Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Recommendations Regarding Duty Status and Work Restrictions

Absence of impairing symptoms in the past 2 months, including, but not limited to:
- significant dissociative episodes (flashbacks)
- recklessness, self-destructive or avoidant behavior which could interfere with work performance
If requested by the police physician, an evaluation by a doctoral-level mental health provider acceptable to the police physician, who under-stands the functions and demands of police work
Adherence to treatment and ongoing evaluations
No disqualifying adverse effects from treatments such as medication, electroconvulsive therapy, etc. (see LEO Medications Chapter)
Appropriate inter-personal interaction
Treatment of comorbidities (including other mental health issues, substance abuse, and sleep disorders)

LEOs with current or past psychotic symptoms, suicidal ideation or attempt, or personality disorders will require additional evaluation.

Follow-up evaluations:

Regular evaluations for at least 6 months (or longer, depending on comorbidities)
Four instruments for evaluating PTSD are included in Appendix E:
primary care PTSD screen, PC-PTSD, is a 4-item screening tool
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item instrument, which has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis, it is also useful for following LEOs over time
Structured Interview for PTSD (SI-PTSD) is a longer test which requires 20-30 minutes to administer
A still longer interview, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) has not been included, but is on the U.S. Veterans Administration website

Mental Health