work hours at all if they have chosen to retire full time. Depending on the health of the retiree, they may have quite an active lifestyle for years after retirement.
Expanding Super’s Disengagement Stage
The focus of the career intervention program for retiring law enforcement officers is to improve their resources and overall well-being in this life transition to the next stage of life. It is challenging to read about Super’s Disengagement stage because many current adults are not choosing to disengage just because they are retiring from their current paid occupation though this is often the general stereotype from society. Chen (2011) states that transitioning into retirement should be “ . . . focusing on understanding, proving and strengthening the intrinsic potential of a retiree so that such potential can be used as resources that will enrich the individuals coping experience during the retirement transition process” (p. 26). The career development program proposed intends to increase
24 the confidence and encourage self-exploration of each retiree or soon-to-be retiree so as to not only have an easier time with the transition, but also a more satisfying retirement.
Life career re-engagement (LCRE) process was created by Chen (2011) expanding on the work of Super’s Disengagement stage of his theory. Super’s current description of the Disengagement stage, not longer fits with how those of that age range or stage of life are seeing themselves. Disengagement implies that someone is not active or participating in the workforce. In past generations, career development in terms of work was not thought to play an important role in retirement from one’s primary employment. That now has changed (Chen). LCRE allows for retirement to be seen as an area of re-engagement and that retirees can have a proactive stance when looking at the next chapter of their life.
Super’s theory described many life roles that one has throughout life and that do not end at retirement. There are still many roles in personal, community, and possible professional realms that the retiree may still hold. The three aspects of LCRE are: (a) self-exploration, (b) self-enhancement, and (c) life-role interaction and integration (Chen,
2011). The thoughts and patterns behind LCRE can be seen in Super’s earlier life stages.
Chen mainly stated that the last stage should be expanded especially considering the increasingly large retirement population and the fact that this population is not choosing to fade into the background, but, instead to actively participate in the world of work for longer periods of time and/or pursue other areas of interest. This is particularly true for those who are retiring at younger ages, which is common for law enforcement officers.
Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory Applied to Population
“Retirement changes not only your daily routine, but your role as a full-time
25 worker, relationships with co-workers, and even more important your identity”
(Schlossberg, 2003, p. 6). Thus, when researching the transitioning law enforcement male
Baby Boomer population, it was found that most law enforcement officers entered the occupational field at a very young age and that their identity is strongly tied to their profession. During research and interviews, the problems and needs that concern coping skills, self-efficacy, and support networks have been revealed. Nancy Schlossberg’s transition model encompasses many of these concerns with the 4 S’s model. The
Situation category applies to law enforcement retirees in the selected population because not all deputies retire for the same reasons with the same family stresses or obligations, and, as well, retirement may not always be voluntary. The retiring law enforcement officer may be fully or partially retiring, or even transitioning to a bridge or alternative occupation. Schlossberg states that the timing of retirement is everything, is it a “good” time in one’s life or a “bad” one?
Schlossberg’s (2003) Self category encompasses one’s inner strength and resiliency. Law enforcement officers, unlike many other professions, may have more resiliency than most. However, assessing whether the coping skills and ways in which the law enforcement officers handle the stress of a personal life transition such as retirement, still needs to be researched further.
Researching the needs and suggestions for this population, the subject of support has come up often. Schlossberg (2003, 2011) researched that the Support category was essential for not only life transitions, but particularly for retirement transitions to contribute to one’s sense of well-being. For example, professional associations for retirees of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department could be very helpful, as well as support
26 groups of fellow retirees, and possibly their families. Another possible option could be a mentor/mentee program to help retired law enforcement officers remain connected and experience a sense of purpose. Lastly, the Strategies category encompasses all of the above and helps the retiree take action to change their situation, reframe it, or change their reaction.
Goodman and Anderson (2012) have found that 3.2 million Baby Boomers turned
65 in 2011, and that this group is changing the stereotypes of how society has viewed retirees in the past. Many retirees want to continue to have a sense of purpose and mattering to society and to those around them (Schlossberg, 2009) by continuing their connection to the outside world. This certainly also applies to the law enforcement population applied in this project because their livelihood and careers have rotated around making a difference in society and mattering to coworkers, the community, and, for some, being the main provider in their home life. Due to the fact that there was no literature found connecting Schlossberg’s transition model directly to law enforcement, the law enforcement culture will need to be taken into account when considering approaches, interventions, and learning styles.
Schlossberg (2009) identified six types of retirees that would need to be considered when designing a career intervention program and those are: (a) Continuers that shift the way they see themselves and continue to work, (b) Easy Gliders that take each day as it comes, (c) Adventurers that move in new directions, (d) Searchers that may be in a process of exploration, (e) Involved Spectators that still care deeply about their previous line of work, and (f) Retreaters that give up on finding ways to replace their previous work.
27 The career development program proposed would address strategies to deal with the emotional reactions to the transition including wellness dimensions like stress management, importance of sleep, relaxation skills, etc., and the professional development strategies (decision making, job searching, resume writing, communication, and interest and value assessments) that would help reframe and change the situation. The proposed program would also need to take into account different types of retirees from above when designing the workshops and ways in which the retirees would gain resources and career counseling.
Population Characteristics
The population chosen for the proposed program is the end of the male Baby
Boomer generation (i.e., those born between the years of 1955-1965) and who are choosing to retire from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). At or around the age of 50, law enforcement professionals often begin planning and seeking resources to aid them in the retirement process. As described in the previous chapter, this population is choosing to retire earlier than many others, and generally is not retiring with the same financial concerns that other retirees face in other fields of work, particularly as compared to others their age. This is because LASD is known to have excellent retirement benefits as long as the law enforcement officer (LEO) has planned accordingly during his/her career.
Members of this population would be considered early retirees even though they have 25-30 years of serviced in the profession as they began early and as many are able to afford to retire. As well, the occupation itself can sometimes lead to burnout.
According to Pascale and Primavera (2012), early retirees are a little outside of the realm
28 of how we normally see retirement and retirees as a society. There is not necessarily a support system for early retirees because they are so few in number relative to the entire population of retirees. Early retirees often find it challenging to stay connected with peers because they are not likely to find peers retiring at the same age (Pascale & Primavera).
Early retirees (between the ages of 45-59) unlike later retirees (ages 65 and above) may have a more active lifestyle and wish to pursue possibly work in another field rather than retire full time and the retirement world is not built to accommodate this at this time.
Law enforcement is considered to be one of the most stressful occupations, with officers continuously exposed to critical incidents, being criticized and stigmatized by the public, and not always receiving support from superiors (Swanson, Territo, & Taylor,
2012). It is also an occupation that can infiltrate all areas of an LEO’s life. Ruiz and
Morrow (2005) state that a police officer is a police officer 24 hours a day even after he retires.
There are habits that become part of who the police officer is that will continue throughout life. For example, Ruiz states that after 20 years of retiring he still drives tactically and scans driver’s license plates (Ruiz & Morrow). According to Menard and
Arter (2014), more specific stressors and characteristics of police work are things such as:
(a) irregular hours, (b) family resentment over missing events due to work, (c) maladaptive coping techniques, (d) critical incidents experienced (such as taking a life or the injury or death of one’s partner or close others in the workplace), (e) social stressors
(rejection by friends and the public), and (f) isolation. Some coping strategies in the police culture are utilizing avoidance, which may work while at work, but does not work in an LEO’s personal life. According to Lindsay and Shelley (2009), avoidance and the
29 pressure to conform in the police subculture can often lead to alcohol use and abuse, which may also be encouraged by other officers who experiencing similar challenges in their lives.
For law enforcement males, and males in general, retiring can result in a profound loss of identity. Pascale and Primavera (2012) state that this is because the worker role is so deeply embedded in males in general and law enforcement males in particular. Social relationships are often tied to identity. During the LEO’s career, he is part of a second family of sorts within the department of other officers. Once retired, LEOs often are less effective at building their social lives, depend more on their family members for social interaction, and, as years go by they may lack motivation to make new friendships
(Pascale & Primavera).
Psychology, Culture, and Subculture of Men in Law Enforcement
The career development program developed for law enforcement retiring male officers would not be effective without taking into account the police culture and subculture. Understanding the police culture helps to explain why retiring police officers have not only problems adjusting to a civilian role, but also may have communication problems with their spouses and their families. According to Woody (2006), there is a high divorce rate among police officers in general but the likelihood of divorce does increase in the beginnings of the retirement transition. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) have researched the police culture and the absolute dedication that is required in the field of law enforcement, which can often take a toll on the personal relationships outside the police department. While in the policing field of work, officers quickly adapt to excitement and danger and may become psychologically depressed in calm or normal
30 periods of life and this can be a challenge to regulate (Ruiz & Morrow).
Police officers are set apart from other occupational groups and members of society by their unique role and social status. Police subculture is mainly responsible for what has come to be known as the “police worldview” (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005). This is often something that cannot be turned off as the author of this research project has experienced with her father, ex-husband, and sister. During their careers, police officers develop a biased viewpoint that influences the way that they perceive society and the incidents they may experience. They may see society as a we/they or us/them dynamic and see civilians as outsiders (Ruiz & Morrow).
Ruiz and Morrow (2005) also researched two main themes in the police subculture that are encouraged and expected: isolation and solidarity. Police culture, danger, and authority warrant coercive force that “generates and supports norms of internal solidarity . . .” (Skolnick, Feely, & McCoy, 2005, p. 190). Isolation is a normal consequence of the themes of secrecy, the police worldview, police suspiciousness, and the unusual working hours (Ruiz & Morrow). The theme of secrecy acts as a boundary of protection from the outside world and also results in LEOs being reluctant to share their feelings openly with loved ones or with others, including any counseling professionals (Ruiz & Morrow).
When considering professional help or counseling this population often has trouble because of the expectations and pressures of secrecy of the police culture. Wester and Lyubelsky (2005) indicate that LEOs do not want the record of professional services on their employment records based on the perceived, and perhaps actual stigma for it being there, so they often avoid seeking help even though most departments readily offer
31 these services. This is something that definitely has to be considered when thinking about how this population will respond to a career counseling and self-exploratory program.
What happens when police are removed from this police culture and have to live in the civilian side of the work force or society? Ruiz and Morrow (2005) researched that police loyalty disappears quite rapidly upon retirement and that a current LEO will not issue a citation (for a minor infraction) to a retiree out of respect, but that is the extent of the courtesy extended to retired LEOs. Retirees may no longer be viewed as a member of the closed society of current LEOs. Retirees will lose the solidarity and loyalty they once had with the department and may be left with isolation. This may have been effective while on the job, but will be a deterrent in civilian life and retirement (Ruiz & Morrow).
According to Ruiz and Morrow officers may feel uneasy and have had a difficult time reconciling their many roles of spouse, father, or friend during their time as LEOs, and this only continues during the retirement transition. High rates of family problems, alcoholism and substance abuse, risk of suicide, and depression- and anger-related difficulties make this population in need of study as they go through one of their biggest life transitions, leaving the way of life they once knew behind and embarking on a new path (Woody, 2006).
Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Socio-Cultural Challenges
With any life transition comes challenges and adjustments. The population of retiring law enforcement officers for this project face interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socio-cultural challenges that need to be considered when creating a career development program for them. The Psychology Dictionary (n.d.) defines interpersonal as dealing with actions, events, and feelings that exits between two or more people, intrapersonal as
32 describing factors or constructs occurring within the person such as decisions, attitudes, self-esteem, and self concept, and finally socio-cultural challenges deal with socialization issues and environmental conditions that contribute to the development of one’s healthy behavior and wellbeing. In the following sections challenges in each of these areas will be explored.
Expectations and Adjustment
Social anomie is defined as a personal crisis experienced while moving
from one culture to another: from blue-collar worker to manager, from
having little money to sudden wealth, from working to retirement. It is a
time when the ground beneath one’s feet does not feel solid. (Bradley,
2001, p.1171)
There has been research on the different phases a retiree may go through as they adjust to retirement, and also to the different personality types of retirees once retired.
Schlossberg (2004) states that retirement is more than just one transition; it is actually many transitions over time. There is constant adjustment that occurs over years.
In further support, Pascale and Primavera (2012) proposed that there are four phases that may occur with a retiree such as: Honeymoon, Disenchantment,
Reorientation, and Stability (Pascale & Primavera). The Honeymoon phase involves the early stages of retirement when thinking about retirement may cause a few feeling of anxiety but, in general, emotions are positive and there is a sense of new freedom that awaits. This phase can occur before retirement begins and continue into retirement. After a few weeks to a few months after retirement, there may be an emotional letdown and decline of subjective well-being as retirees come to terms with what their day to day
33 reality has become. A feeling of disconnect without a meaningful work role in society emerges, which is the Disenchantment phase (Pascale & Primavera). After a few years, the Reorientation role, where one reevaluates ones circumstances, attitudes, and life circumstances, and the Stability role, where the retiree comes to terms and feels comfortable with the idea of being retired occurs. In a study of 1,477 retirees, Pascale and Primavera found that even after a few years of retirement, 45% still missed their jobs.
Whether this means that retirees are not finding engaging work after their job they left or whether they have not fully had a chance to adjust and create the next chapters of their life remains to be further researched.
Pascale and Primavera (2012) found that a lack of preparedness in retirees may be because of our antiquated views on retirement. Earlier in this chapter it was discussed that the LE retirees would be considered early retirees. This population, especially because of their past active lives, intends to remain active and possibly taking on other work roles; however, that is not how society sees retirees. Upon entering retirement, it is easy to assume that older retirees will have a more natural fit in the retirement world because services are specifically targeted toward their age group, senior centers, restaurants, and certain community activities (Pascale & Primavera, 2005). This is not the case for younger retirees. There is not only the view that society as a whole maintains regarding retirement and retirees, but also how the new retirees see themselves. Pascale and Primavera (2012) have researched that only after the decision to retire has been made, retirees establish expectation about what retirement will look like, and while depending on the attitude of retiree and the level of preparedness, they may have a sense of excitement, anxiety or depression. An issue not often covered by social scientists is
34 the fear that retirement will make one feel old and that retirement is one step closer to death, retirees may begin to think about their own mortality (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
Sometimes when soon-to-be retirees begin picturing retirement while they are still in their full time work, there may be unrealistic expectations and thoughts about what retirement will be like and what they will fill their days doing. According to Pascale and
Primavera 75% of pre-retirees believe they will find their lives satisfying in retirement, but only 54% actually have that experience. Our perceptions from the workforce give us a different image of retirement than when retirement becomes reality. While working, hobbies are a way of escaping and one looks forward to having that leisure time, but in retirement leisure activities are now part of everyday life.
Another unrealistic expectation is that social relationships with other officers will continue. While working, there is a constant low level of stress with moments of extreme stress, and shift work in the policing environment that draws officers closer to one another (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005). It is because of this intense bonding and family environment that departing to retire would amplify the loss of a social support system.
According to Ruiz and Morrow the feeling of being on the outside looking in happens quite suddenly with the transition to retirement.
Many retirees may also think their marriage will improve or stay the same, but being around one’s spouse all the time is much different then when one or both is working outside the home. Preparation and self-awareness can help with these adjustments and expectations. Other traits that could help with adjustment according to
Pascale and Primavera (2005) are if a retiree is energetic, goal-directed, self-confident, and open minded. The attitude and person’s self-image, along with opinions on health
35 and how they see death, are all factors in the retirement transition. The program proposed would help retirees and future retirees embrace their new retirement role and lifestyle and help them to pursue hobbies and interests as well as open up the communication between family members and spouses if needed.
