Archive for the ‘Psychological Gun Belt’ Category

Police Psychology | Law Enforcement Spirituality Part 2

Posted: December 10, 2015 in Other Tools
Tags: , ,
0

In New York, as I am sure in many major cities, it is common to find many members of the departments who are Jewish.  But isn’t their faith antithetical to police work?  My conservative Jewish Intern will explain.  As we are traveling through the Hanukkah season we must not forget the members of the Jewish faith in Blue.  — Gary and Anne

An Officer and Jewish

 

Today, we have reached a point in time where discrimination is not only discouraged—it is illegal. This is with regards to gender, race, ethnicity, and religion. Despite this, there are Star of David, Police Psychologymany things to consider within a religious group. In this post, I would like to discuss with you some considerations that must be evaluated for Jews who want to join the police force.

The Chumash (one of the sections of the Jewish bible) requires that Jews establish a police force. Indeed, a robust police force is a required feature of all Jewish communities. At the same time, the bible makes it very clear that police officers are enforcers, not executors of justice, or punishers. The role of police officers is to find and prevent criminal activities. Their responsibilities do not include exacting retribution against those they feel are deserving. This is an important distinction that is emphasized many times in the bible—and it is a distinction that bears emphasizing here. Studies show that there are three main levels of police force: legal, extra-legal, and excessive. Most notably, many cops maintain that extra-legal force (while not within the technical confines of the law) is allowed and necessary depending on the situation and other abstract factors. In other words, many times cops see themselves as the executors of justice, while, in fact, their role is really meant to be enforcers of justice.

And yet, despite the requirement to establish a strong police force in every community, historically, the Jews have had a distrust for the civil authority. This often led to a disinterest in joining secular police forces. For instance, it is recorded that one Jewish man was a detective and investigator for the Roman police force, and his friends all told him this brought about “divine displeasure.” The story ends there, but many Rabbis explain the reasoning here. In these ancient time periods, the secular government was oftentimes unfair and unjust. People did not receive fair trails, and punishments were regularly inhumane and excessive. For this reason, this man’s friends frowned upon the practice of ratting our Jewish criminals to the Roman authority. This, however, was the case in that particular circumstance. Today, joining secular police forces are seen as a respectable profession in the Jewish community. Why? Because the laws and consequences in this country are executed fairly, equal treatment for all. In such a case, the bible permits reporting on other Jews, even if they are alleged violators.

In fact, in some cases it is even encouraged to join the police force! One concern many people address is the idea that the bible encourages us to lead lifestyles of refinement and poise. The concern here is that being exposed to a life of violence and authority that invariably comes hand in hand with police work may be incompatible with the personality and the psyche that God encourages us to pursue. But, many Rabbis explain that this is not a valid concern. Indeed, it is recorded in many books that everyone has different personalities and inclinations for different professions. The bible says there are those people who are predisposed toward violence and blood. Instead of trying to counter their very nature, we should encourage them to pursue positive professions that are align with their personalities. For instance, such an individual should become a butcher and sell animal meat. In psychological terms, this is called sublimation, a Freudian defense mechanism. Sublimation is a mature defense mechanism where socially unacceptable behaviors (such as murder and violence) are unconsciously transformed into socially acceptable behaviors (such as become a butcher). Eventually, this can lead to a permanent alteration of the initial inappropriate impulse.

Police work is just like this. The bible does not want to discourage people who have a penchant for control, authority, even violence and toughness. Instead, it wants to nurture it and find positive outlets for such behaviors. Becoming enforcers of the law—particularly in developed countries in which we can rely on the fact that the laws will be just and equal—is one such way to do so.

Reports from Jewish police officers also show that “Jewish cops often feel in their work a sense of moral mission that is intertwined with their Judaism.” In other words, many cops (Jewish and otherwise) are motivated by their faith. This moral framework can help Jews navigate the more unpleasant realities of police work. Many Jews encourage a lifestyle of “tikun olam”—making the world a better place. Working with law enforcement gives these Jewish individuals a sense that they are working toward a greater goal, one of betterment for our society.

