LAW ENFORCEMENT
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION PREPARATION (PEPtalk)
BE PREPARED
In the same way that law enforcement candidates prepare for the physical evaluation, they should also prepare for the psychological evaluation process.
Law Enforcement Psychological Evaluation Preparation (PEPTalk)
Too many young men and women are wrongfully branded as "Psychologically Unsuitable” or “Psychologically Not Qualified” by law enforcement agencies. These determinations can compromise a candidate's ability to ever be employed in a law enforcement career. In the same way that candidates prepare for the physical evaluation (e.g., the “Job Standard Test”), they should also prepare for the psychological evaluation process.
The primary objective of a PEPtalk is to help law enforcement candidates understand the psychological evaluation process, reduce their fears, and empower them to present in a favorable and authentic light.
During this informational and educational process*, the following three areas are addressed:
1. The written psychological evaluation.
2. The oral interview/assessment, and
3. A confidential review of the candidate's history.
To schedule a PEPtalk, contact Police Officer David Dugo at Lerner Psychological Services, P.C., at (631) 385-7551 to arrange for a remote or in-person PEPtalk.
About Police Officer David Dugo
With more than three decades of dedicated public service, PO Dugo began his law enforcement career in 1991 with the NYPD, later served with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, and has proudly served with the Suffolk County Police Department for the past 22 years. He now collaborates with Lerner Psychological Services, P.C., as an independent law enforcement contractor.
* Law Enforcement PEPtalks are strictly informational and educational. Police Officer Dugo acts independently, represents no law enforcement agency, and does not practice psychology. No aspect of this program guarantees selection for any law enforcement position. By participating, candidates agree to indemnify and hold harmless PO Dugo and Lerner Psychological Services, P.C., for all agency determinations related to the selection process.
What NOT to do during your
Law Enforcement PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVIEW/EXAMINATION:
• Arrive late
• Ask too many questions
• Show feelings of anger if confronted
• Use profanity
• Try to present yourself in an overly favorable light
• Become confrontative
• Become agitated
• Assume the worst
• Be defensive
• Be guarded
• Be fidgety
• Sit slumped in your chair
• Be afraid to ask relevant questions
• Ask for the results of you evaluation
• Assume the evaluation is aimed at deterring you from become an officer
• Have piercings and tattoos
• Make excuses
• Make negative comments
• Treat the interview casually
• Focus on salary and job security
• Seem desperate for the job
• Chew gum or smell like cigarette smoke
• Bring a relative or friend to the evaluation
• Tell jokes during an interview
• Be soft spoken
• Speak negatively about anyone
• Be aggressive
• Be overly talkative
• Make excuses or minimize transgressions
• Text or use your cell phone
• Fix your hair or rub your head or neck
• Sit with your arms crossed
• Wear cologne or perfume
• Try to overly impress the evaluator with questions
• Be overbearing or conceited
• Use poor grammar
What is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3)?
The MMPI-3 is the most widely utilized objective personality measure administered to law enforcement candidates. It is a standardized test with a large body of research to support it. The MMPI-2 aims to identify personality characteristics/structure and the presence of psychopathology.
The test consists of 567 true/false questions. Although you may be tempted to practice taking this test, we strongly advise against it. The MMPI-3 includes validity scales that assess whether candidates are consistent and truthful in their responses. More often than not, we find that candidates have credibility issues and are trying to present themselves in an overly favorable light ("Fake Good" profile), more often than those who exhibit valid profiles and psychopathology.
Our advice ... be truthful and consistent. Don't lie to try to make yourself look better. Read each question slowly and carefully. Don't overthink and look for an underlying meaning in a question. The MMPI-3 is used across the country for pre-employment psychological evaluation of law enforcement candidates for a reason. The best advice, be honest.
Troops Return Home with Scarlet Letters: PTSD
"Psychologically Unsuitable for the Position of Police Officer"
You served your country. After two tours of duty in Iraq, you are Honorably Discharged and begin transitioning back to civilian life.
A fellow Marine encourages you to visit the VA. He informs you that there is money available to compensate you for some of the stuff you’re going through—recollections of small arms firefights and roadside bombings, disturbing dreams, and jumpiness with loud noises. You figure, “What do I have to lose?”
At the VA, you undergo screenings for depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While your scores show no signs of depression, you endorsed statements indicating symptoms of PTSD. Ultimately, you’re awarded a 10% disability pension.
Fast-forward one year. You’ve been working at a deli while applying for law enforcement jobs. You complete written examinations, physicals and meet with police department psychologists. Ultimately, you receive a letter from a department indicating that you have been found “Psychologically Unsuitable for the Position of Police Officer.” You’re informed that you have thirty days to file an appeal.
Your childhood dream of becoming a police officer is shattered. What went wrong?
After retaining an attorney to file your appeal, you to meet with a private psychologist. He will review your file from the police department and conduct an independent evaluation. Months go by as you wait for the police department to photocopy your file for the independent evaluator.
You ask yourself, “How do I explain to my family and friends that I’ve been psychologically disqualified from being a cop? With everything I went through in the Marines....”
Finally, you receive the phone call you’ve been waiting for. The private psychologist has received your file and wants to meet with you to discuss the documentation. He then informs you that you were psychologically disqualified due to “Poor stress tolerance— PTSD.” He further indicates that there was no evidence of an inability to manage stress at the time of your evaluation with the police department. Apparently, the 10% disability pension from the VA made you a “marked man.”
Unfortunately, this scenario is playing itself out over and over again across the country. Troops returning from the military, aspiring to work in law enforcement positions, are finding that instead of their military experience being viewed as a positive asset, they are deemed “psychologically broken.”
While there are certainly a number of troops who develop war-related PTSD, the vast majority of people do not. And although many troops return from war experiencing traumatic stress reactions, normal responses to abnormal events, not all of our troops will live their lives with significant distress and impairment of functioning with a traumatic stress disorder.
When transitioning from the military to civilian life, normal men and women will no doubt grapple with symptoms of PTSD, particularly those who were exposed to the theater of war. However, we must recognize that these symptoms generally dissipate over time and should not prevent experienced troops from pursuing careers in law enforcement.
https://www.marklerner.com/policepsychologist
https://www.psychologicaldisqualificationappeals.com/
https://www.sheerinlaw.com/rights-of-nypd-proposed-disqualification-candidates-2/
https://civilservice.sheerinlaw.com/
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1773429056099195