Loss of Worker Role Identity
When many of us introduce ourselves to someone new one of the first questions asked is, “What do you do?” Ruiz and Morrow (2005) stated that one’s social identity is often associated with a chosen occupation. One’s occupation also often defines “social location and social worth” (Ruiz & Morrow, p. 1165). Retirement may not only be seen as the end of one’s career, but could be seen as the end of their personal and social worth especially in police officers. As a gender, men tend to rely exclusively on their job for self-definition, and so retirement can mean the loss of not only one’s identity, but loss of a sense of purpose and structure to one’s days (Pascale & Primavera, 2012). While the role of work in our lives can be seen as constantly evolving the role of a police officer is interwoven with who that police officer is as a person. Retirees may have to consider that after retiring, no other career may be able to mimic what policing offered in the excitement and family type structure.
Personal and Professional Relationships
Retirement in general can be a period of adjustment, stress, and anxiety for any retiree going through it, but often the fact that the retiree’s family and spouse go through a transition as well is overlooked. According to Uhlinger and Writer (2006), officers, emergency dispatchers, and others in law enforcement need to be more multidimensional and should not be so wedded to their jobs that they have no life outside of work. This
36 type of mental commitment to their occupations would likely set the stage for challenges in retirement. The transition to losing most of the professional relationships an LEO has come to depend on in his day-to-day work life will now cease to exist seemingly overnight. Many police officers have spent most of their working lives within a supported network of other officers. Pole (2006) states that sometimes retired police officers are surprised in the way that they seem to have been forgotten by their department after retirement. It would certainly be quite a shock to a retiree who was used to having such peer camaraderie and social connections on a regular basis to not having it at all.
Woody (2006) states that isolation from non-law enforcement relationships often occurs during an LEO’s career and when values of the police culture and non-law enforcement ideas collide, the LEO is expected to hold identity with and commitment above all else to law enforcement. Uhlinger and Writer (2006) state that when it comes to learning how to deal with the emotional rigors of the job and not letting them affect your personal life, you are usually on your own which can be difficult.
Police officers become really jaded. We don’t hang out with Nobel Peace Prize
winners. We get to see people on their worse days. We see the same people day
in and day out who don’t get the help they need. Being a cop is kind of like being
the midnight garbage man . . .” (Uhlinger & Writer, 2006, p. 1)
Police officers will often take their work home with them psychologically and sometimes it is the loved ones that suffer (Uhlinger & Writer). LEOs have sometimes been known to have impatient and aggressive tendencies when dealing with their families. Due to the type of job they are in, LEOs may question their family more, mistrust them, and be less capable of emotional involvement (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005).
37 Friction in LEOs marriage could possibly be caused by the irregular work shifts that often disrupt family plans. It is also an adjustment in retirement to come back into the home full-time where a retiree’s wife has been in charge of establishing the home life for years. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) researched a study of 64 retired officers and discovered that 21.9% reported dissatisfaction with their marriage that was either absent or minimal prior to retirement. Most people are aware that the national divorce rate amongst the general population is around 50%, but what may be less known is that the estimated divorce rate among police officers ranges from 60-75% (Rehm, 1996).
Ageism and Stereotype of Older Workers
Older workers generally have a negative stereotype surrounding them. Often employers and fellow co-workers do not encourage or want to invest time in training an older worker because they think it won’t be worth it or it will take too long (Greller,
2004). This causes a cycle: the older worker gets discouraged by the reactions they may be getting from other workers, therefore they do not push themselves to develop their transferable skills, which proves the point of employers that older workers do not want to learn, promote, or develop.
Some of the stereotypes of older workers not wanting to develop, learn, or that they are cognitively incompetent are inaccurate and it is important to work at dispelling these stereotypes so as to increase confidence in older workers. Greller (2004) states that workers whether young or old who do not feel valued will not be inspired to keep up with things and to continue to develop. According to Gaillard (2010), the decision to retire is higher following exposure to negative age-related stereotypes, but when positively
38 supported by co-workers, management, and even family members, older workers are more motivated to learn and develop.
Older workers who have also been in a profession for a great deal of time have not been exposed to the current world of work, may not have an updated resumé, and may not know the recent trends in job searching or networking. As stated above, older workers may have the interpersonal skills, but updated technical skills may be lacking.
This is not consistent with the experience of older police officers that are considering retirement or career transition. These LEOs may be used to dealing with people, but not the other technical sides of current job requirements.
LEOs have a unique situation when it comes to retirement and trying to utilize or even recognize their transferable skills. Unlike, for example, U.S. secret service agents who can come back as full time investigators, police officers have a more uncertain future (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005). As was stated in the previous chapter, LEOs may lack post-high school education, therefore there may be much less opportunity for career mobility and occupational alternatives than for those with updated skills and education.
Many retired police officers accept positions in the security field because they believe this is all they can do and/or they have not been able to sufficiently prepare for retirement. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) state that retiring LEOs may feel inadequate as they step back into the job market due to a self-perceived lack of commercial skills. LEOs retirement situation is also unique in that they retire at such a young age and still may have the energy and desire to keep working.
People tend to work after retirement, but the realities of the type of work they will do is often not satisfying (Greller, 2004). Even with state and federal legislation
39 outlawing age discrimination in employment (Newmark, 2003), many older workers have personally experienced or been aware of age discrimination in the workplace (AARP,
2002). In support of that statement, a survey of similar older workers conducted by
AARP (2002), aged 45-74, showed that 60% believed that age was a liability in the workplace.
Lack of Transferable Skills and Education
Retired LEOs leave with an abundance of skills that would be beneficial in another line of work such as: interacting with a variety of people, making split-second decisions, and being proficient in conflict resolution (Ruiz & Morrow, 2005). The issue is often getting LEOs to realize the skills they do have and how they can relate to other hobbies and other career interests. Another issue is the level of education of police officers. As stated earlier to become a police officer, having a college degree is not required, but could assist with promotion within the department. Once in the world of work and exploring other career fields an LEO might find that furthering their education may be a necessity.
What if the recently retired police officer wants to go back to school? If they desired to pursue another career or even promote within the career they have, they may need to step back into the college environment. Adult learners are an underserved population who are expected to figure out a system of education that is primarily aimed toward traditional aged college students (Schaefer, 2010). It is not just the classes, homework, or academic skills that they are expected to possess that is the issue, but also the basic process of applying and figuring out course requirements and using current technology. Even if older police officers had previously attended college times have
40 changed dramatically. Older workers may take longer to learn in certain learning environments because cognitive processes may be a little slower and they may be trying to unlearn one way of doing something while learning new skills (Spitulnik, 2006).
Lack of Career Development Resources and Stigma of Counseling.
While there has been research conducted on the resources that retiring police officers have available to them, many do not include career development through the department. Other resources available will be discussed later in this section. A soon-to- be retiree may have to research on their own or go out into the community in order to find the resources needed to transition into retirement or into a new career. For example,
Rehm (1996) found that fewer than 15% of police agencies in the U.S. provide retirement counseling. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) stated “[p]olice agencies are highly trained in mobilizing resources and developing operational plans for various crisis situations but appear to fall short at developing the well-being of their employees” (p. 1172).
Society has expectations of males and male behavior, and while things are slowly changing with regards to how the general population sees counseling and mental health services, men and more specifically men in law enforcement, are not expected to ask for help and definitely not help of a therapeutic nature. Youself, Popat, and Hunter (2015) suggest that the possible reason why men hold more negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking is their attitudes about how men should think and behave. A few of the concerns against seeing counseling or psychological help include expressing emotions, fear of losing autonomy, and shame about being seen as weak if one cannot handle a problem on one’s own (McKelley & Rochlen, 2010). As was discussed earlier in this section, the police culture encourages strength and the expectation that officers
41 handle their problems or hide them so that they can do their job. McKelly and Rochlen
(2010) also researched in regards to male socialization, that the practice or just the word coaching may be seen as a less stigmatizing service option by men adhering to more traditional gender role ideologies. Coaching services on the other hand, are often not as in depth, nor as beneficial for bigger life transitions, such as retirement.
With regards to this population, particularly because they are males, the stigma of counseling may not be as prominent. Yousaf, Popat, and Hunter (2015) found that younger males may not seek psychological help-seeking as something that is relevant to them, but older males might find it easier to talk about feelings and concerns because of their life experience and may have a more positive attitude. Any therapist or counselor working with this population needs to take into account the concerns and culture of not only males of this age range, but also of males who have been in this profession and generation. Masculinity attitudes need to be addressed and interventions could be framed in such a way as to help men realize that communicating about their problems and concerns does not compromise their masculinity (Yousaf, Popat, & Hunter).
Considerations For Developing a Career Development Program for this Population
Within the research of males in general, and males in the law enforcement field retiring in particular, there are areas to consider when creating a counseling-based career development program. In the following section, literature on men in counseling groups will be explored, as well as the importance of multicultural competence of the counselor conducting the sessions within the program. It is important to consider these themes when developing the proposed program because otherwise the career counselors and program loses credibility and possibly the engagement of the participants.
42 Men in Groups
It is important to note that in psychotherapy there is an emphasis on verbal expressions of emotions (Addis & Mahalia, 2003). According to Levant (1990), traditional therapy was designed by men to treat women. This contributes to men’s hesitations with therapeutic processes because of the violation of the male gender role as described earlier. Levant (1990) researched four factors that stand in the way of males openly accepting therapeutic services and all have to do with the norms and prescriptions of the traditional male role. These four factors are: (a) difficulty in admitting the existence of a problem, (b) difficulty asking for help (challenges self-esteem),
(c) difficulty identifying and processing emotional states, and (d) fear of intimacy
(Levant). Many of these behaviors are taught by society and in the upbringing of males in the western culture. Therapeutic services could help alleviate such struggles if approached correctly. New skills could be learned and perspectives could be altered.
Levant (1990) researched that males struggle with substance abuse more than females because of the traditional difficulty in experiencing and releasing painful emotions.
The interventions proposed below and within the sessions within the program proposed in this project, come from a psychoeducational approach. According to
Murphey & Shillingford (2012), the psychoeducational approach focuses on developing members’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills through a structured set of procedures within and across group meetings. In the proposed program each session will have a theme and discussions and activities will revolve around that theme. The psychoeducational approach with a life-span developmental structure, could be beneficial because it provides insight within the group but also allows for the opportunity to practice
43 new skills with other group members through role plays (Levant, 1990).
Some suggestions offered by the literature to consider when working with men in groups would be to be aware and sensitive to the male role. Approaches to counseling groups could include a teaching or educational approach, and not focus primarily, and especially not initially, on the discussion of feelings (Levant, 1990). It is also imperative that one of the career counselors or presenters be a member of the population so as to establish credibility with the group.
Multiculturalism, Multicultural Competency, and Masculinity
Participants in the career development program for law enforcement retiring males will come from different cultures and from different life perspectives and experiences. Within counselor training of any specialty, multicultural competence is a mandatory component. The American Counseling Association has guidelines concerning multicultural education and training on their website and within their manual for those in the counseling professions (ACA, 2014). When considering multiculturalism and multicultural competency, being male is not often considered as a variable. Many would argue that all psychology is the study of men and masculinity, but to not consider this population from a multicultural perspective would not allow for the development of a successful program.
Liu (2005) defines multicultural competency as the development of knowledge, awareness, and skills that are focused on underrepresented or marginalized groups, but also on the counselor’s understanding of him or herself and the ability to work with diverse clients. Historically, multicultural competencies and multiculturalism have focused on the sociopolitical histories and lived experiences of people of color.
44 Addressing context, culture, and socialization allows multiculturalism to focus not on only on minority group issues, but also on dominant group concerns such as masculinity
(Liu). Masculinity, according to Levant (2008), is defined as the combination of the practices, ideologies, and historical norms that cultures use to define what it means to be a man. Some similarities can be explored with men and persons of color. One in particular, would be the shame and stigma associated with participating in mental health services for fear that the client’s worldview or values would not be understood by the counselor (Liu). Working effectively with men and men from different cultures requires having awareness of masculine cultural values and understanding of one’s own assumption and biases about men and other cultures as a counselor.
Males, and especially males in law enforcement, may not willingly seek a therapeutic relationship, so it is important to have culturally and gender congruent interventions (Liu, 2005). Men may appreciate the counselor’s willingness to openly discuss the process of therapy and focus more on specific objectives; this will allow the development of credibility. Liu researched that there is no singular masculinity but plural masculinities because of cultural and societal differences and men may encounter challenges in living as a result of different expectations and socialization experiences.
Behaviors such as help-seeking, emotional connection, support and compromise, empathic understanding, and emotionality are often devalued as effeminate despite the fact that they are essential in developing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships (Lease et al., 2013). Therefore, it is important that within a counseling environment, if a man prefers not to show emotions or has difficulty articulating his emotional state, that it is not initially primarily seen as resistance to therapy. This
45 behavior is reflecting current masculine socialization and the man should not be shamed for it (Liu, 2005).
Within the realms of race and gender, it is important to address the subjects of privilege and power in order to understand healthy and unhealthy ways men are socialized. According to Wester (2008), men’s gender role experiences will be unique for men of different backgrounds, and, as well as there will be different versions of masculinity based on ethnicity. Counselors working with the male population should also be aware of Male Gender Role Conflict, a condition in which socialized gender roles have negative consequences on the individual or others (Wester). It often may result from the competition between rigid, sexist, or overly restrictive male gender roles and incompatible situational demands.
Counselors as noted before, need to be aware of their own stereotypes regarding cultures, gender, homophobia, sexual orientation, and transgendered clients and be sure to develop interventions and strategies that would be useful and appropriate (Lease et al.,
2013). It is important to find out what unique pressures clients are facing as a result of their cultural background during the initial stages of the program so that issues can be addressed upfront (Murphey & Shillingford, 2012).
Career Interventions for Population
As has been discussed thus far, there are interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socio- cultural challenges and factors that retiring LEOs may face. Lloyd (2009) found in his studies that being more active, learning more, and experiencing more can result in an easier transition to retirement and also a more satisfying retirement over all.
46 While there are programs and organizations that exist for retiring law enforcement officers of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, many are centered on financial preparation, which is also important. “Traditionally, preparations for retirement have focused on financial matters, but our findings indicate that psychological preparedness also deserves attention” (Lakra & Levy, 2012, p. 1425). Ruiz and Morrow (2005) suggest that for the best overall transitional ease retirement planning should occur five years before eligibility. This is one of the reasons the target population age range of 45-55 was chosen. In the following paragraphs, career interventions for this population will be explored in areas other than financial preparation.
Career Development Workshops
In this section, different kinds of career development workshops will be discussed and brought forth from the literature regarding this population. Pascale and Primavera
(2012) stated that while people are intending to retire earlier, over half of retirees, especially younger ones, hold other jobs at some point after leaving their full-time jobs in their primary occupation. This can be seen in the members of the retiring or retired LEO population that have been interviewed regarding their plans for the future.
Bridge employment can help make transitioning to full-time retirement easier.
Bridge employment is when a retiree takes on another job position sometimes in a completely different field, but with shorter work hours and less emotional commitment
(Pascale & Primavera, 2012). Sometimes a retiree may not want to stray too far from what they know, but in other instances a retiree may want to pursue a life long passion that he has not been able to do previously.