Today, there are about 3,000 Jews in the NYPD. While this is a small percentage, it should also be noted that many Jews volunteer for citizen watch programs (called “shomrim” in the Jewish communities). In addition, Jews have a long-standing history with law enforcement in America. Historical records show that a Polish Jew living in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam in the 1600s demanded that the governor allow him to take up arms alongside the other colonists in order to protect his home.

Perhaps Jews will always feel a sense of being an “outsider,” especially when it comes to being a police officer. And perhaps Jews will always look at authority figures with a sense of trepidation (considering what happened with the Holocaust, this may even be a valid concern). But the fact that Jews are becoming increasingly involved with local police forces is definitely a step forward in the right direction.

Yocheved Pahmer
Police Psychology Intern

 

Blog Administrator: Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.

Please share this article from down below.

Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.

Come back regularly for more updated blogs on police psychology

Share this Article:

Police Psychology | Law Enforcement Spirituality Part 1

Posted: December 8, 2015 in Other Tools
Tags: , ,
0

Anne Bisek approached me with a spirituality article and we thought together what if we did a series on Spirituality.  After all, as police psychologists and officers we deal with spiritual questions all the time.  This is the first in a four or five part series on Spirituality with the other articles following in the next two weeks.  Anne and I worked together to edit them and get people to write them.  We hope you like it.  If you do, let us know.  — Gary and Anne

What Does It Mean to Be a Catholic and a Police Officer, and Possibly a “Saint”?

 

Witness the unknown story of one such individual who risked his life amidst grave danger to save over five thousand perfect strangers. The following narrative is an inspiring story about keeping faith in the midst of tribulation, even to the point of sacrificing his own life to martyrdom.

GIOVANNI PALATUCCI, POLICEMAN AND MAN OF GOD

 

Between 1938 and 1944, Giovanni Palatucci, who was in charge of the Italian Government’s Foreigners Office, and later Chief of Police in PalatucciFiume, northern Italy, saved the lives of 5,000 Jews, destined to extermination camps. Palatucci obtained false documents and safe-conducts for individuals persecuted by Nazism. He carried out this endeavor with the help of his uncle, Bishop Giuseppe Maria Palatucci of Campagna.

Palatucci was born in Montella, Italy, in 1909. He worked in Genoa’s public security administration until 1937, when he moved to Fiume. Following the promulgation of racist laws in Italy, he began forging documents and visas for thousands of Jews, sending them to internment camps, “protected” with the added help of his uncle, the Bishop. At that time Palatucci was engaged to a young Jewish woman, and saw her safely in Switzerland before returning to his work.

In 1938 Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had promulgated anti-Jewish laws, which included the confinement of foreign Jews sheltered in camps for internees. One of the largest of these camps was located in Campagna. “They want to make us believe that the heart is only a muscle, to hinder us from doing what our hearts and religion tell us,” Palatucci said, referring to these laws. Palatucci’s work consisted in editing the necessary residence papers required by the law for refugees. He began silently to falsify documents and visas. When Palatucci “deported” Jews “officially”, he handled it in such a way that they were sent to Campagna, instructing his refugees to contact his uncle, who would give them the most help possible.

After Mussolini’s imprisonment in 1943, the German forces occupied the north of Italy, making the situation in Fiume increasingly dangerous for Palatucci, and for the 3,500 Jews there. In February 1943, Palatucci became Fiume’s Chief of Police, and was thus able to continue his secret work. Instead of giving the Germans information on “foreigners” to be deported, he destroyed the records. When he learned about the Nazis’ plans, he alerted people in time, often providing them with false documents and money to escape.”

In June 1943, high German officials searched Palatucci’s apartment, looking for information on resident Jews, the only lists they found corresponded to people who had left Italy long ago. From then on, Palatucci’s relationship with his superiors became very dangerous. A close friend, the Swiss ambassador in Trieste, offered Palatucci safe passage to Switzerland. He accepted his friend’s generous offer but, instead of using it himself, he sent his fiancée, a young Jewish woman. She spent the war there and today lives in Israel.

On September 13, 1944, he was arrested by German security police, the Gestapo, accused of conspiracy, and condemned to death in the prison at Trieste. His sentence was later “commuted” to deportation to Dachau on October 22nd.   He was taken to the Dachau extermination camp, his prison number was 117826.

