Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
(1)
The psychological examination shall be administered by a qualified professional
who is a psychiatrist licensed in the state of Washington pursuant to chapter
18.71 RCW or a psychologist licensed in the state of Washington pursuant to
chapter 18.83 RCW.
(a) The examiner shall be
trained and experienced in psychological testing, test interpretation,
psychological examination techniques, and the administration of psychological
examinations specific to law enforcement or corrections agencies;
(b) Agencies should confirm with the
Washington state department of health that the examiner is in good
standing;
(c) If the examiner has
less than one year experience in psychological examination for public safety,
then they shall be supervised by an examiner with at least two years'
experience in psychological examination for public safety;
(d) The examiner shall be trained and
knowledgeable in issues regarding discrimination, implicit and explicit bias,
and police-community relations;
(e)
The examiner shall be trained and knowledgeable in issues of posttraumatic
stress and traumatic brain injury;
(f) The examination shall be based upon
attributes considered most important for effective performance as an officer;
such attributes may be identified from a job analysis and data provided by the
hiring agency. Attributes should include self and emotional regulation,
decision making and judgment, conflict management, stress tolerance, dominance
vs. passivity, and other interpersonal and psychological characteristics that
allow for insight to an individual's potential to adequately perform the
essential duties of an officer and to determine what, if any, risk factors
exist in the applicant's profile based on objective examination results;
and
(g) The examination report,
including all examination materials and documentation used to complete the
examination report, shall be maintained in a manner consistent with applicable
confidentiality, records retention, and public disclosure laws and
rules.
(2) Psychological
examination reports older than six months shall be considered invalid for the
purpose of
RCW
43.101.080(15) and
43.101.095(2).
(3) The examiner shall determine the
psychological suitability of the applicant by an examination of whether they
are free from job-relevant mental and emotional impairments including, but not
limited to, psychopathology, personality disorders, and inappropriate behavior
patterns.
(4) The sole purpose of
the psychological examination under this chapter is compliance with
RCW
43.101.080(15) and
43.101.095(2)
and shall not be used for any other purpose.
(5) It is the responsibility of the hiring
agency to receive and review the results of the psychological exam. The
commission does not routinely review these exams but may do so pursuant to
RCW
43.101.400.
(6) Prior to the examination, the applicant
must consent in writing to the conditions of the evaluation. The informed
consent should clearly state the hiring agency is the client so that the
applicant knows that the entire examination would be shared with the
agency.
(7) The examination shall
include the following:
(a) A minimum of three
written psychological tests that are objective, job-related, psychological
instruments validated for use in evaluating law enforcement or correctional
officers;
(i) For the purpose of this section,
a validated test is defined as a test that has a substantial research base for
interpretation with normal range populations in general and public safety
applications in particular;
(ii)
Validated tests used must be the most current versions and be consistent with
current, objective, and relevant norms; and
(iii) It is the examiner's responsibility to
determine what tests can and will be used to make a valid and reliable
determination of applicant suitability based on available instruments that
include current, objective, and relevant norms to the position in
question;
(b) At least
one comprehensive, face-to-face, clinical interview with the applicant
conducted after a complete review of the psychological test results; if a
complete review of the psychological test results is not completed prior to the
interview, then a second interview shall be conducted;
(c) An interpretation of the psychological
test results by the examiner;
(d)
An opinion on psychological suitability by the examiner; and
(e) A list and summary of the information
relied upon for the examination.
(8) Findings of the psychological examination
shall be shared by the examiner with the hiring agency verbally with an
opportunity to ask questions, as well as reported in writing.
(9) The examiner shall provide an opinion
regarding the likelihood that an applicant can safely and effectively perform
the essential functions of the position. Any risk factors should also be
indicated as well. Areas of essential function to evaluate include, but are not
limited to:
(a) Adaptability and
flexibility;
(b) Avoidance or
risk-tasking behaviors;
(c)
Conscientiousness and dependability;
(d) Decision making and judgment;
(e) Emotional regulation and stress
tolerance;
(f) Impulse control and
attention to safety;
(g) Integrity
and ethics;
(h) Social competence;
and
(i) Teamwork.
(10) The written report shall
include the following:
(a) The date of
completion and a signature of the examiner;
(b) Name and date of birth of applicant,
position applied for, and agency which made the conditional offer of
employment;
(c) A list and summary
of the information relied upon for the examination;
(d) All the components of the examination, as
defined in this chapter;
(e)
Factors which could affect the reliability and validity of the examination;
and
(f) An opinion of the
psychological suitability of the applicant to be an officer for the hiring
agency.
(11) An applicant
may be offered employment by more than one agency that is conditional on the
results of a psychological examination.
(12) The applicant may be required to pay all
or a portion of the cost of the examination under
RCW
43.101.080(15) and
43.101.095(2).
(13) One psychological examination may be
shared with more than one agency under the following circumstances:
(a) The agency which initiated the
psychological examination and the examiner agreed to share the psychological
examination report and recommendations with another agency;
(b) The applicant signed a release permitting
another agency to have the psychological examination report;
(c) The psychological examination was
completed within six months of the request; and
(d) The job analyses of both agencies are
substantially similar.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.101.080. 13-02-060, §
139-07-030, filed 12/27/12,
effective 1/27/13; 10-07-037, §
139-07-030, filed 3/10/10,
effective 4/10/10.