47 Career development workshops could help with preparing a retiring LEO to transition to bridge employment or another career opportunity. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) found that preparing employees for separation and training in another career area through in-house programs or community-based, that educational services would be even more helpful if the spouse or significant other were also included in the retirement planning, especially when officers retire at an early age. While there is bridge employment that was noted above, there is also the concept of an encore career. Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of encore.org defines an encore career below:
An “encore” or “encore career” is continued work in the second half of life
that combines social impact, purpose, and often, continued income. While
many people see their encore work as a “career,” others associate the career
language with the “achieving” stage of life. For that reason, we talk about an
encore role, work, or activity – or simply “an encore.” Use whichever language
feels most comfortable to you (encore.org, n.d.).
While career development workshops regarding bridge employment and encore careers are important, there also needs to be specific workshops addressing the process of finding that bridge employment or encore career. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) suggest that police agencies should train officers in job search skills such as resumé preparation, interview techniques, and letter writing, and also to provide resources if there is to be a need for further education.
Career Counseling and Self-Exploration
Nancy Schlossberg (2004) states that transitions are made up of events (big life situations that we know are going to happen, marriage, etc.) and non-events (events we
48 thought would happen, but did not) and each cause their own stress on a person. With any type of transition, we gain more knowledge of ourselves to hopefully move forward into a new chapter of our lives. With career counseling comes deeper self-exploration and understanding. A soon-to-be retiree can be better prepared and better understand what their next step should be.
In reviewing the relevant literature in order to create a career development program for retiring LEOs, Menard and Arter (2014) stated that we are only in the beginning stages of exploring officer resiliency programs to teach better coping skills.
The healthier ways of coping would result in an easier transition to retirement and/or civilian careers and life. New ways of coping would also benefit LEOs, spouses, and other family members. Workshops teaching coping skills may not only be for the retiring
LEO, but workshops should be available to family and spouses as well. Having family members involved in the transition process will create a greater understanding of how each member plays an important role in the soon-to-be retired officer’s primary social system (Woody, 2006).
Career counseling and self-exploration would help the LEO identify values, skills, and interests that could be taken into another occupation or job or into other activities that the LEO is interested in pursuing. It is important to appreciate the positive aspects of an
LEOs career choice and competence to promote a healthy personal identity, ego strength, and coping or adapting abilities (Woody, 2006). Too often, it is the negatives that are stressed about police culture, abilities, and values, and that is not constructive to helping the LEO. Woody suggests tailoring interventions to help LEOs identify appropriate and inappropriate application of the values and attitudes that are often grown and supported in
49 the police culture. It is also important for the counselor to acknowledge the police culture and perspective on counseling and therapy as explained earlier. A counselor could possibly act as more of a consultant than a counselor and sessions could be held within a short, time limited psychoeducational group process (Woody, 2006).
Staying Socially Connected
While interviewing members of, and researching this population, it was observed that many retirees upon retirement are surprised by how fast they seem to have been forgotten by not only their department, but also by their co-worker friends. They are now outsiders seemingly overnight. Pascale and Primavera (2012) state that well-adjusted retirees are more likely to have friends outside the workforce, spend more hours per week interacting, and are more emotionally close to others.
This could be achieved by belonging to clubs and organizations, volunteering, taking advantage of self-help groups and learning to network. With volunteer opportunities, one has to be careful that these opportunities are not just mindless tasks, but, instead, things that will actually interest the retiring LEO and match up with interests and skills (Lloyd, 2009). When researching and thinking about different interventions for retiring LEOs, it is important to keep in mind the culture of police officers and what skills have been attained in their career thus far, and how they can be utilized with the transition into retirement and beyond. Woody (2006) states that the transferrable skills that LEO typically possess – a sense of stoicism, self-determination, and reliance on fellow officers in the police culture, the perception of usefulness of peer-assistance, and self-help groups should be utilized before actual retirement.
50 Networking could be valuable in the retirement transition. Personal contacts can vouch for skills, can help with the exploration of activities, and increase one’s energy
(Lloyd, 2009). These contacts can come from anywhere, a child’s sports practice while observing with other parents, at the grocery store, neighbors, and many other places one may not immediately consider.
With ageism happening and later life transitions taking shape, whom you know begins to become very important. Networking is not about handing out business cards or viewing who is in your contact list. It is about having shared interests that puts you in contact with people. This may mean doing things that help others which may be as simple as connecting someone you know who needs something to someone you know who has that very thing (Lloyd, 2009). Many times our network is tied to our job, and it would help the soon-to-be retiree to start thinking beyond their job and, rather, more about in what they are interested. Those bringing a strong network into retirement have been shown to be more socially satisfied because they feel connected to the world (Pascale &
Primavera, 2012). There should be more opportunities for retirees to make connections with other retirees whether that be community groups, groups created by the police department, or even websites in the vein of dating websites but for retirees to match interests and location (Pascale & Primavera).
Setting Goals
The nature of law enforcement supports goal-directed efforts with emphasis on addressing problems related to social isolation and rigid or authoritarian styles. This orientation to the world could be utilized when planning goals for the transition to retirement and beyond (Woody, 2006). Setting goals helps retirees to form a framework
51 they need to create a fulfilling lifestyle with activities that have personal value, goals and activities give structure and a sense of control (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
Approaching the transition to retirement and retirement in general this way may begin to assist the retiree in feeling more at ease. Exploring ideas, goals, and taking steps to plan before retirement will better prepare a retiree for what lies ahead.
Achieving goals allows for retirees to create a positive self-image while feeling connected and committed to their retirement life style. When planning goals with clients, it is important to remember that the goals have to be specific and be realistic along with having a variety of both short- term and long-term goals. It is important for soon-to-be retirees to remember that it will take some time to find activities or interests that one is passionate about and to give oneself time to identify those and to do so with no additional pressures. Setting goals early while still in the workforce can help less adjusted retirees discover their interests and begin to think more about the future while still in the comfort of their current position (Pascale & Primavera, 2012).
Existing Programs for the Population
While reviewing the literature for creating career development programs for retiring law enforcement, it has been surprising to discover that while there are many services to help law enforcement with different life issues, there are no specific programs published that address the transition of retirement into other occupations and areas of employment for those interested in such work. There also does not appear to be any programs as to what to expect from retirement in general or regarding encouraging self- exploration in order to make the next stage of their lives fulfilling and meaningful.
Below, three different existing programs will be discussed and the fourth program is a
52 model program that was researched fairly recently by the author of this project. This program is used with military populations and can helps to justify the need for such a program for male law enforcement personnel.
Employee Support Services Bureau
The Employee Support Services Bureau (ESSB) information is not easily accessible to someone who is not a law enforcement employee. There is a website only
LEO employees. The information in this section was provided to the author of this project by a therapist who works within ESSB through emailed information and a phone interview.
The ESSB provides psychological support and behavioral science services to law enforcement organizations in order to increase well-being and the productivity of the organizations and employees. Services provided usually deal with issues such as:
(a) job-related worries/concerns, (b) relationship issues, (c) bereavement, (d) adjustment to illness or injury, (e) anger, (f) anxiety, (g) loneliness, (h) depression, (i) critical/ traumatic incidents, (j) military reintegration, (k) substance abuse, and (l) suicidal thoughts. Counseling is provided for individuals, couples, and families. There are also other resources that LEOs may be referred to, but none of them relate to career or vocational services or counseling for retirement transition into other careers or areas of interest.
Sheriffs’ Relief Association
The Sheriffs’ Relief Association (SRA) welcomes you as a member of the
“family” on their opening webpage. It was organized in March of 1924, as the
Benevolent Arm of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and its primary
53 purpose was to address the needs of department members during individual times of family crisis (“You and SRA,” n.d.). This association has over 17,000 members and has expanded its services into retirement updates and other resources for retirees. SRA has a publication that is sent to each member called “The Star News” that has updates on different stations, retirement parties, and some retirement resources mostly dealing with disability and financial issues (“You and SRA,” n.d.). While many of these services are well needed and provide one component of the program proposed in this project (staying connected to other LEOs) it does not touch upon any transitional services with regards to career development or career change.
Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association
The Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association (LACERA) is one of the largest county retirement systems in America and is staffed by 370 professionals, governed by two boards, and services the employees of Los Angeles County (“About
LACERA,” n.d.). There is a Board of Retirement that is responsible for the administration of the retirement system, the retiree healthcare program, and the review and processing of disability retirement applications. Upon perusing the website, one notices that the focus is on healthcare, benefits, investments, and financial information.
There are over 156,000 members of LACERA, and it was established in 1938 in response to the establishment of a pension fund by LA county in 1937 that would provide retirement and death benefits to eligible county employees (“About LACERA,” n.d.).
Services for members of LACERA begin the moment an employee is hired and lasts throughout their career until retirement. The purpose of LACERA is to administer a financially sound retirement and retiree healthcare benefits program. Employees enter
54 county service with the promise that at the end of their careers he or she will be able to retire with secure lifetime benefits (“About LACERA,” n.d.).
There are also health workshops offered for retirees to learn more about over-the- counter drug interactions, losing weight, cooking healthier, and cancer prevention.
Retiree workshops are aimed at financial needs, pre-retirement workshops suggest to be taken 3 to 5 years before intended retirement date and the counseling offered does not involve the retirement transition, career, or self-exploration with spouses.
Transitional Model of a Program for the Military Population
The military is often compared to the law enforcement population and many military members may return from serving our country to pursue a career in law enforcement. There are similarities in the camaraderie, the authoritarian atmosphere, and the feeling of being part of something elite. Police organization and military organization attempt to accomplish very similar ends: (a) application of governmentally-sanctioned force; (b) combined use of men and materials (such as weapons) organized and structured to solve problems concerning conflicts; (c) use of variety of means other than direct force to accomplish their respective mission while maintaining continuum of force options as a last resort; (d) employ a wide assortment of specialists and units against multiple opponents simultaneously; (e) engage in operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian relief, and life saving, and direct and forcible intervention in the affairs of others; (f) must deal effectively with civilian populations in and around their areas of operation and solve problems; and finally (g) both contained in their efforts by externally applied Rules of
Engagement that limit the amount of force they can apply at a particular time and place based on the totality of existing operational and political circumstances as perceived and
55 determined by civilian decision makers and the law (Cowper, 2000). According to
Campbell and Campbell (2010), both police and armed services share a common occupational category: protective services. Police protect the public from harm and strive to maintain law and order and armed services defend the nation from external enemies and help maintain peace and order during times of martial law and civil unrest (Campbell
& Campbell).
Similar strategies are taught during deployment as are taught to LEOs during difficult situations. Both are encouraged to deny and detach from their emotions in order to deal with stressors. While these coping strategies are effective in a certain context of their work, they may as stated previously, not be as effective in societal and personal relationships (Rosebush, 1998). Also there is a sensitivity and stigma surrounding obtaining necessary mental health services as there is in the police culture, phrases like
“Army Strong” may discourage soldiers from obtaining necessary psychological care
(Danish & Antonides, 2009). According to Rausch (2014) research has suggested that assessing currently held values may assist in guiding the career counseling process as well as educating veterans regarding multiple careers that align with their values and interests. This is similar to what was suggested in earlier in this project with regards to suggested law enforcement interventions.
Transitional Assistance Program
The Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) has different locations online and in person and is slightly different depending on which branch of the military one is considering, but the foundation of the program is the same. TAP was established to meet the needs of separating service members during their period of transition into civilian life
56 by offering job-search assistance and related services (“About Us,” n.d.). Transition GPS
(goals, plans, success), the newest version of TAP includes mandatory workshops with optional additional training depending on the path that members select. The different paths could include pursuing education after the military, searching for a job, or starting their own business (“About Us,” n.d.). The career development program proposed in this project strives to address the same areas for retiring law enforcement males as well.
Workshops are based on career readiness standards of partnerships entities that are associated with Transition GPS. Workshop attendees learn about job searches, career- decision making, current occupational and labor market trends and conditions, and resumé and cover letter preparation and interviewing techniques.
In November 2014, TAP began offering pre-separation counseling to members a year before they leave the military (“Veterans”, n.d.). TAP not only helps service members with the initial transition from service, but also helps spouses as well. “An evaluation of the program estimated that service members who had participated in TAP, on average, found their first post-military job three weeks sooner than those who did not participate in TAP . . .” (“Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS),” n.d.). If a similar program could be offered to retiring LEOs, one could wonder what the success rate would be in comparison to those who did not participate in a career development transitional program.
Summary and Transition to Chapter Three
Nancy Schlossberg’s transition model and Donald Super’s life-span life-space theory provide a solid foundation and structure for validity of creating the proposed career intervention program for assisting retiring law enforcement officers through the
57 life transition of retiring. The literature review in this chapter regarding the challenges and needed areas of exploration suggests that retirement is no longer considered the end of an active lifestyle especially for LEOs who retire much earlier than other males in other occupational fields.
Retirement is beginning to be seen as a fresh start, a new beginning. Some of the benefits of reaching retirement are that they have been through many life experiences, they have differing perspectives, they are survivors, know pain, and know that challenging things have happened and they have survived (Lloyd, 2009). In the next chapter, the career development program for law enforcement officers transitioning into retirement will be described and explored.
58 Chapter III: Procedure
This chapter will provide a description and justification of the career development program presented for the selected population including: (a) goals, (b) staffing, (c) logistical requirements, (d) assessments utilized, and (e) materials needed. The program is designed to provide support and education through group discussion, self-growth exercises, and education in the areas of career development and self-exploration.
Participants that complete the program are expected to be better equipped as they begin one of the most stressful transitions of life.
Description and Justification
The career development program for law enforcement officers (LEOs) transitioning into retirement is a self-paced program that is developed to meet the problems and needs of this population based on primary (i.e., interviews) and secondary research. Retirement as discussed in chapter one is ranked tenth out of 43 of a list of life stressors (Holmes & Rahe, 1967). While the law enforcement professions shares many similarities with other professions that one may retire from, LEO retirement has many contrasting characteristics that may affect retirees more drastically.
Many LEOs begin their career in law enforcement at a young age, stay in the same occupation for many years of their lives, and therefore much of their identity is tied to being an LEO. Ruiz and Morrow (2005) stated that one’s social identity is often associated with a chosen occupation. It is important that as they transition into retirement that LEOs feel they have a sense of who they are beyond being in the role of a law enforcement officer.
59 Often, the LEO is able to retire at an age much younger than their peers in other professions. Thus there are many models of retirement such as: (a) working part time, (b) replacing one career with another, (c) regularly volunteering or going back to school, and
(d) luxuriating, devoting time to family and social life or other personal interests
(Schlossberg, 2004). Depending on what the LEO decides to pursue, there could be professional development needs or possibly further education needed to in order to enter another field of work. There is also the loss of the social connection and feeling of
“family” once a retiree leaves the law enforcement world and many do not stay in touch with fellow officers. This change could contribute to feelings of isolation in retirement.
This career development program consists of eight sessions. The LEO may elect to participate in all of the sessions or select the ones that they feel would be most beneficial. Schaefer (2010) states that some opportunities for career development could include: exploration opportunities, career counseling, referrals to appropriate continuing professionals in their specific area of interest, workshops on transferable skills (such as resumé building, networking, and interviewing), and possible job shadowing. Specific to
LEOs we may want to add an additional topic within the program on transitioning to a civilian career if that is their chosen path. It is also important to keep in mind that many of these career development sessions should be flexible because retirees may have other family obligations or still working another part-time job.
