Police Officer - Wellness Support Dog Handler

Police Officer - Wellness Support Dog Handler

Department: Legislative Branch

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia

Salary Range: $90853 - $147928 Per Year

Job Summary: The United States Capitol Police (USCP) safeguards the Congress, Members of Congress, employees, visitors, and Congressional buildings and grounds from crime, disruption, and terrorism. We protect and secure Congress so it can fulfill its constitutional and legislative responsibilities in a safe, secure and open environment.

Major Duties:

• This position is located within the Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness. The Wellness Support Dog Handler (WSDH) is a dedicated individual who is responsible for providing mental and emotional support to USCP employees. This role involves utilizing the Wellness Support Dog (WSD) to assist officers and staff in managing stress, mental health challenges, and promoting overall well-being. The WSDH will be responsible for the care, training, and deployment of the WSD, ensuring the animal is effectively integrated into the department's wellness program. Duties: Manage the WSD’s health, training, safety, and well-being, including feeding, grooming, and veterinary care, while ensuring the WSD effectively supports mental health. •Collaborate with other wellness team members, leadership, and mental health professionals, support officers, and professional staff through visits, activities, and wellness events. •Conduct community outreach to enhance public relations, represent the Department at events promoting the WSD and mental health resources, and provide emotional support and stress mitigation to officers and professional staff. •Provide education on the benefits of accessing services through the Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness and participate in wellness activities and events to promote stress relief and morale. •Monitor and evaluate the wellness support dog program’s impact, gather employee feedback, and continuously enhance its effectiveness. •Document all contacts and interactions, ensuring no confidential or identifying information is included. This helps evaluate the mission’s effectiveness and highlights areas for improvement, ultimately showcasing its success. Selectee will be assigned to this position at the Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness on a full-time basis. This position is not a Technician position, nor is it eligible for Technician pay.

Qualifications: All applicants must meet the following eligibility factors in order to be considered for the position of the wellness dog handler: 1. Must be a USCP sworn employee below the rank of Sergeant and have attained the rank of Private First Class by the closing date of this announcement. 2. Must reside within 50 air miles of the United States Capitol Dome, in accordance with Directive 1074.003, Home-to-Work (HTW) Vehicle Authorization and Use. The website www.distancefromto.net has been selected to calculate the distance between the candidate's address and the Capitol Dome. 3. Candidates must submit a letter of approval from their homeowner's association to approve the housing of a canine. If you do not have a homeowner's association, submit a statement to that effect. 4. Must have or be able to successfully complete Critical Incident/Stress Management Training. 5. Must not be in restricted leave status as of the selection date. 6 Must be in a full and unrestricted duty status in order to participate in Selection Process Phase III - Physical Abilities Test (PAT) unless otherwise authorized by law (e.g., performance of duty injury, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)). 7. Must be available to work flexible and/or additional hours. 8. Must possess and maintain a valid Real ID U.S. driver's license. 9. Must be able to obtain and maintain a government issued travel card.

How to Apply: Navigate to the following URL to apply to this job: USCP Careers 1. Follow the prompts to upload your resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click the Submit Application button to submit your application package. 3. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date. 4. To verify that your application is complete, log into your account, select the job posting for this position. The page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and any correspondence the Department has sent related to this application. 5. Failure to provide all required documents and information requested by the closing date of this announcement may result in your application not being considered. The complete application package must be submitted by 7:59 PM (ET) on the closing date to receive consideration.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-29