“He died on February 10, 1945, in the very place from which he had saved so many,

a few weeks before the camp was liberated by the Allies on April 29, 1945. Some say he died of undernourishment. Other witnesses said he was shot. He was only 36.”

Giovanni Palatucci’s cause of beatification is already under way. Fr. Gianfranco Zuncheddu, postulator of Palatucci’s Cause of Beatification, said that since “June 17 of last year, the beginning of the diocesan investigation for the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God as a martyr for the faith. Now we await the response and judgment of the consultant theologians on his writings.”

Being a good Catholic police officer shouldn’t be about a doctrine but about actions and the “heart” behind those actions. We too often hinder when our hearts tell us to do something that is right. A good Catholic police officer should not hinder his heart or his religion to follow the letter of the law. The heart of the police officer should be to help others in their time of need like Giovanni Palatucci. That is how we become human and that is how we become a Saint.

Fr. Joseph D’Angelo

Catholic Priest

Police Chaplain

 

Blog Administrator: Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.

Please share this article from down below.

Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.

Come back regularly for more updated blogs on police psychology

Share this Article:

Police Psychology | Funeral for a Friend

Posted: September 21, 2015 in Stories
Tags: , ,
1

Police Psychology | Funeral for a Friend

by Kammie Juzwin

Like many of us, I am sitting here tonight with a heavy heart at the loss of so many police officers in violent altercations, the funeral, Police pSychologycurrent culture and attitudes towards our first responders. In my role as a Police Psychologist, I’ve had a really hard string of days emotionally, coming back from yet another conversation with someone in distress about working as “the police”. It’s been like that for almost two weeks. The recent media attention on police deaths is tragic, but there was some degree of insulation as it was “there”. But, it came home on Tuesday 1 September 2015, when an agency local had an officer die in the line of duty. This is about 30 miles north from my department, and many officers I know have personal and professional ties to the officers, department and/or case. I have ties to that department. It has occupied the news here, both in print and on-air. It hit the national news as well. Throughout the days as I’ve had calls from, and had face time, with commissioners, officers, family members and administrators, I’ve come to know their grief, fear, shock and anger.

I turned on the news and saw my officers there. I got to my department as soon as I could, and stayed until I had eyes on my guys when they came off their detail. Silly, I know. I didn’t expect to talk to them then, but somehow needed to see them in person to assure their well-being. I walked through my department and discovered we had several officers there on-scene. I also learned the extent my department of sheepdogs was chomping at the bit to get there and help too. They felt angry they couldn’t rotate in for the others who had worked in brutal conditions in the field all day. They felt like they weren’t supported by their department to go help when help was truly needed. They had been taking calls and texts all day from family, friends and significant others wanting to make sure they were safe. A few teary girlfriends and wives had called and had the “I don’t know if I can do this with you” conversation, which the officers struggled with because of their desire to move closer in to the scene. Their ambivalence was palpable.

I’ve offered support through the Northern Illinois CISM Team, which had a support role there. An aside, I am a proud member of this group, and so proud of the professionals and the services they provide. I tried to support the coordinator the best I could as she tried to set up defusings and map out the longer term debriefing services that would be offered.

funeral, police psychology, police stressI attended the funeral. It was a lot to take in and process. I saw the long lines of the public, the Freedom Riders and military standing roadside, the lines of officers and families’ string into the high school. It was the only place large enough to house the service, and they still had to limit the fire service from attending. They instead stood on the procession route, at attention, waiting to pay their respects.

There were civilian and officer viewing times, with the funeral being set for the time all officers were there. Line after line after line of groups of officers stood waiting. One was at least 100 strong, they came from all over the country, local, state, federal and I saw a few international officers too. I stood within this sea of uniforms, and watched the tears, the shaking shoulders, and stares off into the distance throughout the events. I saw the lines, officer after officer, united by a badge with a singular purpose. I also saw laughter, handshakes and hugs. I heard the word ‘brother’ over and over. I listened to the bag pipes as the casket was moved to the hearse, as people stood at attention, the crowd rapt in silence, with tears sliding down own faces.

