Fitness for Duty Psychological Evaluations

• Overview
• OnDemand Credit

Overview
This OnDemand Webinar will help you make decisions when requesting and evaluating risk and fitness for duty evaluations. You’ll hear a discussion of common reasons to refer an employee for a FFDE, information initially needed by the evaluating doctor and how to write appropriate questions for the psychologist or psychiatrist to answer. You will also learn about evaluating doctors’ credentials, experience and forensic experience, as well as the important differences between evaluations completed for forensic (as opposed to treatment) purposes. Our experienced professional will present a thorough examination protocol that will include an extended clinical interview, objective psychological testing and important collateral interviews. You’ll also learn about the limitations in psychologists’ and psychiatrists’ ability to predict employee dangerousness, as well as issues regarding the confidentiality of FFDE results.

Authors
David Fisher, Ph.D., L.P., ABPP, PsyBar LLC

Self Study Credit - OnDemand Webinar

Agenda

1. Typical Scenarios for Threat Assessments and Fitness for Duty Evaluations
2. Central Concept: Conduct Evaluations When Administrative Decisions Are to Be Made Partly on the Basis of the Employee's Mental State
1. Employer Is Unsure If a Threat Is Idle or If There Is a Danger
2. Employee Is in a Safety-Sensitive Position and Is Making Mistakes
3. Employer Is Unsure About How to Address Decline in Job Performance
4. Employer Is Unsure About How to Manage Mood Changes or Other Problem Behaviors
5. Information Is Needed About Reasonable Accommodations
3. Why EAPs and Employers Should Not Select Evaluating Doctors or Use Doctors Who Will Treat the Employee
1. If the Doctor Is Associated With the Referring EAP and Employer, the Employee Could Argue That the EAP and Employer Influenced the Doctor's Findings
2. If the Doctor Has (or Will) Treat the Employee, the Doctor's Primary Allegiance Might Be With His or Her Patient - This Practice Is Now Often Considered Unethical
3. Treating Doctors Frequently Do Not Have the Training to Conduct These Evaluations in a Manner Designed to Withstand the Scrutiny of Court
4. Lack of Experience Evaluating the Credentials of Potential Doctors With Medical or Legal Expertise
4. Components of a Good FFDE and Risk Evaluation That Will Stand Up in Court
1. Thorough Social and Clinical History
2. Objective Psychological Testing
3. Telephone Consultations With Treatment Providers