Faust Psychological Services is sought out to provide Fitness for Duty evaluations and the related recommendations and intervention for first responders. First responders often experience critical incidents (CI) as well as other events that result in emotional, behavioral, and/or physical or somatic symptoms, which can impact performance of their duties, especially when contrasted with a history of previously functional behavior and performance of duty.
Dr. Faust and FPS again utilize the Faust Protocol™ to provide a balanced and unbiased evaluation based on data generated from interviews with the examinee, current and legally defensible psychometric testing tools, information provided by the referring entity regarding past performance and the current issues of concern, and communication with appropriate representatives of the referring entity, as well as relevant providers of the examinee.
The evaluation follows the guidelines set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the report is generated from an unbiased examination of the first responder, including the specific sections of the ADA which provide conclusions, recommendations, and any necessary accommodations. The goal is two-fold in protecting the life and career of the first responder, as well as protecting the public when the first responder is deemed to be struggling with occupational and/or functional impairment.
Frequent precipitating factors resulting in request for FFD evaluation include:
- PTSD features following a critical incident (use of force, altercations with combatants, etc.). Symptom onset can be relatively immediate or delayed
- Onset of sexualized or aggressive behavior and/or speech
- Maladaptive substance use patterns
- Onset of bigoted or interculturally-insensitive speech or behavior
- Motivational and/or behavioral symptoms which impact attendance, reliability, and/or integrity
- Impacted physical functioning and/or suspected cognitive decline (decrements in attention, concentration, memory, judgment)
- Increase in duty-related complaints by the public and/or department