Psych Evaluations for Telecommunicators

INSIGHTS FROM OUR CEO

Reminding us to believe that things will work out for our greater good. Mothers in Crisis, a not-for-profit designated this day in 1991, and their in

At FMRT we recommend that anyone in a safety-sensitive environment should have a psychological evaluation before being hired, even if it’s not a law or an academy recommendation. Telecommunicators are one example of a non-sworn position that should be evaluated to ensure they are emotionally prepared for this high-stress role and ensure psychological suitability for the department for liability purposes. NC is one state that requires these candidates to have a psychological before onboarding, based on Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 436. These bills require both criminal justice officers and justice officers to have a pre-hire in-person or face-to-face psychological screening examination, including a clinical interview and testing, which took effect on January 1st. 2022. 

“A person who, through the special trust and confidence of the Sheriff, is under the direct supervision and control of the Sheriff and serves as a telecommunicator, or who is presented to the Commission for the appointment as a telecommunicator by an employing entity other than the Sheriff for the purpose of obtaining certification from the Commission as a telecommunicator.”

As we all know, even when Bills are passed, the directives don’t always get to the people that they impact, which we’ve found to be the case with telecommunicators. 

For our Sheriff’s Offices in NC, we ask that you provide this information to the appropriate entities in your county so they’re aware. If you’re in another state, we would ask that you as a decision-maker, consider other roles within your agency that should be seen for a psychological evaluation by a culturally competent psychologist. 

Thank you for all that you do to protect the states that make up our beautiful nation! 

 

Elizabeth Morris, M.A.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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Phone: 336-761-0764 ext. 1011

Email: elizabeth@fmrt.org 

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Helpful Information for Scheduling

FMRT has a wonderful team of professionals, including our client support team, which consists of Jenna Kelly (Jenna@fmrt.org), Kaci Presgraves (Kaci@fmrt.org), Ashley Webber (Ashley@fmrt.org), and Erika Bostik (Erika@fmrt.org). 

They are skilled in scheduling appointments on behalf of you, our public safety employers. They prepare applicants, employees, and our clinical staff for the specific referrals and manage the processes to completion.

For departments that prefer the candidates call and schedule their appointments, we ask that 1) you send an email informing the schedulers of the appointment type 2) copy the applicant in the email 3) include their F-3 if you are an NC department, and 4) give the applicant a deadline to contact FMRT – also state in the email.

This is an efficient way for the candidates to be scheduled in a timely manner, with the appropriate appointment and everyone has a clear understanding of expectations. Let us know if you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback!

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