Structure of the Program
The program will consist of seven sessions (see Appendix E), with an additional pre-screening interview. These sessions will be presented over a four-month period, occurring bi-monthly. Potential participants will first be screened based on eligibility
60 criteria (Appendix A) with regards to gender, age, where they are in their retirement exploration stage, and to make sure there are no significant psychological issues that would interfere with their participation and goes beyond the scope of the program. If the potential participant is found to have significant psychological issues, referrals will be made to other resources that would better meet those individuals’ needs.
Once potential participants are deemed eligible to participate in the program, they will be given an intake form and a consent form to be completed during the pre-screening process. It will be determined how the retiree will best benefit from the sessions provided based on the intake form that they have completed and during the discussion of the program’s goals and objectives within this pre-screening interview. The consent form will also be discussed as well as confidentiality and boundaries within the program.
Although there are seven sessions, the participants will have a choice on which sessions to attend (with the exception of the pre-screening interview) so as to allow for the participant to pick and choose what will best suit their needs and not feel they need to be committed to something over four months time. Participants can also change which sessions they wish to attend at certain points in the program. With regards to sessions two and three, it would be required that if a participant signed up for session two they would also need to attend session three because of nature of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) assessment exercise.
After each session is completed, participants will receive an evaluation that will need to be completed and returned to the career counselor or facilitator at the end of the session. This is to establish how each session, reviewed on its own, can be improved to
61 better benefit the population. At the beginning, midway, and end of the program, retirement goals will be discussed and altered if needed.
After session seven is completed, the career counselor will contact participants
(i.e., via email or phone calls) who had agreed to agree to be consented contacted after one month’s time to check in about the progress they are making on their particular retirement goals. This check-in would occur over the phone or in person depending on what was convenient for the participant.
Each session of the program has been designed to meet a particular need or identified transition issue of the population. It has been discussed in previous sections that while financial concerns regarding retirement have been addressed, self-exploration, identity issues, transitions to a new career, and professional development skills, have not.
It is important to note that an outside consultant specializing in the subject areas of retirement transition and entrepreneurship will facilitate sessions two and seven. It is crucial that the career counselor recognizes that the population may not be the type of population that individually will seek out resources or counseling help but may benefit and feel more comfortable with a group environment.
Program Goals and Objectives
The goals of the proposed career development program are to assist law enforcement males in the process of transitioning into retirement, whether it is full time retirement, part-time retirement, or into another career entirely. Topics within the program will include: (a) self-exploration, (b) social networking and connection to other retirees, (c) resume and interview skills, (d) career trends, (e) goal setting, (f) and what actions one should take if deciding to pursue an Encore Career. Select sessions will invite
62 both the retiree or soon-to-be retiree and their significant other so as to include them in the planning and retirement transition process. Other objectives the program intends to accomplish are to:
• Help normalize the concerns that come with the retirement transition
• Educate soon-to-be retirees on the challenges, unexpected feelings, and situations
that may arise with the retirement transition from a law enforcement career
• Provide resources and training on updating professional development skills
should a retiree wish to pursue another career or hobby
• Connect retiring law enforcement officers with recently and not so recently retired
deputies to gain perspective, advice, and tips on the retirement transition
• Encourage self-exploration of interests and values of each retiring officer and
understand transferable skills
• Educate officers on the importance of well-being during this transition and the
stress the body may go through transitioning from this type of career to retirement
Resources Needed
The following section will briefly describe the staffing, logistics, and supplies needed to facilitate the career development program proposed. In chapter four, a full list of materials needed for each session will be included.
Staffing. For all sessions required staffing will require one professional career counselor to facilitate sessions with the possibility of having the assistance of a retired law enforcement officer who has been briefed on the program and will provide credibility and comfort to the participants. As noted above, certain sessions will require the addition of an outside consultant to facilitate the session. It is important that the career counselor
63 have a Master’s degree in career counseling or counseling with career counseling background and experience with adult populations in transition. Session six consists of starting and succeeding in the development of business idea and will require an outside consultant who is familiar with the tips and tricks of entrepreneurship. Finally, session seven is the last session of the program and the career counselor will contact three or four retired law enforcement officers in varying stages of retirement to be included in a part of the panel that will occur in the last session.
The last staff member for this program would be the retired law enforcement officer who would be willing to co-facilitate all sessions. Having a member of the law enforcement population assisting in the sessions for this project helps to give the program credibility with the participants and can also help answer questions about the department’s resources that the career counselor may not be able to answer. This retired
LEO would ideally need to be quite active in his retirement and also be educated on each of the sessions. The career counselor will be open to learning about and consider information or resources that the retired LEO provides.
Logistical Requirements. The career development program for retiring law enforcement officers would be executed within a police station utilizing a conference or meeting room depending on the number of participants. Caudill and Peak (2009) completed an extensive study of police retirements that formal in-house preretirement planning and training were needed to assist law enforcement officers in the retirement transition. The meeting or conference room would need to have sufficient tables and chairs for participants to be able to take notes and comfortably participate in activities and exercises. Tables and chairs should be mobile in order to be able to arrange them or
64 move them out of the way as needed. This location would be convenient for the population and would also make the program more visible to other members who may be interested.
Materials needed would be the forms, worksheets, and exercise packets included in the Appendices. Other materials needed would be pens, markers, highlighters, clipboards, extra paper, and notepads. Equipment needed would be a laptop computer and projector for PowerPoint presentations and a photocopier to make copies for exercises and activities.
Supporting Materials and Assessments
• Pens
• Colored Markers
• Notepads
• Highlighters
• Wall Post-Its
• File Folders
• Snacks and water
• Copes of handouts in Appendices
Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) is an assessment tool that is used in a variety of settings and for this program will be used to help the participants possibly change careers or encourage career development. According to Grutter and Hammer (2005), the assessment helps individuals match their interests with potential educational, career, and
65 leisure activities. The SII has been developed and normed to work effectively for both genders as well as a wide range of ethnicities.
The SII assessment tool is based on the theory of John Holland that makes the assumption that people can be categorized into six themes and that job environments can also be divided into these six same themes: (a) realistic, (b) investigative, (c) artistic, (d) social, (e) enterprising, and (f) conventional (Grutter & Hammer, 2005). When people are in an environment that matches their skills, abilities, and interests, they have been found to be statistically more satisfied than those who are not. However, the SII measures interests, not skills and abilities. The SII contains 291 items that ask participants about their preferences with regard to occupations, subject areas, activities, leisure activities, people, and characteristics (Grutter & Hammer). The results come in the form of a report that is divided into six sections: (a) General Occupational Themes (GOT), (b) Basic
Interest Scales (BIS), (c) Occupational Scales (OS), (d) Personal Styles Scales (PSS), and
(e) Profile Summary.
According to CPP (2015), the publisher of the SII assessment tool website, where much career assessment information and assessments themselves can be found, the SII is an empirically-based tool that is regularly updated to reflect changes in today’s world of work. For the purposes of this program and this population, the SII will be utilized to help heighten participants’ self-awareness, possibly identify new areas of interest, and provide deeper understanding and help with reintegration into the world of work as well as developing a greater understanding of possible leisure activities that would likely be satisfying.
66 Leisure/Retirement and Career Values Card Sorts
The Leisure Retirement Activities Card Sort (Knowdell, 2005) is a self- assessment that allows individuals to become aware of the leisure and retirement activities that they value and wish to become a bigger part of their lives. It consists of 54 leisure activities that the participants organize into columns (daily, regularly, occasionally, seldom, and never) of how often these activities are a part of their lives.
The Career Values Card Sort (Knowdell, 2005) is also a self-assessment that helps individuals prioritize their values relating not only to career satisfaction, but also to their personal lives. It consists of 54 career values that participants will again organize into columns (always valued, often valued, sometimes valued, seldom valued, and never valued) according to their personal preference.
Although neither card sort assessments provide any measure of reliability or validity, they can still be a valuable tool for increasing awareness of not only the law enforcement retirees, but also for their significant others who will join them in the program session where this group interpretation will take place. Becoming aware of each other’s values and expectations of retirement or leisure activities allows for open communication and awareness of what lies ahead in the retirement transition and in retirement as well.
Summary and Transition to Chapter Four
The career development program for law enforcement male retirees or soon to be retirees, is designed to provide support and education through group discussion, self- growth exercises, and education in the areas of career development and self exploration.
The goal being to better equip the participants as they prepare to go through one of the
67 most stressful transitions of life. Lytle, Clancy, Foley, and Cotter (2015) have suggested that an expanded view of the retirement phase of life is needed, and that career counselors should help clients going through retirement transition by exploring their values, interests, and abilities, and how they can be adjusted and adapted for the next phase of life. This program encourages the participation of the retired or soon-to-be retired law enforcement officer’s significant others, which is intended to help facilitate open communication of expectations during this phase of their relationship. The career counselor of the program will be present at all seven sessions and will have the assistance of a retired law enforcement officer at all sessions as well. A few of the sessions as noted previously, will be led by an outside consultant specializing in the topic being presented.
The next chapter will begin with a description of the pre-screening interview and outline the seven sessions that make up the career development program for male law enforcement officers going through the retirement transition. Included in each session will be the required amount of time, goals, objectives, materials and/or resources needed, staff needs, and the process of facilitating each of the sessions.
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68 Chapter IV: The Program
This chapter outlines the proposed career development program for law enforcement males who are transitioning into retirement. This program involves seven sessions, which will be outlined in the following pages. Included within each session will be interventions that have been designed to address the concerns of the population surrounding the retirement transition process in regards to career development.
The primary facilitators of the program will be a professional career counselor and a member of the targeted population who has assisted with the development of the program. This person will serve to give credibility to the sessions and be able to answer any additional questions that the career counselor may not know having not been a part of the law enforcement profession. Sessions two, six, and seven will include guest speakers specializing in the topic of the session. For session seven, members of the law enforcement population will make up the panel. Within the outlined sessions below are goals, objectives, time, resources, and procedures. Handouts and resources referenced within these sections can be found in the appendices section in order by session.
Pre-Screening Interview
The initial interview will take place prior to the start of the sessions to determine if the potential participant meets the eligibility criteria (see Appendix A) and are therefore eligible for the program career development program. Within this session, a screening and discussion will take place using the intake form (Appendix B). The career counselor will assess the needs and expectations of the potential participant to identify any significant underlying psychological issues that would be beyond the area of competence of the career counselor and the relevance of the program. If the participant is
69 found to be eligible the participant will receive an intake form (Appendix B), informed consent form (Appendix C), and a program flyer and program schedule (Appendix E).
Time required: 1 to 1.5 hours
Career Counselor Goals: The goals of the career counselor in Session One are to begin to build positive rapport with the participant, discuss what the program is and is not intended to do, assess the eligibility of the participant, and to discuss the intake and consent forms. If participant is found to be ineligible, the career counselor will discuss with the participant the reasons why and potential referrals to relevant sources will be discussed.
Objectives: The potential participant will understand the structure of the program, complete and discuss the informed consent, intake form, program schedule, and, the
Retirement Goals worksheet. Upon conclusion of this screening, the participant will know if they are eligible to continue and if so, will communicate which sessions they are interested in attending, and be told where and when those sessions will be occurring.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Pens
• Intake form (Appendix B)
• Informed Consent (Appendix C)
• Program Schedules (Appendix E) multiple in case participant wishes to share with
any colleagues
• Retirement Goals worksheet (Appendix H)
• File Folder
• Note Pads
70 Outline:
1. Potential participant enters the designated area within the police department
(small office or conference room) and is greeted by the career counselor.
Introductions take place and career counselor gives potential participant eligibility
form (Appendix A) to complete.
a. Once it is determined that the participant is eligible for this program, he
will then be given the intake form (Appendix B) and consent forms
(Appendix C) to complete
i. If participant is not found to be eligible but is still interested,
counselor can give list of resources (Appendix L) as well as
explain why the participant is not eligible
2. Once intake form is reviewed and discussed between participant and career
counselor the following will be given to the participant: informed consent
(Appendix C), program schedule (Appendix E), and Retirement Goals worksheet
(Appendix H)
a. Career counselor and participant will discuss all the above forms and
participant will be encouraged to complete the Retirement Goals
worksheet before their first session
b. Participant will review the program schedule and decide which sessions
they are interested in attending
c. Career counselor will assess if there are any questions or concerns about
the forms and/or the program
71 Session 1: What Type of Retiree Am I?
In this session, resources offered by the police department will be briefly discussed because it is important that the participants know what will and will not be covered in this program. The group of participants will also begin to get acquainted with each other through an icebreaker activity. The career counselor will open and close the session, while the mid section of the session will be facilitated by an outside consultant familiar with working with retirees in transition and will address the challenges of retirement, distribute and discuss the “What Type of Retiree Am I?” worksheet. The consultant will then discuss the retirement transition goals of the participants. In closing the career counselor will discuss the administration of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) to be completed before the next program session.
Time required: 2 hours (with a 15 minute break)
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will build positive rapport with the group of participants by creating a comfortable and open environment. This will be achieved by discussing confidentiality and boundaries of the program. Career counselor will ensure that there is a brief discussion of the police department resources for that location, explain the process of taking the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) and distribute and collect evaluation of the session.
Outside Consultant Goals: Consultant will discuss the challenges of the retirement transition and retirement goals.
Objectives: Participants will receive retirement resources, understand confidentiality and boundaries of the program, and understand their current stage in the retirement transition, and how to log into and complete the SII assessment. For those participants without
72 access to a personal computer or internet other arrangement will need to be made for the participant to be able to take the assessment possibly within the police station on a computer.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Pens
• Notepads
• Resources offered at the police department
• “What Type of Retiree Am I?” worksheets (Appendix G)
• Strong Interest Inventory Manual and access codes to the assessment tool
• Session evaluations (Appendix D)
Outline:
1. Opening of the Session
a. Career counselor will begin with a check in involving questions or
concerns about the program and questions and concerns they have about
the retirement transition
b. Icebreaker activity involving each person introducing themselves with
how long they have been members of the law enforcement department and
what they hope to gain from this program and/or session
2. Brief discussion of current resources offered through the police department
3. Outside consultant facilitates the majority of the session covering the following
topics
a. Challenges of retirement transition
b. Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and the 4 S’s (Schlossberg, 2004)
73 i. Situation, Self, Support, and Strategies
c. Internal Audit Exercise will help workshop attendees see where they stand
and what their concerns are in order to move forward
d. Types of retirees
i. Retirement Type exercise, break off into smaller groups of two to
three member to discuss
e. Consultant will conclude with a debrief
4. Career counselor will discuss the process of taking the Strong Interest Inventory
(SII) and what participants can expect. Career counselor can use the SII manual to
assist with this process.
5. Conclusion of Session
a. Career counselor will ask if there are any questions or concerns regarding
any of the material presented and ask participants what they will take
away from the session
b. Career counselor will distribute and collect evaluation and also remind the
participants to complete their SII assessment before the next session
74 Session 2: Strong Interest Inventory Group Interpretation
Participants will have completed the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) prior to this session and coached through what to expect at the previous session or if they were not in attendance at the previous session will be contacted by phone or email to describe the process of the assessment. Participants will take part in a self-assessment activity to have them identify what they believe their top three Holland themes are. Following the self- assessment, the career counselor will briefly discuss what the SII assesses and what it does not. In closing the career counselor will debrief with the group and address any questions or concerns regarding this session or future ones.
