A Midwestern state police department recently responded to a barricaded active shooter incident, where the shooter had confined himself and his family in their home. The negotiator was able to persuade the shooter to release his four young children but was unable to persuade the shooter to release his wife or surrender. The scenario resulted in the suicide of the active shooter in front of his spouse, who remained unharmed.
You are the mental health consultant for the police department. You have been assigned to conduct an FFDE on the negotiator, a thirty-five-year-old, white male. The negotiator is a seven-year veteran of the force who has three small children and is going through a divorce. Although the officer appears to be handling the stress well, a closer examination reveals that the negotiator shows signs of depression and anxiety, which were not present prior to the incident.
Tasks:
Using at least two scholarly resources from the professional literature, research methods for developing FFDEs. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).
Create a 6- to 8-page document by addressing the following:
- Design an appropriate fitness-for-duty assessment, for the negotiator, to be submitted to your client, the police department. The plan should, at a minimum, include the following:
- Psychometric instruments and a justification for using them
- Clinical semi-structured interview questions sensitive to issues of culture and ethics
Create a clinical fitness-for-duty written evaluation outline. Include aspects of cultural and ethical standards, valid and reliable instruments, and the recommendations of your evaluation including, but not limited to treatment recommendations and firearm retention. Provide an introduction paragraph to the client, and use section headers.