The saying “Many Badges, One Family”, observed on several signs along the road, was certainly a truth.

I also rode in the procession the whole 18 miles, which was very emotionally moving and exhausting. It was a privilege. Scores of people, departments and businesses stood at the side of the road. It seemed everything was awash with blue and black ribbons and signs of support. Signs reflected support for him, for the department, and their loss. People were weeping, cheering, holding signs, blowing kisses to the cars as they passed. People were standing at attention, holding their hands over their hearts, waving flags, calling support to each department as we passed. Signs also reflected support for the police in general as well. The retired military stood straight and tall at attention next to an American flag. They, too, were often weeping. One image that sticks in my mind was a solitary standing figure of a young adult who had obvious multiple impairments, attempting to salute, his crooked arms and fingers at his brow, tears just streaming. His thin shoulders were shaking and his sorrow apparent. There were children with blue tears painted on their faces, signs reflecting police as their heroes. I held my composure until near the end when we went under an overpass and it was silent, where the signs, flags and buntings spoke volumes. It was beautiful, profound and so sad.

Since then, the conversations have gotten harder. My heart hurts for the sadness I see on their faces, in their eyes, and hear in their voices. The helplessness I hear at not having a resolution is painful. I hear the fear and apprehension for news they are pretty sure is coming next in the media. There is no good way out of this situation

but only through it.

The longer it is in the media and unresolved, the more contentious it is becoming and the community can barely tolerate the fear they are experiencing while it is still in investigation phase. It is hard to watch, hard to wait and hard to tolerate the speculation. There have been a series of interviews where the undercurrent between the various parties implies the worst about the way the other party is handling some aspect of the case. The community waits, fearful of murders amongst them. How long can this tension and fear last before it becomes anger or disillusionment?

Then as we came into the second week, the tone amongst the officers has shifted from grief, to restless disbelief and apprehension for the worst case scenario. Given their training, they speculate, knowing their own set of facts, their hypotheses, and their tendencies are to resolve the riddle. When we talk, they wonder aloud. Everyone I’ve spoken with knows a little piece of something, and each conversation gives me a piece from their perspective or experience. The speculation is rampant about the events, the details and what happened. The alternative hypotheses abound. Being curious, I so badly want more details to clarify or verify, but know that is not what the purpose of the conversation. It all makes sense, none of it makes sense. It is painful to watch and hear, at the personal officer level, at the larger police culture level, and potentially now, for our society.

Reviewing and trying to make sense of the details they know aside, if I summarized the conversations, they would seem to flow like this:

1. It’s easier to believe it happened when it is somewhere else.

2. Maybe public sentiment will turn the tide, and they will see we bleed too.

3. Sure they love us when they’re scared, sheep always love us when they are scared or feel threatened.

4. What’s wrong with me that I’m thinking this might be a suicide?

5. What if it is a suicide?

6. If it was a suicide, he still deserved the funeral, the memorials, the attention of the community. I will stand by that forever.

7. How can I handle the betrayal if it is? I helped look for those people of interest, I did….., I went to the funeral, I cried, I held my wife’s hand and cried like a baby, and if it is suicide? What about the family? The explorers, especially the ones who went into the profession because of him?

8. The community will blame us, and me personally, for letting them believe that we deserve their support and love. For the spectacle, for the intrusion on the lives, for the fear that was not necessary. The hate will really start, maybe even justifying their (mis)beliefs about our jobs in their society.

9. Why should they trust us? I don’t think I can trust us.

10. If this could be the cause where a guy as squared away as he was could do this, what about the other guys who I look up to, how can I trust them?

11. Who in my department is going to do something like this, so I have to go through this again? Do I have to look at every squared away – “got it all together” guy with skepticism now? I already worry about …..

12. I am embarrassed, angry, bitter, and my wife is besides herself thinking that I’m next.

13. Why bother? They hate me when it’s good, they hate me when it’s bad.

14. I love what this badge stands for, but I don’t know if I can keep the battle up with the war inside and outside.

15. Just tell us the answer of the manner of death, give us the facts, let the community know what it needs to know, the truth. Support them through the same grief, disbelief and anger we feel. If they could only understand we’d feel the same sense of betrayal and anguish they feel.

