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

While some police psychology books contain a chapter on fitness for duty, this is the first comprehensive publication focused exclusively on psychological fitness-for-duty evaluations (FFDEs) for law enforcement personnel. This book presents detailed instructions for setting up a fitness-for-duty methodology, and examines the effectiveness of FFDEs in law enforcement. This handbook is ideal for professionals as well as for coursework aimed at prospective 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 without formal training in psychology or public administration, and several appendices provide examples of documentation to use in the evaluation process. This book presents 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; and police departmental civil liability and the role that the FFDE plays in addressing legal risk.