OUR
SERVICES

This service is typically requested by agencies that have completed a full background investigation and character review process internally, and are ready to hire the applicant contingent only upon passing a medical and psychological examination. The Americans with Disability Act requires hiring agencies to give a Conditional Offer of Employment prior to asking the applicant to submit to this kind of examination. Applicants complete 4-5 hours of psychological questionnaires, and a 45-60 minute face-to-face interview with a PSS psychologist

PSPS offers a Two-Phase Psychological Screening Service, which responds to the Federal 9th Circuit Court ruling (Leonel v. American Airlines, 9th Cir., 2005) that has banned “medical screening” in advance of an employer extending a conditional offer of employment (COE). In the first phase, non-medical personal history and “normal range” personality traits are reviewed, giving the client agency a report of psychological suitability concerns that can be used in selecting applicants for in-depth background review prior to extending a Conditional Offer of Employment. Applicants complete 2-3 hours of psychological questionnaires and a PSPS psychologist reviews this data for a Suitabiity Assessment Rating that client agencies use to narrow the applicant pool for background investigations and COEs. In the second phase after the Conditional Offer of Employment, applicants complete additional personal history questionnaires, (including such “medical” information as past drug/alcohol history and mental health treatment history) and psychological tests designed to determine applicant psychological stability (i.e. rule out mental disorders). Applicants complete 2-3 hours of psychological questionnaires and a 45-60 minute face-to-face interview with a PSS psychologist.

Our Psychological Fitness for Duty Evaluation (FFDE) program provides mandated assessment of an incumbent employee whose behavior is regarded as creating risk for the employer. Within a public safety setting, Fitness for Duty Evaluations can have significant legal and safety-related implications and thus demand the highest level of expertise, competence, and attention on the part of the examiner. The objective of the assessment is to:

• Determine the nature of the psychological impairment (if any)

• Assess the impact of the mental problem on work-related behavior

• Assess the risk factors for the employer in light of the impairment and risk factors, determine employee’s fitness for duty

• Determine likelihood of improvement in employee’s condition

• Address any corrective measures which might be appropriate (within the framework required by the Americans with Disabilities Act)

The Fitness for Duty Evaluation typically consists of testing, interviewing the employee, reviewing records, and interviewing collateral contacts with persons who are familiar with the employee. The evaluations are conducted during business days/hours. Testing can be conducted in our office on the scheduled interview date or over a telehealth platform. All tests are administered and scored by our personnel prior to a clinical interview with a police and public safety psychologist.

​The level of detail in Fitness for Duty report, while usually quite substantial, is restricted to job-related findings. Reports draw clearly articulated conclusions related to fitness for duty and (where employee is temporarily unfit or conditionally fit) to provide recommendations related to returning the employee to work. In cases where collateral information is not deemed necessary to render a finding, the agency will receive a fitness determination on the same day as the employee’s appointment.

Detailed psychological reports will be provided within a week of the interview. Reports are securely transmitted electronically through our HIPAA-compliant cloud system to designated contacts in your agency.