16. What is this industry going to do about all this? Where is the leadership on the daily level?

17. What about the next LODD? Will the community trust us to catch the person? What if it is me next? Someone I know? If it is a suicide, what will that mean for us? For the community?

18. What about the young guys, the new ones? What about their families? Why should they stay in? People want to kill us, it’s open season on us. We have suicide rates and health problems and hate society back. Why bother? I should just do my time and get out.

19. What will I do when I get out, I’m “the police”, it isn’t what I do, it is who I am.

Cops being cops, the conversations have been pushing towards resolution, and their cynicism and career experience is creating a vast range of possibilities of what really happened in the events that led to his death. At this point, I know much too much, and much too little. It is hard to know what is and is not fact, and everything I’m hearing is plausible. As it is an open investigation, I can’t comment about the specifics as I write this to bring clarity. When they move to the personal impact on themselves, I don’t know how to help them other than listen, validate, support, and remind them of why they started in this profession. I know whatever I do is going to feel to me that I am helpless to stop this tidal wave. If I could just deal with this officer and his death, that would be one thing, but this is about a societal thing that is going to get worse before it gets better. “The Police” will be in the cross-hairs of society as both enemies and protectors, and the scrutiny will get worse for them before it gets better. Each officer I talked with made a statement to me acknowledging this burden they carry. This event was bigger than the death of my brother, it impacted my entire family, and me personally, they seem to say. I sit and absorb this heaviness. How do you respond in any effective way? What is the answer?

Was the death a homicide, accidental or self-inflicted? Once this line of thinking started, my core went from sad and wondering to how to take care of my folks in the larger context of society and what might happen to law enforcement and its officers. I felt defeated. I cried. I had a crisis of faith in mankind. I reached out to others. Our fear for our officers contains commonalities:

1. The community at large, at best, is ambivalent towards its police. The sheep love the police when they are afraid.

2. The police officers I observed were profoundly moved by the outpouring of support for the officer, his family and department by the community.

3. The police officers I observed were profoundly moved by the outpouring of support for the police by the community. This event became more than about one officers’ death; it became a cause for this community to demonstrate support for “the police” as a whole.

4. If it is determined to be anything other than a homicide, this may be a devastating blow to law enforcement as a whole across the nation. They feared they wouldn’t recover, that there was no way to save face.

So here is my “working” approach. I ask how they are doing, to which they always reply “fine”. I smile and nod. I chat, cleverly distracting them (well at least in my mind), about whatever. Eventually the real conversation begins. I try to be the support they need. I also work from the assumption that they are indeed managing and doing what they need to do to be effective in their roles. In the absence of data suggesting otherwise, that is a fair thing to do. An incident, even one as significant as this, may not be a significant incident to the individual, where there may be lasting trauma. People have emotions and reactions to situations. Understanding that is

important. Understanding that this experience does not warrant a FFDE is also important, unless there is indeed evidence for this. A lot of guys “joked” if I was going to send them for a FFDE because they cried at the funeral. I hugged them, and I’m sure they might have preferred the FFDE.

Very often my conversations are about how you can be wrestling with something, and yet be functioning well. You can be sad or angry, and yet not be consumed by it. People can be resilient and manage to be many things at once. The goal is not to absent of emotion or reaction, but to be integrated and adaptive. To maintain one’s humanity, while in a challenging culture and set of demands. There is delineation for them, different than compartmentalization or minimizing. It is our job to observe for when that becomes problematic and blatantly obvious, and intervene accordingly when impairment is obvious.

Another attribute is that they see life beyond a career, where they take their skills and knowledge into another phase of their life. I need to look closer at the literature about rates of accident and injury close to transition periods in their careers. I see this as a major area where we can be helpful. How do we help with transition anticipation and transition for this group?