Time required: 2.5 hours (with a 15 minute break)
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will distribute, describe, and interpret the
SII results through a group interpretation, encourage further self-exploration of the participants, and distribute and collect the evaluation form.
Objectives: Participants will understand what the SII is intended to assess as well as what each of their individual assessments means to them. Participants will have a better sense of themselves because of the introspective questions the career counselor will ask.
Participants will gain some insight into career fields not previously considered.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• SII Interpretation Manual
• Assessment results of each participant
• Pens and Highlighters
• Wall Post-Its
• Markers
75 • Extra program flyers and schedules
• Notepad for Counselor for any questions that come up or participants that want to
add or remove a future session
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
Outline:
1. Prior to session career counselor will have wall post-its posted up around the
room for each of the six interest areas in order to conduct the RIASEC party
activity. Career counselor will perform a general check in with the group on how
sessions are going and any questions or concerns anyone has
2. Self- Assessment Activity (RIASEC party exercise)
a. Draw or post the RIASEC hexagon on the board or screen and describe
the different Holland themes. Have the group members move to the letter
they feel most drawn to based on the descriptions, and have a group
discussion as to why they chose that Holland theme. Instruct each group
to write different occupational fields and hobbies associated with that
theme, and finally have participants discuss with the entire group what
would be their second and third theme choices.
3. What is the Strong Interest Inventory?
a. Career counselor will discuss what the SII is intended to and what it does
measure, and discuss that the SII is based on a theory by John Holland
who studied personality types based on interests and matched them with
work environments for work satisfaction. The counselor will explain that
the assessment measures interests, not skills, and compares the individual
76 with other individuals of the same gender who have answered similarly to
the participant, and are satisfied in their line of work and have been
employed in it at least three years.
b. Career counselor may choose to utilize the SII manual to aid with the
discussion of this portion of the session
4. SII Group Interpretation
a. Once everyone has their assessment results, ask them to turn to the first
page that discusses General Occupational Themes (GOT)
i. There are broad interest patterns that can be used to describe work
personality in six areas
ii. Ask participants to look at the bars, what is standing out? What do
they think about what is standing out?
b. Going over Basic Interest Scales (BIS)
i. This BIS section of the SII shows specific areas of interest, and is
used to reaffirm or consider other ideas. Participants can look at
what bars stand out to them and career counselor can ask questions
about thoughts or surprises the participants may be experiencing.
ii. Career counselor should check in to see if anyone is confused or
has any questions
c. Going over Occupational Scales (OS)
i. OS compares likes and dislikes of people satisfied in working in
certain occupations
77 1. Remind participants that these are just some of the many
occupations possible, that it does not indicate what you
“should” pursue and it may be helpful to think of each
occupation as a single example of a much larger group of
occupational titles to consider
2. Compares people who have been working in their
occupation for at least three years and is gender specific
ii. Have participants look at the occupations that fall at midrange or
above and suggest researching occupations that they are not
familiar with, but sound interesting to them as a homework
activity.
d. Going over Personal Styles Scales (PSS)
i. Career counselor can describe how this area describes preferences
related to work style, leadership, learning, and risk taking, and
insight into the work environment that one may prefer.
e. Last page of the report
i. Career counselor will describe that the last page of the report
highlights certain areas of the rest of the report
ii. If the bars do not have much differentiation the response regarding
likes or dislikes, counselor should explain why
5. Career counselor will debrief the session and conclude
a. Depending on participants questions during the session, the career
counselor may choose to describe certain online resources participants can
78 explore such as O*Net (http://www.onetonline.org/) or the Occupational
Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/). Career counselor will distribute and collect evaluation
79 Session 3: Retirement Values Card Sort and Interpretation
The Retirement Activities and/or Values Card Sort session will consist of workshop participants and their significant others being led through a group interpretation. Workshop participants will be able to explore not only their own values, but those of their significant other(s). This may help communication as well as help to clarify the expectations for the retirement transition as well as for the new chapter the retiree is embarking on.
Time required: 2 hours (with a 15 minute break)
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will describe the importance of values and involve the participants in the discussion of what values are and how they influence decisions and styles of communication. Career counselor will: (1) help participants to connect with their own values, (2) be aware of the values of their significant others, facilitate interpretation, and (3) distribute and collect evaluations.
Objectives: Participants will feel comfortable discussing their values and the values of their significant other(s) while participating in the group interpretation. Participants will have better knowledge regarding their values and those of their significant other(s) in the context of leading to a discussion on expectations and improving communication in the retirement transition. Finally participants will be able to assess whether their values are being reflected in their current day-to-day life and if not, discussing with their significant other how that can be improved.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Retirement Values Card Sort© sets for each participant and their spouses
• Pens
80 • Knowdell Values Card Sort© Interpretation Manual
• Note pads for participants to take notes if they wish
• Access to copier
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
Outline:
1. Career counselor will check in and welcome the significant other(s) to the session
and ask if anyone has completed a card sort or values exercise previously; ask
how participants define a value and why they are important.
a. Career counselor will emphasize that we all place a value on ideas,
behaviors, actions and expectation of ourselves and others and certain of
our values we are not willing to compromise.
b. Values can sometimes be considered to be the heart or the foundation with
which many of our interests and how we choose the paths of our daily
lives revolve around
c. Not everyone necessarily considers their values with their first
occupational choices, but does so much more mid-career and later in life.
2. Each participant will be given the choice of either taking the Retirement Activities
Card Sort or the Values Card Sort
3. Conducting Card Sort Group Assessment
a. Each participant will be given a card deck. Once given the card deck the
participant will lay the title cards ranging from “Always” to “Never” and
proceed to place each value they come across under one of the title cards.
81 The career counselor will suggest that definition on the cards is just a
guide and to not to discuss the values with their significant other yet. b. As the participants are individually arranging their values cards, the
career counselor will reiterate that values are different for each of us and
very important so this assessment may be a challenge but try and remain
patient and select what feels valuable to them and not how they wish to be
seen or what their significant others may want
i. If participants have questions, they are asked raise their hand and
the career counselor will assist them rather than asking their
significant other or other participants.
ii. The career counselor can stress that this exercise is meant to be
challenging and will be walking around the room during the
exercise in order to assist participants on an individual basis.
iii. Career counselor may choose to self-disclose if appropriate about
their own experiences with values card sorts c. After about ten minutes career counselor should check in to see if the
participants have any questions. d. Once participants have laid out their value cards under each title card,
participants and their significant others will be asked to share about their
experience of doing the exercise. Suggestion will be made for the
participants to take pictures with their phones of how their values are laid
out
82 e. The assessment moves on to the next stage of narrowing down the values
or activities. Participants will begin with their “Never” column and assess
whether any values should be moved to the “Seldom” column, and, if not,
to move those values to the side, working up to the “Always Valued”
grouping.
f. Once participants have their “Always Valued” pile, they will now begin to
narrow down this pile to 5-10 values based on how many they have to start
with and on how the participant is feeling about the process thus far. Some
facilitation suggestions include:
i. Participants may find it easier to group similar values into a
category or grouping
ii. If participants have a large “Always Valued” pile, the client should
review the pile again by reviewing each card slowly and check in
with the career counselor along the way.
iii. If participants are having too much of a challenge with narrowing
down to five cards, have them arrange in order of importance
g. Career counselor can make copies and/or have participants take
photographs of their top values making certain to date the picture or copy.
The career counselor can suggest that participants’ values be revisited in
one year but to put values somewhere where they can see them on a daily
basis to determine if they are living out these values in their daily life
4. Have participants discuss with their significant others each of their values and
what it means to them.
83 5. Career counselor will debrief and close the session by asking how the experience
was for each participant and if there were any surprises. Counselor will have
participants reflect on the take home messages of this session. Career counselor
will ask if there are any further questions or concerns, and then distribute and
collect evaluations.
84 Session 4: Encore Career Part 1 – What is an Encore Career?
This session is designed to introduce participants to the concept of an Encore
Career, and how to go about pursuing one. Assessment their encore career action plan will also be addressed. Take home exercises and other resources will accompany this session.
Time required: 1.5 hours
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will: (1) define what an Encore Career is and what it means, (2) provide resources on how to proceed, (3) distribute packet of exercises needed for future sessions, and (4) distribute and collect evaluations.
Objectives: Participants will understand the meaning of the term Encore Career, receive resources and exercise packet with additional information. Participants will have a better understanding of transition from law enforcement to a possible civilian career and if they are interested in an Encore Career assess their action plan.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Encore Exercise packets (Appendix J - L)
• Retirement Goals Worksheet (Appendix H)
• A copy of the Encore Career Handbook by Marci Alboher
• Pens
• Notepads
• Computer with internet access and ability to project onto a screen
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
85 Outline:
1. Career counselor facilitates check in regarding the participants’ experience with
the program thus far.
2. What is an Encore Career?
a. Career counselor will begin by discussing what an Encore Career is and
encourage participants to begin considering about how it applies to them
and embracing the “slash” mindset discussed on page 25 of the Encore
Career Handbook. The slash mindset according to Alboher (2014) is the
idea that one person can have many careers at once, for the purpose of this
session, it can be proposed to help with transition as well by holding on to
one type of work while beginning another in order to support oneself.
b. Career resources can also be discussed such as: indeed.com,
glassdoor.com, and careeronestop.org
i. Brief discussion on social causes for those who may have interest
in volunteer work, websites: change.org and dowser.org
c. Check in with participants if they have any questions or concerns on the
material presented so far
3. Encore Readiness Assessment
a. Career counselor will transition to the Encore Readiness Assessment, by
discussing the reasoning behind taking the assessment. This is intended to
help each participate understand their motivation and determination when
thinking about beginning an Encore Career.
86 b. Career counselor will debrief with discussion of any surprises, questions
or concerns. The Encore Career exercise packet will then be distributed
that will be used in this session as well as the next two sessions. Exercises
in the packet are designed to help participants gain clarity and will mostly
be completed outside the workshop selecting the ones most relevant to
them based on input by the career counselor.
c. For those participants who have taken the Strong Interest Inventory, they
are invited to reflect back on those results to facilitate greater
understanding with specific exercises in the packet
4. What are the next steps?
a. Career counselor will encourage further self-exploration and research on
what is needed to develop participants’ ideas with regards to an encore
career and the steps to needed to achieve this aspiration (e.g., education,
salary, feedback from friends and family).
b. Career counselor will also encourage participants when thinking about the
retirement transition or transition to a new field of work to reflect back on
how they have handled other transitions in the past.
5. Career counselor will debrief and close with asking participants to share the take
home messages from this session and inquire if there are any questions.
6. The career counselor will re-visit confidentiality in the program, and distribute
and collect evaluations
87 Session 5: Encore Career Part 2 – Professional Development
In this session, participants will explore what is needed to step back into the world of work by exploring and expanding upon their professional development skills such as networking, informational interviewing, resumé building, and interview techniques.
Participants will be provided packets to assist them in developing these skills as well as to explore the current trends in the world of work and how to work with the different generations of individuals whom they will likely encounter in their new role. This session will be conducted in a collaborative manner with respect to specific subject areas where participants can learn from each others’ experiences in certain fields or life.
Time required: 2 hours with 15 minute break
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will educate and further develop participants’ professional development skills and provide further resources in order to prepare them for re-entering the world of work in other areas. Career counselor will also distribute and collect the evaluation
Objectives: Participants will receive tips, suggestions, and resources on different areas of professional development such as: resume building, interview techniques, networking, and furthering education. Participants will also gain clarity on what actions to take to make their ideas of an encore career a reality.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Encore Career Exercise packets from session before (Appendix J)
• Pens
• Snacks and water for participants
88 • Computer with internet access and ability to project it on to a larger screen for all
to view
• Notepads
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
Outline:
1. Career counselor will begin with asking participants about professional
development skills they wish to learn more about. Additionally the career
counselor will invite general questions and concerns about the program.
2. What is networking?
a. Career counselor will ask participants what they believe networking is and
what some of their challenges have been with networking. Content areas
to be covered:
i. Networking may occur in some surprising places, so participants
need to be open to possible new contact in all facets of their lives.
ii. Career counselor will ask participants to share their personal tips
about networking.
iii. One version of networking may be about connecting someone you
know that needs something with someone you know that has that
something
iv. Friends/family connections
v. Starting a conversation with a stranger
vi. Social media sites
1. Are participants using them? Comfortable with using them?
89 vii. Volunteering
1. Offer participants resources or explore websites on the
internet for all to see (e.g., volunteermatch.org, serve.gov,
allforgood.org)
3. What are informational interviews?
a. Career counselor will explain the benefits of an informational interview
by explaining that informational interviews may provide participants with
a window into a profession by speaking with someone who is living it and
loving it. Networking connections can be gained even if there is not a
curent job opening available.
4. Internships
a. Career counselor could possibly show a clip from the movie The Intern
about a man stepping back into the world of work and his challenges.
Discuss what internships are and how they can be either paid or unpaid
and are beneficial if the participant wishes to step into a new field for a
few years but can also try out a new hobby this way.
5. Resume/Cover Letter
a. Career counselor will explain the anatomy and depth and breath of a
resume along with the “do’s and don’ts” tips in the packet given to the
participants.
i. What employers are looking for, new software being used to
analyze resumes and why a cover letter is important
6. Take a 15 minute snack break
90 7. Once participants return from break, it may be helpful for the career counselor to
ask if there are any questions again that were thought of over the break or
discussed with other participants
8. Interview Techniques
a. Career counselor will discuss how an interview begins before you enter
the building where you will be interviewed, body language, being
professional to everyone you come in contact with and to be conscious of
being on electronic devices.
b. Emphasize the resources suggestion, especially for this population, in the
book What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro
With regards to interviewing techniques and protocol, career counselor
will suggest to participants it is ok to pause and think about the question,
to have some questions for the interviewers regarding the position, and to
send thank you notes!
9. Going Back to School
a. Career counselor may ask participants if anyone has gone back to school
and what their experience, challenges, and suggestions are for their peers.
b. Returning to school does not have to mean stepping back on to a college
campus anymore; there are online options as well. The career counselor
can ask participants to assess their motivation, strengths and challenges
they would face going back to college.
i. Often it is not the fear of the college work that hinders this
population, but more the process of knowing how to apply and
91 register for classes. Realizing there is always help available at the
educational institution they choose, and that more and more adults
are returning to school especially after retirement can help with
their doubts.
10. Transferable Skills and the World of Work
a. Career counselor should encourage participants to volunteer what
experiences and skills they have gained while having a career in law
enforcement and how they can possibly be transferred to other job areas.
Career counselor will reference the Transferable Skills exercise in the
Encore packet.
b. The career counselor should ask if any participants are currently working
in another job or field and what skills they have brought to that position
from their past experience. Additionally, what areas participants feel they
are lacking in skills and possible ways to obtain or further develop those
skills will be explored.
i. If the conversation is not flowing well, divide group into pairs.
c. World of Work
i. Career counselor will explore working with other generations and
the different work ethics, values, and expectations of different
generations. Encourage participants to volunteer the experiences
they have had already working with other individuals from
different generations.
1. How would participants describe their work ethic?
92 a. Career counselor will compare that to work ethic of
other generations and how best to communicate and
understand so as to have efficient and effective
work relationships
11. Closing of Session
a. Career counselor should review what has been covered in this session and
provide a list of resources that were mentioned in the session (Appendix
L), ask if there are any questions and what participants found most
interesting about this session or what they would like to know more about.
