Police & Public Safety

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Police & Public Safety Psychology

The American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP) is represented by the American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology, which became a fully affiliated specialty board of the ABPP on October 21, 2011. Police and Public Safety Psychology is concerned with assisting law enforcement and other public safety personnel and agencies in carrying out their missions and societal functions with optimal effectiveness, safety, health, and conformity to laws and ethics. It consists of the application of the science and profession of psychology in four primary domains of practice: assessment, clinical intervention, operational support, and organizational consultation.

Police and Public Safety Psychology requires, at a minimum, distinctive knowledge of the following: the essential functions of police and public safety personnel and organizations, working conditions unique to their respective positions, common and novel stressors inherent in public safety work, normal and abnormal adaptation to occupational stress and trauma, research pertinent to resilience and recovery in public safety personnel, and the unique aspects of confidentiality and testimonial privilege when providing services to public safety personnel and/or agencies. Specialized knowledge beyond this foundation is needed for practice within each of the four domains.

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