The most frequently repeated topic is there is a pride in wearing the badge and uniform, that it actually an exemplification of what they believe in their core. The internal locus of control centered in values that are integrated into their identity. This is an important observation in my healthier officers. It is a lifestyle they would lead even if they weren’t officers. For those whose identities are values based, being an officer allows them to live congruently with their values, and they seem to be processing through these events differently than those who don’t present with that set of beliefs. But when the core beliefs and values come under fire, they hurt down to their soul.

One officer said something like this to me today, “this is what we do, we face the things society gives us.” He spoke of weathering the storm, regardless of the animosity, while praying that the support they received as real, that it doesn’t get revoked. Although he has aspirations of life beyond this career, this career allows him the best quality of life he can imagine. After the two weeks we’ve all had, a moment of hope occurred in that second for me. If they can weather it, I’ll be in good company while I try too.funeral 3

Thank you for allowing me to share these rambling thoughts with you. I appreciate any comments, supportive suggestions and directions to help me help my sheepdogs. I don’t know how to protect them from what might be coming. Sometimes, being a Keeper of the Sheepdogs sucks, but man, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere but there. Peace, Kammie Juzwin

Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.

Please share this article from down below.

Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to you email box.

Come back regularly for more updated blogs on police psychology

Share this Article:

Police Psychology | Fit To Be A Cop? How Much Testing is Enough?

Posted: September 14, 2015 in Tests
Tags: , ,
0

POLICE PSYCHOLOGY | FIT TO BE A COP?  HOW MUCH PSYCH TESTING IS ENOUGH?

Laurence Miller, PhD

BALTIMORE (Associated Press) — “A psychological firm paid to evaluate troubled Baltimore police, including a lieutenant charged in the killing of Freddie Gray, is under investigation by the city and has been put on probation by the state police for cutting corners in its mental health screenings of officers. An investigation showed that the company’s psychologists were completing evaluations of officers’ mental stability in 15 minutes instead of the 45 minutes required by the state contract. Experts say 15 minutes is far too short to adequately conduct psychological assessments, either for police applicants or officers seeking to return to active duty.” (http://www.aol.com/article/2015/08/06/psych-firm-that-screens-baltimore-cops-under-review/21219038/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-297775251.)

Reports from my police psychologist colleagues and communications from police officer applicants who feel like they’ve been unfairly bumped from consideration for law enforcement positions suggest that the above story is not an isolated incident. Accordingly, it’s important to appreciate the proper role of psych screenings in the law enforcement hiring process.

Why do a psych screening?

Law enforcement is a high-stress, people-intensive profession. Before a department invests the time and resources in hiring, training, and fielding an officer, it wants to be reasonably sure that officer will be able to perform his or her job, will not pose a risk or danger to the public, and won’t create a liability for the department.

What are they looking for?

Not paragons of mental health, just candidates that are reasonably stable, mature, and responsible. The law enforcement pre-employment psych screening is actually a rather course net designed to catch significant mental disturbance or personality disorder that would be incompatible with the role of a police officer. It is unlikely that an officer candidate with a severe psychotic, mood, personality, or substance abuse disorder would get through this net, but smaller psychological fish, such as erratic mood swings, narcissistic entitlement, under-the-radar alcohol misuse, or extreme prejudicial beliefs, just might wriggle through the meshwork. One common mistake of officer candidates is pretending to be too perfect and then getting bounced for dishonest exaggeration.

What does the exam consist of?

The exact content and procedure of pre-employment screenings can vary widely from agency to agency, but ideally, a competent pre-employment psych screen should contain at least two main elements: (1) a clinical interview; and (2) one or more standardized psychological tests. During the clinical interview, the psychologist asks a range of questions about the candidate’s background, work history, current lifestyle, any symptoms or problems she may be experiencing, and what his expectations are about the job.

A properly conducted law enforcement psychological interview should not feel like an interrogation; in fact, it shouldn’t be any more adversarial than other type of job

interview. The number of psychological tests employed may range from one to a dozen, but typically, between two and four well-standardized measures will be administered. In fact, the typical candidate spends more time hunched over a set of bubble tests with a number-2 pencil in his hand than he spends face-to-face with the psychologist. Another reason for answering questions honestly is that many of these tests have built-in measures for detecting inconsistency and exaggeration.

How are the results determined?