Career counselor will distribute and collect the evaluations.
93 Session 6: Encore Part 3 – Becoming an Encore Entrepreneur
An outside consultant who has been successful in beginning his own business and is a retired law enforcement officer will facilitate this session. Studies of this population have suggested that many retired law enforcement officers have an interest in becoming an entrepreneur and this session will explain what it takes and provide proper resources to educate participants on the next steps to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Time required: 1.5 hours
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will check in with participants and co- facilitate session with consultant, then distribute and collect the evaluation at the end of the session.
Outside Consultant Goal: Consultant will educate participants on suggestions and resources to utilize to become a successful entrepreneur
Objectives: Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the world of entrepreneurship through the expertise of the consultant and will obtain resources that will assist them with the next steps to take. Participants will gain clarity about pursuing their own business ideas.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Pens
• Notepads
• Any resources that presenter may bring
• Computer and projector for possible PowerPoint presentation
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
94 Outline:
1. Career counselor will begin with a check in with the group regarding past sessions
and any concerns or challenges, introduce the consultant, and assist the consultant
as needed
2. Consultant will present on such subject areas as what it takes to be an
entrepreneur (e.g., personality, characteristics), unforeseen challenges, importance
of networking and research, what the consultant would have done differently, and
examples of common and uncommon business ideas law enforcement officers
have pursued.
3. Conclusion of Session
a. Consultant will debrief with participants with their own activity and career
counselor will wrap up by asking participants to share suggestions they
may have or something interesting they learned. Evaluations will be
distributed and collected.
95 Session 7: Staying Connected, Goals, and LEO Retiree Panel
Throughout studying this population and in interviewing certain members of the population, the subject of staying connected with friends and fellow co-workers has come up as a challenge. This session will discuss the importance of having a strong social network and how it improves overall wellbeing. The idea of mentoring will also be discussed and the session will conclude with an LEO retiree panel to answer questions about how they have managed the transition and what they are doing now. It may be helpful to send emails prior to this session to let retirees or soon-to-be retirees know that questions will be accepted early through email and within the session prior to the panel beginning. This population may want to have time to develop discussion questions for the panel prior to the session. This being the final session, the career counselor will close with having participants review their retirement goals worksheet that they completed in the pre-screening session, as well as debrief the program briefly and distribute final evaluations.
Time required: 2 hours (with 15 minute break)
Career Counselor Goals: Career counselor will discuss the importance of staying connected and suggest different ways of maintaining a social network, discuss the idea of mentoring, facilitate retiree panel, debrief session and the whole of the program, gain permission to contact participants to follow up in one month and finally distribute and collect final evaluations.
Objectives: Participants will understand the importance of staying connected and having a social network and how it affects their wellbeing and how it could help make the transition to retirement smoother. Participants will have the opportunity to ask and
96 discuss topics with the LEO retiree panel and gain perspective and helpful suggestions.
Lastly, participants will readdress their retirement goals and see if they need to be adjusted and will also feel more confident about pursuing them.
Materials and/or Resources Needed:
• Pens
• Notecards for questions for panel
• Additional Retirement Goals worksheets (Appendix H)
• Business cards
• Notepads
• Computer with internet access and projection screen
• Snacks and drinks for panel and participants
• Evaluation (Appendix D)
Outline:
1. Career counselor will begin by checking in with the group on the experience of
past sessions and addressing that this is the last session of the program, will ask
what participants have gained so far and some of the challenges they may have
encountered thus far.
2. Career counselor will hand out notecards for participants to write questions or
concerns they would like addressed by the retiree panel later in the session. The
career counselor will then lead a brief discussion on groups that are available for
retiring LEOs and discussing the research on how many LEOs are surprised by
how fast they lose touch with fellow co-workers and lose that sense of belonging
97 with peers. This will facilitate the discussion to the participants regarding any
groups that they may be aware of that are for retiring LEOs.
a. One idea for staying connected would be to offer to mentor a fellow LEO
who is in the beginning of their career. Ask participants their thoughts on
this idea and if such a program exists.
3. Ten minute break
4. During the break the career counselor will collect all notecards from participants
with questions for the panel and discuss the questions quickly with the panel
participants to adjust for repetitive or irrelevant questions.
a. Panelists will be seated at the front of the room for the next part of the
session
5. Panel Discussion
a. Career counselor will bring participants back together for the panel
discussion and make sure that all notecards have been collected from
participants. Each panelist will get to answer each question, as relevant,
and once all questions are answered (depending on time) the participants
may then be allowed to ask any other follow-up questions to the panel or
specific panelists in regards to retirement and the retirement transition.
b. Once all questions have been asked and answered, the career counselor
will thank all members for attending and move on to the next portion of
the session.
6. Retirement Goals discussion
98 a. Career counselor will ask participants to look at their retirement goals that
they set for themselves at the beginning of the program. Possible
facilitation suggestions are:
i. Ask questions such as:
1. Is there anything the participants would like to change or
add?
2. What are some actions they plan to take after participating
in these sessions that they would not have taken before?
3. Do any of the goals have a timetable, are the goals specific?
ii. Career counselor will ask permission to check in with participants
individually by telephone or email one month after the conclusion
of this session to review the progress in meeting these goals.
7. Conclusion of the session and program
a. Career counselor can debrief by asking participants what was the most
valuable part of this program for them and why, discussing any
challenging parts and why
b. Career counselor will thank all participants for being a part of the program
and make sure they have the career counselor’s information and will
distribute and collect the final evaluation of the session
i. Career counselor will also reiterate that they will be checking in
with the participants by phone or email regarding retirement goals
and also to check in to see how the transition is proceeding.
99 Chapter V: Program Evaluation
Chapter five will describe how feedback was collected from field evaluators that have experience working with the population studied and/or career development programs. Each evaluator was sent a list of questions (Appendix N) that inquire about the development and potential success of the proposed program. Feedback collected along with possible implementation ideas will be summarized in this chapter.
Evaluator Credentials
Evaluator One is a career counselor who is currently the Senior Career Counselor at a four-year university. He holds a Masters degree in Counseling with a Career
Counseling specialization from a large, Hispanic-serving and otherwise diverse, comprehensive university. He is also a National Certified Counselor with over ten years of career counseling experience and specializes in working with college students in their career development journey, which includes career assessment interpretations such as the
Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Evaluator Two is a retired captain from the law enforcement field and worked in the law enforcement field for over 29 years. He has his Masters degree in Emergency
Services Administration, served in the Marine Corp for six years, and has held leadership positions such as lieutenant and SWAT team commander. He has also served on numerous boards for personal health and fitness. He has been retired for approximately six years and is heavily involved in other organizations that involve the law enforcement arena; he is also in the process of exploring the field of entrepreneurship.
Evaluator Three is currently the Assistant Director for the First and Second Year
Career Programs as well as a Career Counselor in the Career Center at a four-year
100 regional comprehensive, diverse university. In her role, she oversees individual and group career counseling programs, manages the career resources, and career assessments utilized by the Career Center, and oversees the graduate student training program within the office. She holds a Masters degree in Education with a focus in Counselor Education from the University of New Orleans. She is also a National Certified Counselor and has over 20 years of counseling experience empowering students and staff to achieve success.
Summary of Evaluator Feedback
This section includes the responses received from the three evaluators. All six questions presented for the program evaluation (Appendix N) are listed below with the evaluator responses following each question.
Question One: How well do you believe that this proposed program would address the career development needs of male law enforcement officers transitioning into retirement?
Evaluator One felt that this type of psychoeducational program would be very effective for retiring law enforcement personnel.
Evaluator Two felt that the proposed program appeared comprehensive, thorough, and well thought out. He felt it would be an extremely valuable tool provided the target population is receptive to participating. He also thought it important to state that department approval and sponsorship of a program like this is the proverbial double- edged sword: you are guaranteed participation, however, mandated programs are frequently met with cynicism. Early successes and “word-of-mouth” endorsements would go a long way to insuring the success of this program.
101 Evaluator Three felt that the program outlined should address the issues related to the absence of career development support for this population. She felt that with the seven career development sessions personal and world-of-work transition issues would be addressed. Issues of identity development and social connections would also be addressed to some extent and this is necessary for the population. She stated that the Retirement
Card Sorts, Encore Career sessions, and guest speaker sessions would provide practical strategies for transition to which the population would be drawn.
The third evaluator also offered some suggestions for improvement in possibly having more attention on the emotional issues of loss and transition being incorporated more and how they impact retirement. In the Statement of the Problem portion she felt there needed to be more language regarding the value of career counseling for this population as it is not discussed until the end of chapter one. She also suggested that it would be helpful to have had the appendices to see how they tied in with the program sessions.
Question Two: What additional area(s) would be beneficial to assess or address in this program?
Evaluator One suggested that stress management tips and resources could be integrated into session one, personal networking (in addition to professional) could also be incorporated into session seven. The emphasis could be on rebuilding the type of solidarity experienced as active law enforcement personnel.
Evaluator Two stated that most of the significant areas such as: volunteerism, employment, entrepreneurial endeavors, and education have been covered sufficiently.
He suggested adding a financial component as well. He also stated that finances and the
102 certainty of the future lay the groundwork for most retirement decisions. Even with the generous retirement benefits for law enforcement officers, there are always questions about whether or not the individual law enforcement officer and his family have sufficient income to provide the lifestyle they desire. Another concern of this evaluator for this population was how technology impacts retirees. He expressed how computer skills, social networking, etc. have exploded in the past 30 years and many retirees feel greatly behind the curve, maybe there could be more tips on these areas in one of the sessions.
Evaluator Three expressed that the program seems comprehensive but that it could possibly include an instrument such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to address issues of change management and stress management. Some other suggestions to benefit this program would be to add a minimum/maximum requirement for number of participants and to be clear about the credentials of the second facilitator. She wanted it to be clear what knowledge and experience this facilitator would need to be able to play such a key role in the program.
Question Three: How appropriate is the utilization of the Strong Interest
Inventory and the Retirement Activities/Values Card Sort assessment for this population?
Evaluator One stated that these instruments are appropriate for this population.
However, he suggested that in lieu of the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), that the
Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS) could be utilized. He also stated that while it would be ideal to use both the Retirement/Leisure Activities Card Sort and the Career
Values Card Sort, he may choose just one and that would be the Career Values Card Sort.
103 Evaluator Two stated that the use of the SII and the Retirement Activities/Values
Card Sort (RAVACS) are extremely valuable for this population but with a strong caveat: many law enforcement officers are put off by research acronyms and methodologies. He suggested that if the program were implemented he would not use references to SII,
RAVACS, Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, etc. He expressed that there is great risk of losing this particular audience. Instead he suggests simply saying, “I have an exercise that will demonstrate your personal areas of interest.” This would avoid a potential terminology trap.
Evaluator Three stated that while the Retirement Card Sort seems appropriate for addressing values and expectations, she wanted to know more about research on its use with older males. She was also concerned about there being any challenges for this population in expressing values and using help-seeking behavior. She suggested possibly using the card sort assessments earlier in the process, before the Strong Interest Inventory
(SII). Evaluator Three believed that participants might need to explore their expectations for retirement and their transition before reviewing interests.
The third evaluator also wondered if the Encore Exercises may produce over- lapping results to the SII and that maybe for this population the Encore Exercises would be more effective and/or helpful. She also stressed that when administering the SII it is important to be sure to fully process the intended outcomes for having participants take this assessment.
Question Four: What do you think about the order and structure of the sessions proposed? Are there any sessions you would remove?
104 Evaluator One stated that the order and structure of the program appeared appropriate. He would strongly reconsider altering session three to not include significant others in the session. He felt discussing values is a very private experience when exploring just your own but having to go through an assessment not only directly in front of one’s significant other but also in a group setting with peers may not be successful. Alternatively he would offer supplemental coaching and/or resources to help explore the issue of values in a different context if desired.
Evaluator Two expressed that the order and structure of the sessions looks solid but that he did have some reservations about session three and the involvement of significant others. While he recognizes that the input of significant others is undoubtedly critical but unless this program is entirely voluntary and there is buy-in by the participants’ wives, husbands, and significant others are unlikely to participate. The second evaluator also was curious as to how many participants are in each session. He felt it would be hard to guarantee participation if the group was too large for this particular session. He also stated that law enforcement officers may be reluctant to bring in significant others to expose their values to a large group of their peers.
Evaluator Three expressed that she had concerns about using the SII in session two. She believes it may be more effective after the card sort activities when participants have had a chance to assess the type of lifestyle they want in retirement. After they have done that they can explore occupational interests and leisure pursuits. She stated that the population might do better by developing their personal vision first and then exploring the world-of-work. She suggested making the Objectives section in each session more noticeable by placing it near the top right under the session title as well.
105 Question Five: Do the selected interventions within the sessions meet the stated goals and objectives? Are there any sessions where there could be a more effective way to meet the goals and objectives?
Evaluator One stated that the sessions appeared to address the stated goals and learning objectives adequately but that for time management purposes he suggested breaking session five into two parts as there appears to be a lot of material to cover. He also suggested that there be a stated number of participants suggested for each session.
Evaluator Two stated that the sessions appear to meet the goals and objectives and that the last four sessions appear to be the “meat and bones” of the program. However, he does recognize the importance of the first three sessions in the program but states that the participants must be clear that the first three sessions are tools to better assess and direct them to the final four sessions. He believes that values and interests are critical to the process, but the participants may only focus on those final sessions. Therefore it is important to present how those first sessions impact the process as a whole.
Evaluator Three expressed that the interventions should meet the goals and objectives. She suggested that sessions 5, 6, and 7 would provide practical interventions that should appeal to the population. She was concerned about session five having too many topics to cover effectively in such a short amount of time and to take into consideration covering one or more of the topics in another session.
Question Six: With regards to the population, how likely is it that you believe that this population would participate in this program given the opportunity to do so? What challenges do you think need to be addressed in order to encourage participants to utilize this program?
106 Evaluator One stated that as with any program where participation is voluntary, effective promotion of the program would be key. He suggested that this could be done through individual departments or agencies and/or through the retirement or pension system. This evaluator also suggested offering token incentives for participating in the program (e.g. “free lunch”, gift cards, etc.) could be offered to encourage participation.
Evaluator Two stated that it was important to remember the law enforcement officers, as a group is a cynical lot. He expressed concern that if the program was mandated it would be a tough sell and that many of the potential retirees will already know each other and it may be a difficult program to implement. This evaluator also stated that controlling the group would be a challenge if the participants were participating on a mandatory basis. But, he stated if the program was voluntary the group would be more likely to invest themselves in the process and that those who participate are likely to be better prepared for retirement and simply need some direction and guidance. He also suggested that early success and positive feedback would help the program become successful and that the informal communication network in law enforcement is pervasive and a positive “word on the street” is critical to the success of the program.
Evaluator Three stated that the population is used to structure and authoritarian rule and that they will probably be more likely to participate when a program such as this were included as part of a retirement protocol.
Incorporation of Feedback
The feedback offered by the evaluators provides insight into not only working with males in law enforcement transitioning into retirement but also provides insight into career development processes as well. The following section will describe
107 implementations that would be made in future revisions of the career development program in order to make it more effective for this population as well as make it more participant friendly.
