The SALUS Foundation advances mental health, wellbeing, and safety across the professions that sustain our communities—from public safety and healthcare to education, public works, corrections, and forensic services. We serve trauma-facing professionals, those preparing to follow in their footsteps, their families, and the broader community, recognizing that caring for those who serve strengthens us all.
They run toward emergencies, care for the sick and the dying, keep order, keep cities running, and teach our children. We support them at every stage of their careers, starting with the first day of training.
Their families. Spouses, partners, children, and parents live with the schedules, the stress, and the stories that come home. Our programs include them, because resilience is built at home as much as on the job.
The community at large. Strong relationships between public servants and the neighborhoods they serve make everyone safer. We bring both sides together through outreach, education, and shared events.
SALUS brings together professional experience, clinical knowledge, and research-informed approaches to advance mental health, wellbeing, and safety. Our work connects trauma-facing professionals, those preparing to enter these fields, their families, and the broader community through five areas of focus.
Making wellbeing part of the culture.
We help organizations support psychological wellness through consultations, practical strategies, and resources that address occupational stress and trauma exposure. Our focus extends beyond individual coping to the environments in which people work, learn, and serve.
Building understanding before challenges become crises.
Our presentations and trainings help professionals, students, trainees, leaders, and families recognize signs of distress, understand the effects of trauma, and respond supportively. We translate clinical knowledge into practical guidance for the workplace, the classroom, and home.
Bringing connection closer.
We engage with workplaces, training programs, families, and community organizations to make mental health conversations more accessible and relevant. Outreach creates opportunities to ask questions, discover resources, and build relationships before support becomes urgent.
Encouraging a culture where seeking support is respected.
We promote greater understanding of the psychological demands of trauma-facing work and the barriers that can keep people from seeking care. Our advocacy emphasizes dignity, privacy, and access to support that respects professional culture and individual needs.
Turning shared concern into shared action.
We work with departments, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, mental health providers, and community groups to identify needs and coordinate efforts. Together, we seek to strengthen support networks and build understanding among professionals, families, and the communities they serve.
SALUS Foundation grew from a perspective shaped by both public service and mental health care: behind every professional role is a person whose wellbeing matters.
Our founder, Dr. Michael Tavolacci, is a retired police sergeant and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. His experience in law enforcement, combined with a Ph.D. in Human Development and master's degrees in Managerial Leadership, Human Development, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, brings together an understanding of people, organizations, and the demands of service.
Through his work in policing and departmental wellness consultations and presentations, Dr. Mike has connected these disciplines around a shared purpose: supporting the people others depend on.
SALUS carries that purpose across professions. Our mission embraces trauma-facing professionals in public safety, healthcare, education, corrections, public works, and forensic services, alongside students and trainees preparing to enter these fields. It also includes their families and the communities they serve, recognizing that the effects of demanding work can reach far beyond the workplace.
Through wellness consultations, presentations, and educational outreach, we help bring psychological wellness into everyday conversations and organizational priorities. We believe support should begin during professional preparation and remain part of a lifetime of service.
From the Latin salus, SALUS stands for health, wellbeing, and safety.
It also names our framework: Support, Advocacy, Leadership, Unity, and Service.
Securing wellness for our vital workforce and communities.
Founder · Retired Police Sergeant · Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Dr. Michael Tavolacci brings together experience in law enforcement, leadership, human development, and mental health counseling. A retired police sergeant and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, he holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and three master's degrees: Managerial Leadership, Human Development, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
His background connects firsthand knowledge of public service with an understanding of individual well-being, organizational dynamics, and the challenges people face throughout their lives. His work includes wellness consultations and presentations for first responder departments.
Through the SALUS Foundation, Dr. Mike applies these perspectives to supporting trauma-facing professionals, those preparing to enter these fields, and their families and communities.
His approach emphasizes practical education, psychological wellness, and recognition of the person behind the professional role.
SALUS is not a crisis service. If you or someone you love is struggling, these confidential lines are staffed by people who understand. Many are run by peers from your own profession.
For anyone in emotional distress or crisis. Call or text. Available 24/7.
Text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained crisis counselor. Available 24/7.
Confidential line for current and former law enforcement and their families, answered by retired officers. Available 24/7.
Confidential crisis referral for public safety and emergency services personnel and their families, nationwide.
Free, confidential peer support from volunteer psychiatrists for physicians and medical students. No appointment needed. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern.
Free, confidential treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use.
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. Listings are provided for information; SALUS Foundation is not affiliated with these organizations.
Strong communities depend on people who are supported in the work they do. Organizations, donors, and funding partners can help SALUS extend mental health education, wellness initiatives, and outreach to trauma-facing professionals, those preparing to serve, and their families.
Start a conversation about a wellness consultation, presentation, or collaborative opportunity tailored to your organization's needs.
Discuss Your Organization's NeedsYour generosity can help SALUS expand access to education, strengthen outreach, and develop resources for the professionals, families, and communities we serve.
Give to SALUSWe welcome conversations with foundations, corporate giving programs, and other grantmaking organizations whose priorities align with mental health, workforce wellbeing, family support, and community connection.
Explore opportunities to support a defined initiative with clear objectives, a thoughtful budget, and an approach to evaluating progress.
Explore Funding PartnershipsWe welcome volunteers who want to share their time and talents. Whatever your background, there's a place for you in this work.
Get Involved as a VolunteerTogether, we can make caring for those who serve a shared community commitment.
No. We focus on prevention, education, and long-term wellness. If you need help right now, call or text 988, or see the support lines listed above.
We are based in Chicagoland, and we serve professionals and their families nationwide.
Yes. Academy cadets, recruits, students, interns, residents, fellows, and apprentices are part of our mission. Building healthy habits early is one of the best ways to protect a long career.
Yes. Spouses, partners, children, and parents are included in our programs, because the stress of these jobs reaches home too.
We partner with organizations to host trainings, wellness events, and peer support initiatives. Reach out through the contact section below and tell us what your team needs.
You can donate, introduce us to an organization that could use our programs, or volunteer. We welcome volunteers in any capacity, including fundraising, program and project management, teaching, counseling, and financial management and budgeting. Reach out through the contact section to get started.
Questions about our programs, a training request, or an idea for a partnership? Reach out and we'll get back to you.