Usually, the examiner will weigh three things: (1) impressions from the clinical interview, (2) the psychometric test results, and (3) the material obtained from a review of the applicant’s past medical, employment, and other records. These factors are then placed into a kind of formula that yields one of several determinations, often expressed in terms of low, medium, or high risk of projected future performance problems on the job. The rationale for these conclusions is provided in the text of a written report that is then sent to the law enforcement agency’s hiring committee for them to consider along with all the other data they use to make the final hiring decision.

Who does these evaluations?

And that’s the crux of the problem. The quality of these assessments is only as good as the training, expertise, and experience of the evaluators. And as the title story indicates, contracts for these services are typically awarded to multi-staffed psychological “assessment centers” (which often do evals for firefighters, paramedics, and other public safety personnel as well as police departments) on a low-bid basis, who then recruit

psychological examiners to work on an independent-contract basis who, in turn, are willing to work on a high-volume, low-fee basis. So now you have the pleasure of knowing that the evaluator who’s making a determinative decision about your entire career got his or her job, not necessarily because of any special credentials or qualifications, but because he or she was the cheapest deal on the block.

Having said that, I know a number of very competent, very professional psychologists who do pre-employment screenings, and usually other types of police psychological work as well. But these are typically independent practitioners, not test-mill employees, and I guarantee they’re not doing their evals in 15 minutes – or even 45 minutes. Realistically, it’s going to take at least a couple of hours to conduct a valid pre-employment psychological screening for any high-level profession, including clinical interview, psych testing, and preparing the report.

Evaluators who cannot competently and ethically offer these services should not be doing this work, and law enforcement agencies who will not pay for valid screenings should not be hiring. The repercussions of sloppy assessments for clinicians is an erosion of trust in the field of psychology on the part of law enforcement personnel. The impact on police agencies may be felt in poorer quality of policing, increased citizen complaints, and higher liability to the department in negligent hiring and retention lawsuits, just one of which can erase the “savings” from retaining a low-bid assessment center many times over. The public expects police to be professionals; police agencies should expect no less from the psychologists who evaluate their personnel.

Laurence Miller, PhD is a clinical, forensic, and police psychologist based in Boca Raton, Florida. He can be reached at docmilphd@aol.com. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific clinical or legal advice.

 

Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.

Please share this article from down below.

Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to you email box.

Come back regularly for more updated blogs on police psychology

Share this Article:

Guest Blogger | How To Survive a Professional Ambush

Posted: July 27, 2015 in Stories
Tags: , , ,
2

Guest Blogger | How To Survive a Professional Ambush

 by Marla Friedman, Psy.D.

Police Psychologist, Director of Investigative Services, Immediate Past Chair-Illinois Police Psychological Services/ILACP, Board of Directors-Badge of Life

I began my career in mental health in 1979. I had graduated with a shiny, fresh degree in psychology, though I had more hours in studio art and art history than in psychology. Unfortunately my interest in having a career in art was limited by my lack of talent. I also noticed that being dead was a big career builder in the art world. That was less appealing. So, ultimately I figured I could have a career in psychology, which I loved and keep art as a hobby.

I’ve always had this image that when I was born, the doctor pulled me out, smacked my butt and said, “it’s a girl, then thumped my head and said, “oh, and a psychologist.”

I was raised in a chaotic family and felt sure that there was a better way to do things. I learned later that normal families do not produce good clinicians and very crazy families do not either. I was raised in a medium crazy family. Good catch on that one!

My father, a very bright man, told me that the structure of a cell and the characteristics of the universe were very similar. He said, think about this, “ what if the whole world as we know it exists in a cell on the thumb of an ordinary man just walking down the street.” Never tell that to an obsessive, and existentially nervous seven year-old.

Still I realized early I had a lot of reading to do on many subjects. So I spent most of my time doing that. By 12, I was reading Freud and Jung, not to mention Nancy Drew and all the crime related literature I could find. I thought if I could read everything I would be well prepared for what was to come. Oh silly girl!