All evaluators noted the need to have a suggested minimum or maximum number of participants that would be either allowed into the program as a whole or allowed on a session-by-session basis. Due to the fact that each session is structured to be able to stand independently, each session would have to be assessed as to how many participants would make that session effective and comfortable for the participants.
Another implementation that would be made to the structure of the sessions would be to reverse sessions two and three. Evaluator Three stated that she thought participants would more likely benefit from the Retirement/Leisure and Values Card Sort coming before the Strong Interest Inventory so as to help participants lay a foundation of what they want and how they want their retirement life to be.
Two of the three evaluators expressed concern over the amount of information in session five that involves many different facets of professional development. Thus, there would be an additional session added as a part two to session five so as to allow for all information to be presented, but also to ensure that participants do not get overwhelmed with information in one session.
Evaluators One and Three expressed the concern for having additional information and focus on stress management as well as on the emotional effects of identity loss and how that would determine not only the retirement transition, but the satisfaction level of retirement in general. This program originally had one more session that was removed because it was thought that it might not be needed for this population.
108 Due to these concerns being brought up by these two evaluators, an additional session on wellness and self-care would be added to the program in the future. This session will cover topics such as stress management, emotional effects of identity loss and the retirement transition, as well as the physical health characteristics of males in law enforcement and what happens to many LEOs once they retire.
All evaluators expressed concern over the session three which includes the
Retirement/Leisure Activities and Values Card Sort. The concern was not only if having a group assessment would be beneficial given the population, and how the are not likely to want to have personal values out on display, but also whether it was a productive idea to have significant others take part in this session. It is possible that a pilot version of this session could be presented and then, based on its reception, it could be determined if this particular session would need to be altered. One idea would be to have more intimate sessions with individual participants or with individual participants and their significant others without the group dynamic. The reason for having significant others included in this process is because in studying this population, one of the major disconnects with the retirement transition is with the significant other. Discussion of values and expectations can start that conversation and possibly increase communication and prevent future misunderstandings.
Lastly, the subject of whether the law enforcement agency or department should mandate this program or whether it should be voluntary is a valuable topic. Originally it was intended that this program would be voluntary. The research on this population suggests that having a mandatory program like this may not be successful because the participants would be entering the sessions with a different mindset then if it was
109 something they chose to do to better themselves. Also, since this population is often resistant to asking for help in the form of therapeutic services, it may be asking too much to have them commit to a four month program that has career counseling as its foundation. By giving the participants the flexibility and autonomy to pick and choose which sessions pique their interest, there may more authentic engagement of participants and therefore success of the program. Evaluator Two supports this view as well and being a part of the law enforcement population for close to 30 years give some credibility to structuring the program in this way.
Conclusion
The career development needs of males in law enforcement transitioning to retirement were addressed extensively throughout the five chapters of this proposed program. The following section will summarize the main topics covered in each of the chapters for the proposed program.
Chapter one provided the statement of the problem, which is the need for a career development program to address the major themes facing retirees or soon-to-be retirees which are: (a) the lack of career counseling, (b) the lack of social support and connection,
(c) the disruption of personal relationships, (d) the loss of identity, and (e) the susceptibility of officers in regards to health problems. Chapter one concluded with brief descriptions of the theories proposed to support the foundation of the program and limitations of the project.
Chapter two explored the many themes proposed in chapter one through the form of a literature review. Donald Super’s theory of life-span life-space and Nancy
Schlossberg’s transition model provided a solid foundation and structure for validity of
110 creating the proposed career development program. The characteristics of the population as well as the psychology and culture of males in the law enforcement field were also discussed.
Chapter three provided a description and justification of the career development program presented for the selected population including: goals, staffing, logistical requirements, assessments utilized, and materials needed. The program is designed to provide support and education through group discussion, self-growth exercises, and education in the areas of career development and self-exploration. Participants that complete the program are expected to be better equipped as they begin one of the most stressful transitions of life.
Chapter four presented the career development program in its entirety including goals, counselor objectives, materials needed, and outlines of each of the seven sessions.
Career interventions are described as well as who facilitates the sessions.
Finally, chapter five presented the credentials of the three selected evaluators as well as their feedback. The author discussed possible implementations to the program that would help to make it more efficient and valuable to the selected population based on the input of the evaluators.
The career development program proposed within this project demonstrates the author’s attempt at addressing the many issues of the retirement transition males in law enforcement face. As stated in previous chapters, there are still many areas to be explored and researched in much more depth. Career interventions are also continually changing, and it is suggested if this program were to be actualized, that the most recent research and interventions be explored before it was implemented as well as building meaningful
111 relationships within the law enforcement agencies. By providing this population with the resources, inspiration, and further knowledge of themselves, this proposed program allows for an easier transition and a more satisfying second half of life.
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118 Appendix A: Eligibility Criteria Form
Name of Applicant:
Last First
In order for the applicant to be accepted into the program, they must meet each of the following areas:
☐ Male
☐ 50 - 60 years old
☐ Be a retiring Law Enforcement officer or beginning the process of retirement
Eligible: ☐ Yes ☐ No
If applicant is eligible, give applicant the intake and consent form (Appendix B and C) and explain to the applicant when the forms are due and that once the intake and consent forms are completed, signed, and returned to the career counselor at the location and time that the career counselor deems appropriate. Once intake and consent form are received, career counselor will contact applicant to set up their intake session. In the intake session they will meet with a career counselor to discuss their specific needs and interests in regards to the program and which workshops they are interested in participating in.
If applicant is no eligible, the career counselor will explain why the candidate was not eligible in regards to the requirements of the program. Career counselor will also redirect law enforcement officer to other possible resources
Signature of Counselor ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!Date!
119 Appendix B: Intake Form
Law$Enforcement$Career$Transition$Intake$Form! (Please Note: all information will remain confidential)
GENERAL INFORMATION Name: Date: Last First
Address: Street Address Apartment/Unit #
City State Zip Code
Phone: Email:
Is it okay to leave a message? Yes No Is it okay to email you? Yes No
Birthdate: Sex:
Emergency Contact Name:
Contact Relationship: Contact Phone:
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
Current Employment Status: Full-time Part-time
Please list your last (2-3) positions with the department and what you liked and disliked about that position.
Position Title: ______
What I liked:
What I disliked:
Position Title: ______
120 What I liked:
What I disliked:
Position Title:
What I liked:
What I disliked:
EDUCATION/TRAINING
Briefly list any formal education you have obtained and any other relevant education, certifications, or specialized training:
(1) Degree/Certification/License:
Institution: Date obtained:
(2) Degree/Certification/License:
Institution: Date obtained:
(3) Degree/Certification/License:
Institution: Date obtained:
SKILLS
What are your top 3 skills?
1)
2)
3)
121 What can you do easily that other people find difficult?
What is difficult for you that others seem to find easier?
Do you have a computer and Internet? Yes No
How would you rate your computer skills with respect to looking up information on the Internet, sending email and using word processing programs?
Very little skill Average skill Above-average skill
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Relationship & Family History
Relationship status: Single Married Separated Divorced Widowed
Do you have any children? Yes No If yes, please state how many children and their age:
Do you have any disabilities? If so, please explain:
Have you recently or are you presently receiving counseling or other mental health services from a counselor/therapist? If so, please explain:
Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker or counselor? If so, please explain:
122
Social Support System: Please describe your social support network (check all that apply):
Family Neighbors Friends Co-Workers Support/Self-help group
Community Group Religious/spiritual center Other
Military Service: Have you been/currently in the military?
Never in Military Served in Military-No combat Served in Military-With combat
CAREER INFORMATION
What do you hope to accomplish from this program?
What are some concerns you have about retirement or the retirement transition?
What do you do to recharge your batteries or give yourself a sense of optimism?
How do you like to spend your leisure time?
123
What tips would you give us to help motivate you?
Who else would you like to be involved in this retirement transition (spouse, significant other, children, collegues, etc.)?
If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?
What kind of barriers could get in the way of meeting your retirement/transition goals (e.g., fear, self-esteem/confidence, pressure from others, mental health, motivation, no interests, lack of career information, indecisiveness)?
Which of the following career-transition workshops would be most helpful to you? (check all that apply):
Exploring Strengths and the Retirement Transition Exploring Interests and Values for the Future Transitioning to Another Career (Encore Career) Professional Development Skills (Resume Building, Networking, and Career Exploration) Going Back to School Starting your Own Business Health & Wellness Transferable Skills Staying Connected with Peers and Mentoring Staying Mentally Positive
124
Is there any additional information about yourself that you would like to share with us that could assist us in this process?
X Signature of Client Date
125 Appendix C: Consent Form
Program: The career development program for retiring LEOs is designed to help increase participants’ confidence, knowledge, and self-exploration about future career and/or hobby opportunities while they go through the retirement transition. Additionally, the program offers further resources for the retirement process that may be provided by the police department itself and/or by the career counselor or facilitator during the program duration on how to develop their knowledge and skills through the career development process. The program is structured into seven sessions and the participant is able to choose which sessions to attend. The initial pre-screening interview is required and sessions one and two if taken are to be taken together.
Confidentiality: All participants have the right to confidentiality on disclosing information in the group counseling sessions. There are however some limitations to confidentiality. As mandated reporters, career counselors and therapists are required to report any instances of suspected child/elder abuse and report if the participant is a danger to themselves or others.
Fees, Length and Program Usage: Participants may utilize services up to six months after the conclusion of the program sessions. Program begins at the initial pre-screening interview and concludes four months later. There will be two sessions per month approximately and the participant is able to repeat the program or any sessions they wish to. Participants agree to be contacted up to one month after the end of the program to discuss retirement goals and have a check-in with the career counselor. Fees will be paid by the participants depending on the number of sessions they are interested in participating in.
Right to Termination: Each participant has the right to end or take a break from the career development program. It is highly recommended for a participant to discuss the request to leave or take a break from the program with the career counselor prior to terminating. This is so that the career counselor can have the opportunity to provide participant with alternative resources and conclude the counseling relationship. Participants are always welcome to comeback and continue the program.
I have read and discussed the above information with the career counselor. I understand the program requirements, the nature and limits of confidentiality, and what is expected of me as a participant of this career development program.
______Name of Participant Date
______Name of Career Counselor
126 Appendix D: Program Evaluation
Thank you for attending this career development session. Please take a moment and help us make this program better suited for YOU. Check the box under your corresponding response: (strongly disagree, disagree, undecided, agree, strongly agree) Thank you ahead of time for helping improve this program for yourself and future law enforcement retirees.
Strongly Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Disagree Agree I found session experience helpful
The length of time of this session was adequate
My knowledge of the subject area covered in this session has increased
Career counselor and/or facilitator was knowledgeable on the session content
I found this facility sufficient for this session
I would attend another LEO career/retirement transition session
What other subject areas would you like to see explored in future law enforcement career/retirement transition sessions? ______
What did you enjoy most about this particular session? Least? ______
127 Appendix E: Program Schedule
Career Development Program Schedule for Law Enforcement Males Transitioning to Retirement SESSION 1: WHAT TYPE OF RETIREE AM I? Date: Time: Description: Previous What kind of retiree are you? Find out!! Session Requirements? September 6, 2016 4:00PM – 6:00PM will include: discussion on department PRE-SCREENING resources, getting to know each other, INTERVIEW IS challenges of the retirement transition, REQUIRED TO TAKE expectations and goals of retirement, and PART IN THIS SESSION preparation to take the Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
SESSION 2: STRONG INTEREST INVENTORY GROUP INTERPRETATION
Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants will take part in a group Requirements? September 20, 2016 4:00PM – 6:30PM interpretation exploring their interests in COMPLETION OF hobbies. Come increase life and/or future job SESSION 1 satisfaction by exploring new careers and leisure activities that match your interests.
SESSION 3: RETIREMENT ACTIVITIES/VALUES CARD SORT INTERPRETATION Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants and their significant others will Requirements? October 4, 2016 4:00PM – 6:00PM explore values and expectations of the NONE retirement transition and retirement in general.
SESSION 4: ENCORE CAREERS PART 1 – WHAT IS AN ENCORE CAREER? Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants will explore the concept of an Requirements? October 18, 2016 4:00PM – 5:30PM Encore Career and where they are at in the NONE process of developing one, participants will also gain a better on transitioning from law enforcement to a civilian job field. 4 SESSION 5: ENCORE CAREERS PART 2 – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants will explore professional Requirements? November 1, 2016 4:00PM – 6:00PM development skills such as: resume building, Participation in Session informational interviewing, networking, and 4 is helpful but not interviewing techniques. required.
SESSION 6: ENCORE CAREERS PART 3 – BECOMING AN ENCORE ENTREPRENEUR Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants will learn what it takes to become Requirements? November 15, 2016 4:00PM – 5:30PM an entrepreneur through a retired LEO and now Session 5 helpful but successful entrepreneur. not required
SESSION 7: STAYING CONNECTED, GOALS, AND LEO RETIREE PANEL
Date: Time: Description: Previous Participants will learn the importance of staying Requirements? November 29, 2016 4:00PM – 6:00PM socially connected in retirement, revisit their NONE retirement goals, and participate in an LEO retiree panel discussion.
128 Appendix F: Resources for Career Counselors
Alboher, M. (2013). The encore career handbook: How to make a living and a difference
in the second half of life. New York: Workman Pub.
Grutter, J., & Hammer, A. (2005). Strong Interest inventory user’s guide: Practitioner’s
tool for understanding, interpretation, and use of the Strong profile and
interpretive report. Mountain View, California: CPP.
Knowdell, R.N. (1997- 2015). Online Knowdell career values card sort. Retrieved
November 29, 2015, from http://www.careerplanner.com/Knowdell-Career-
Values-CardSort.cfm
Knowdell, R.N. (1997- 2015). Online Knowdell leisure retirement card sort. Retrieved
November 29, 2015, from http://www.careerplanner.com/Knowdell-Career-
Values-
Navarro, J., & Karlins, M. (2008). What every BODY is saying: An ex-FBI agent's guide
to speed-reading people. New York, NY: Collins Living. CardSort.cfm
Schlossberg, N. (2003). Retire smart, retire happy: Finding your true path in life.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
129 Appendix G: What Type of Retiree Am I?
During her research on retirement, Nancy Schlossberg (2003) began to notice that people take different paths as they define a new norm in order to obtain the recognition, satisfaction, and meaning they received through work. Most retirees took one of the following paths as they proceeded with the task of getting used to their life after retiring: (a) Continuers, (b) Adventurers, (c) Searchers, (d) Easy Gliders, and (e) Retreaters (Schlossberg, 2003). The categories will be explained in more detail after the brief assessment below. Retirees may fall into more than one category or shift between them as well. See next page for scoring instructions.
“ . . .we need to be thinking of retirement not as a finite experience but as a process in which a retirement career evolves just as a work career did.” (Schlossberg, 2003, p. 89)
Circle the letter that best matches where you are right now.
1. Do you usually: a. Enjoy traveling? b. Seek out new acquaintances wherever you find yourself? c. Stick to the same group of people you have been in for years? d. Live in the moment? e. Prefer to be on your own?
2. For leisure time, do you usually: a. Look for new and challenging activities? b. When trying a new activity, if it doesn’t work for you, do you drop it and try something else? c. Stick with the same hobbies? d. Finally be able to enjoy each day and live in the moment? e. Not have hobbies or outside interests?
3. Is your current job or activity: a. Different than anything you have ever done before? b. Tempting you to look for more challenges in other places? c. Enjoyable and satisfying way to spend your time? d. Enjoyable but without the need or concern with the end result? e. Overwhelming?
