A Handbook for Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations in Law Enforcement

Cary D. Rostow · Robert D. Davis

mar 2014 · Routledge

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While some books about police psychology contain a chapter on the fitness-for-duty question, this is the first comprehensive publication focused exclusively on psychological fitness-for-duty evaluations (FFDEs) for law enforcement personnel. This handbook is ideal for professionals and for coursework designed to prepare individuals for careers as police or municipal officials, psychologists, students, behavioral science specialists, human rights advocates, and attorneys. A helpful glossary makes the book even more useful for students and those who do not have extensive academic or formal training in psychology or public administration.

A Handbook for Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations in Law Enforcement describes in detail the mechanics of setting up a fitness-for-duty methodology and examines the effectiveness of FFDEs in law enforcement. You’ll find clear instructions for developing a FFDE system from the law enforcement executive’s viewpoint (valuable for attorneys, police psychologists, and civil service board members as well), and an extensive bibliography with particular emphasis on laws and cases that provide guidance to psychological and law enforcement professionals. Several appendices provide examples of documentation that can be used in the evaluation process.

This book brings you reliable information on:

• legal precedents, with a review of legal cases (in language appropriate for law enforcement executives and psychologists)
• the interaction between police culture, psychological assessment, and therapy
• federal laws that impact FFDEs, including the HIPAA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act
• case law and FFDEs, with emphasis on civil rights laws, labor issues, professional ethical dilemmas, and the psychologist as a potential expert witness
• the proper uses—and the misuses—of the FFDE approach
• police departmental civil liability and the role that the FFDE plays in addressing legal risks

In addition, this book contains a succinct review of psychological testing (psychometrics), and the technicalities of employing a professional psychologist to determine the fitness of commissioned officers. A Handbook for Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations in Law Enforcement proposes a model law that could be used to improve the utility and effectiveness of FFDEs, and presents a forward-looking discussion of FFDE issues that may become controversial in the near future.

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Cary D. Rostow, Robert D. Davis