Okay, back to the future, I couldn’t wait to encounter all the cases I learned about in school. I literally loved the field from the get go especially the bizarre disorders. Hebephrenic schizophrenics and multiple personality disorders, unusual phobias, you name it I was game. Did I mention naive?

I was young and inexperienced both personally and professionally. I took the first job I was offered. I was thrilled. When filling out the application it asked for my hobbies, which I thought was odd at the time but I put in art and sign language, as I was an obedient student. I was immediately contacted by a 120-bed psychiatric hospital, which housed one of the few mental health programs for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired in the country. I considered that to literally be the best thing that could ever happen to me. I stayed there for seven years and was incredibly fortunate to work on every unit with hearing and deaf patients including, pediatric, pre-adolescent, adolescent, adult, substance abuse and even spent a year doing testing in the Personality Lab.

The best part, besides the exposure to every diagnostic category imaginable and a complete education in psychopharmacology was the collegial atmosphere of the staff. We were bonded, reliable in an emergency, supportive, cooperative and helpful. There was never any competition. We made sure everyone was safe. We still see each other today. So that was my experience with my mental health peers, and I could never imagine anything different.

In the 1980s (let’s leave my age out of this) was the first time I had any interaction with law enforcement. I was tasked with going to local PDs (usually at 3 in the morning) and finding placements for runaway adolescents. This opened my eyes to the possibilities available to immerse myself in police culture and then re-train in criminal justice, homicide investigation and the mental

health needs of law enforcement. I moved into private practice and included 1st responders in my practice. I knew at that time I wanted a long- term career as a psychologist, so I always limited the number of patients I saw in each category. I was thinking high variety, lower chance of burnout.

I was lucky throughout school, practicums, internship and jobs (except for the rare exception) to have incredibly talented and generous supervisors, mentors and peers. Most of them were at the top of their game. Since that time I have enjoyed a successful solo private practice. The headaches of being my own boss were outweighed by my ability to treat the most incredible people and still love my job.

So far it all sounds good, right? Well up to this point people who knew me would describe me as a bookworm, who preferred not to join groups or engage in public speaking unless I couldn’t avoid it. Still anxious and obsessive with a strong belief in doing the right thing, and the false belief that life is essentially fair. I marched forward.

I decided to start taking more risks, trying new things and was eventually voted Chair of an important committee within the law enforcement community. Two psychologists made it clear that they wanted the position regardless of the vote. That was the first time I was exposed to psychologists who were competitive, mean spirited and working for financial gain only. I was bullied, threatened and misrepresented by an early career psychologist who wanted a bite at the apple. Fortunately, most of these transmissions were done through E-mail or mail so I had a record of all of it. Did I mention that sometimes I’m still naive?

My mistakes were many. For the first year I didn’t tell anyone. I should have reported the ethical breaches right away. My goals for the committee were two fold. 1. Assess the needs of the Chief’s of Police and then develop programs to meet those needs. 2. Have law enforcement personnel become comfortable with psychologists so they would value and use our services.

I was afraid if I told anyone within the association I would be losing the trust and support I had gained with so many of the chiefs. I had worked so hard for law enforcement to see psychologists as valuable assets. I felt betrayed and trapped by my own profession. Finally, I contacted the confidential services of the ethics committee of the IACP and received excellent advice about how to minimize the impact of the personality types I was dealing with. I have followed that advice. I started confiding in peers and family. I sought consultation with other professionals. I had a plan that was reasonable and doable. I felt better.

Too many times as psychologists we forget the best thing we can do is confide in another human being, basically get some of the help from others that we usually provide our patients. “Physician heal thyself” isn’t a good motto for us to live by. Reach out to others and let them heal you when you are in a professional ambush. Ask for support. Trust your own profession to give you the help you need!

Marla Friedman, Psy.D.

 

Blog Director:  Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP

To follow me on this blog fill in your email address and click at left of page at the top of the sidebar

Please share this with other people on your social network from down below.

For books by Dr. Gary S. Aumiller got to http://www.myherodad.com or http://www.myheromom.com

Join me on Facebook or Linkedin (see sidebar).

If you enjoyed this tip, sign up to receive updates for more posts on the latest in police psychology.

Share this Article:
Older Entries
Newer Entries