4. If a project doesn’t work out do you usually: a. Start something new? b. Doesn’t matter, you will explore something else? c. Try again but in the same area? d. Give up and not try again?
130 Scoring
Three or more A’s mean you are an Adventurer; three or more B’s mean you are a Searcher; three or more C’s mean you are a Continuer; three or more D’s mean you are an Easy Glider; and three or more E’s mean you are a Retreater. The following briefly describes what each type means, for more in depth explanations please read Retire Smart Retire Happy Finding Your True Path in Life by Nancy Schlossberg.
Adventurer An adventurer might see retirement as a chance to explore new areas, new challenges, and to structure personal time in new ways. They may enjoy developing new skills, their retirement path is different than the life they were living before.
Searcher A searcher may enjoy exploring new paths and will keep trying new ones until they find one that fits them. Searchers represent the larges group in the retirement environment, it’s not unusual for a searcher to start on one path and if they aren’t engaged or satisfied they will begin searching for another one. Most retirees will pass through this type at one point or another in the retirement transition.
Continuer Continuers keep in touch with their past skills, hobbies, interests, and values and mold them to fit their current situation. Work and work-related activities are important and continuers will look to maintain them through part-tie paid or volunteer activities.
Easy Glider Easy Gliders tend to take things as they come and enjoy unscheduled time and activities that appeal to them. They want to relax and embrace retirement sometimes choosing to be leisurely sometimes choosing to work. They may have qualities of all the other retiree types.
Retreater This type can be taking time out or possibly disengaging from life. This type may find that life is unsatisfying and empty, they don’t seem to enjoy being involved or interested in any particular activities, and my avoid getting to know new people.
Adapted with permission from: Schlossberg, N. (2003). Retire smart, retire happy: Finding your true path in life. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
131 Appendix H: Retirement Goals Worksheet S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting for Retirement
When writing your goals on the following page, keep in mind the following specifications to increase the likelihood of achieving your goals!
Specific – goal should be specific and somewhat detailed
Measurable – How will you measure what you are trying to accomplish? Is there a minimum?
Attainable – Is this goal possible for you, what will you need to do to make it possible? Determine how it can be reached.
Realistic – Is this goal realistic and in line with what the individual’s overall objectives are?
Time Bound – Be specific in stating when this goal needs to be accomplished and why this goal is meaningful to you?
132 S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting for Retirement
Goal Ideas on How to Estimated Achieve it? Are there Time challenges? Frame
Short Term (3-4 weeks)
Mid-Term (6 months to 1 year)
Long-Term (over next 3 – 5 years)
133 Appendix I: Retirement Activities/Values Card Sort Worksheets
Values Card Sort Worksheet
Always Valued Often Valued Sometimes Seldom Valued Never Valued Valued
Adapted with permission from: Knowdell, R.N. (1997- 2015). Online Knowdell Career Values Card Sort.
134 Leisure/Retirement Activities Worksheet
Engage in this Engage in this Engage in this Seldom Engage Never Engage Activity Activity Activity in this Activity in this Activity Daily Regularly Occasionally
Adapted with permission from: Knowdell, R.N. (1997- 2015). Online Knowdell Leisure Retirement Card Sort.
135 Appendix J: Encore Career Exploration
Encore Readiness Assessment (Encore Career Exploration Part 1 of 2)
Are you ready for an Encore Career? Whether an Encore Career is a new idea to you or you have been thinking about it for a while, everyone is at different stages of their thought and action processes. This exercise will help you understand where you are and what questions you may need to ask of yourself or someone else that can be of help to you.
For each of the questions below, answer yes, no, or maybe.
1. Are you in a place in your life where you can comfortably move forward into another job or career area without having to deal with another urgent aspect of your life? (For example, caring for someone else, getting through a health issue, etc.) ____
2. Do you have some ideas of what you may want to explore next? ____
3. Is there an issue that you can’t stop thinking about? ____
4. Do you feel you are financially stable enough to make a shift into another career area? ____
5. Do you have someone with whom you can comfortably talk to about your possible plans or ideas? ____
6. Are you open to the idea of going back to school, updating your skills, or learning something new? ____
7. Do you know what type of environment you may want to explore and how much time you want to work? ____
8. Are you able to briefly describe where you are in exploring a possible new career or what it is you want to do? ____
If you answered more no’s and maybes, you may need to do a bit more research to focus in on what it is you want to pursue, informational interviewing, networking, and self- exploration can all help with that.
If you answered more yeses, you are further along in the planning process and have definite ideas of what you want to pursue.
Adapted from: Alboher, M. (2013). The encore career handbook: How to make a living and a difference in the second half of life. New York: Workman Pub.
136 I’m Interested in an Encore Career! Now What? (Encore Exploration Part 2 of 2)
Gathering Ideas:
Do you have some ideas that have already been on your mind? Ideas may be more specific or general and writing them down you can spark other ideas or begin to focus on the ones you have. If you don’t have any ideas at this time, possibly come back to this worksheet after you have attended the sessions and see if some ideas have begun to take root!
Ideas I have been thinking about . . ..
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
Why are You Interested in an Encore Career?
Take a moment to think about some of your motivations for wanting an Encore Career. Some examples may be to: stimulate my mind, feel productive, have fun, mentor others, etc. There is no wrong answer! Take a moment to identify your top five reasons and/or motivations that are most important to YOU.
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
Adapted from: Alboher, M. (2013). The encore career handbook: How to make a living and a difference in the second half of life. New York: Workman Pub.
137 Appendix K: Professional Development
What is a Resumé? (Part 1 of 2)
A resumé is a summary of work experience and skills that are relevant to a particular position or industry. Resumes can also include other types of experience, such as volunteer and other non-paid work experience, depending on what you are applying for. It is how you market or promote yourself to potential employers and is often the first impression an employer has of you.
Types of Resumes:
Chronological – This works for a person with several years of experience. Job information is presented by dates, beginning with the most recent position, employer is able tot see the types of positions held and the increasing amount of responsibility
Functional Resumé – If you have a work history that is mixed it may be difficult to link positions held, this type of resume would be best, and it also works when there are gaps in work experience.
Combination Resumé – This type of resume allows one to highlight skills relevant to the job you are applying for and also provide the chronological work history, which is easier and quicker to follow.
Targeted Resumé – All resumes should be targeted and this just means that the skills, education, work experience, and other skills and accomplishments are related to the job being applied for.
Anatomy of a Resumé
A resumé contains certain categories of information; these categories make up the body of the resume. Below is a list of suggested categories of information with a brief explanation of each.
Contact Information – First and last name, mailing address or just city of residence, phone number, and a professional email address
Career Objective or Professional Objective (optional) – This is a brief, usually one sentence that tells an employer what position you are interested in or possibly what you want in a career. There are differing opinions on what an objective should contain and whether it is needed or not, hence the notation of optional above.
138 Summary of Qualifications or Career Highlights - This section highlights your most important skills, experience, qualities, and accomplishments relevant to the position. If the employer were only going to read this section, what would you want them to know about you?
Professional Accomplishments – More than just job duties, accomplishments show not only what you did but also how well you did it and what the favorable results were.
Work Experience – When listing work experience, remember to list most recent experience first and work backwards, older workers should think only in terms of whether or not work experience is relevant to the position they are applying for when listing work experience. Each listed experience should show: job title, name of employer (including city and state), dates (usually starting and ending month and year), and job responsibilities or duties which are converted in action statements that will be discussed later. The last ten years of work are the most relevant.
Skills – Sometimes it may be relevant to list additional training such as computer skills and/or special certifications and/or language fluency.
Education – List your highest degree of education. There is no need to list high school if you graduated from college. Include academic honors, school or college from which you graduated including the city and state, relevant professional certifications, honors, and licenses.
References (optional) – It is usually not recommended to have the names and contact information of references listed on a resume. Use only if requested. Some employers may disqualify your resumé if you list unsolicited references. Instead, have references available on a separate sheet of paper.
Tips for Writing a Winning Resumé
1. Use the Words, and Title used in the job description. Employers are using software that searches for keywords and if your resume doesn’t have those words it may not be selected to go to the next stage.
2. Quantify your Accomplishments. Express the number, degree, or amount of something, think about time, effort, and money, how they were saved, earned or increased. This enables employers to see how much work you do. Examples can be seen in the action statements portion of this handout.
3. Consider Targeting All Resumés. As discussed earlier, resumés should be targeted for the specific job or employer being applied to or for. It may be helpful to have one main resumé with all of your experience on it that you copy and paste from to create other resumés.
139 4. How a Resumé Should Look. Employers usually do not spend much time reviewing a resumé, perhaps only 10-15 seconds initially. Your resume should be well organized and easy to read. Font should be no less than 12 points (other than Arial, which may be 11 points.) Arial and Times New Roman are acceptable font styles. Use bullet points followed by short powerful sentences. It is acceptable for resumés to be one or two pages, but make sure the information is included is relevant. Use quantifying symbols like $ and % because the eyes are drawn to numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts. Do not overuse capital letters, underline, italics, or bold print. Margins should be about one inch on all sides and no less than three-quarters of an inch.
5. Prioritize Information. List most the important descriptive information first under each category.
6. Use Action Words to Add Power. Action words can be found later in this packet but it is important to use action words because they show you actually did something, just make sure to use the correct verb tense depending on if you are still in the position or not.
7. Proofread your Resumé. Read your resumé backwards and forwards, out loud, and have at least two other people read it. Typos, grammatical errors, or a misspelled word discredits your hard work and would not represent you well.
8. Highlight Achievements Instead of Responsibilities. List relevant achievements instead of just duties or responsibilities of the job. Quantify your duties to better turn them into achievements.
9. Do Not Lie on Your Resumé. It would be embarrassing to be asked a question during your interview that you cannot answer due to the fact you misrepresented something on your resumé. Job titles, duties, or education can be easily investigated.
140
Credit: California State University, Northridge, Career Center
141
142
Credit: California State University, Northridge, Career Center
143 Sample Resume
Credit: California State University, Northridge, Career Center
144 Anatomy of a Cover Letter
Credit: California State University, Northridge, Career Center
145
Credit: California State University, Northridge, Career Center
146 Informational Interviewing and Suggested Questions (Part 2 of 2)
What is an Informational Interview?
An informational interview is an informal meeting with a person who knows first hand about a specific career area. The interview allows one to gain an understanding of the details such as highs and lows of the position as well as how the person got to where they are. It is important to note that an informational interview is not asking for a job, but more likely advice and having the opportunity to make a connection. Gathering information through an informational interview sheds light on what a job is like but also can help improve job search strategies and lead to other connections in the field.
Sample Questions:
• What prior jobs or positions led to where you are now?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What would you do differently if you could do it all over again?
• What do you do on a typical day?
• What qualities or skills are required to be successful in this position?
• What are the growing areas of this field?
• What distinguishes this organization from others in this field?
• What do you like most about this company?
• Is there anyone else you would recommend I speak to?
147 Appendix L: Entrepreneur Exercise
Do You Have the Personality and Attitude of an Entrepreneur?
Becoming an entrepreneur takes a certain type of person, especially to be successful. Look at the questions below and the more times you answer ‘yes’ the more likely it is that you have the personality and attitude to be an entrepreneur.
1. Is there a social problem that you feel so passionate about that you want to immerse yourself in fixing it?
2. Do you have an idea or innovation that could have a serious impact on a social problem or issue?
3. Do you have access to a strong social network and the willingness and/or ability to access it for favors?
4. Are you comfortable facing rejection?
5. Are you willing to play many different roles in an organization, even if some of those roles feel menial or not exactly suited to your talents?
6. Do you have a high tolerance for risk?
7. Would you be comfortable explaining your vision repeatedly in different contexts to different audiences?
Adapted from: Alboher, M. (2013). The encore career handbook: How to make a living and a difference in the second half of life. New York: Workman Pub.
148 Appendix M: Resources for Participants
Books:
• 100 Conversations for Career Success: Learn to Tweet, Cold Call, and Network Your Way to Career Success by Miriram Salpeter and Laura M. Labovich • AARP Crash Course in Finding the Work You Love: The Essential Guide to Reinventing Your Life by Samuel Greengard • Back to School for Grownups: Your Guide to Making Sound Decisions: (And How Not to Get Run Over by the School Bus) by Laura H. Gilbert, Ph.D. • How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein • Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding your True Path in Life by Nancy Schlossberg • Social Networking for Career Success: Using Online Tools to Create a Personal Brand by Miriam Salpeter • The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife by Marc Freedman • The Couple’s Retirement Puzzle: 10 Must-Have Conversations for Transitioning to the Second Half of Life by Roberta K. Taylor and Dorian Mintzer • The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life by Marci Alboher • What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro • What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life? True Stories of Finding Success, Passion, and New Meaning in the Second Half of Life by Bruce Frankel Websites: • American Association of Community Colleges – Plus50 Initiative (plus50.aacc.nche.edu/Pages/Default.aspx) Database of current community college programs designed for people fifty and older • Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov/ooh) Profiles that cover hundreds of occupations with information on how much they pay, what training they require, how to become one, and more, employment projections for 2010-2020 • Create The Good (createthegood.org) AARP’s site for volunteering is loaded with lists of short and long term opportunities and events as well as simple how to guides for holding food drives or helping members of your community prepare for a natural disaster • Encore.org Website dedicated to leveraging the skills and talents of experienced adults to improve communities and the world
149 • LearningCounts.org Site from the Council for Adult Experimental Learning evaluates knowledge learned outside the classroom and how it could be used for college credit, certification, or advanced standing toward further training • Mynextmove.org Website exploring careers by key words, browsing careers by industry, and exploring what one likes to do • Oasis (oasisnet.org/GetInvolved/Volunteer.aspx) A nationwide nonprofit that promotes successful aging programs through lifelong learning, healthy living, and social engagement, offers continuing education classes and volunteer opportunities for older adults • RetiredBrains.com An independent job and information resource for boomers, retirees, and people planning their retirement who are looking for full-time, part-time, or flex-time employment • Road Scholar (roadscholar.org) Provides thousands of service learning trips in both the U.S. and abroad, trips are assigned an Activity Level rating from Easy to Challenging for participants to select the appropriate programs for their physical abilities • Senior Entrepreneurship Works (seniorentrepreneurshipworks.org) Nonprofit organization designed to help entrepreneurs fifty-five and older build sustainable businesses by providing training courses, support, news, and research • Work Reimagined (workreimagined.aarp.org) Project of AARP and LinkedIn, a social community and talent exchange for people with twenty plus years of work experience • WorkSearch Information Network (aarpworksearch.org) Online employment guide to the job search process from start to finish, offers assessments and resume writing tools
150 Appendix N: Questions for Program Evaluators
1. How well do you believe that this proposed program would address the career development needs of male law enforcement officers transitioning into retirement?
2. What additional area(s) would be beneficial to assess or address in this program?
3. How appropriate is the utilization of the Strong Interest Inventory and the Retirement Activities/Values Card Sort assessment for this population?
4. What do you think about the order and structure of the sessions proposed? Are there any sessions you would remove?
5. Do the selected interventions within the sessions meet the stated goals and objectives? Are there any sessions where there could be a more effective way to meet the goals and objectives?
6. With regards to the population, how likely is it that you believe that this population would participate in this program given the opportunity to do so? What challenges do you think need to be addressed in order to encourage participants to utilize this program?
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