Bryan Steinkopf - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Bryan Steinkopf
Use of chaplains to improve functioning of organizations began centuries ago with the military an... more Use of chaplains to improve functioning of organizations began centuries ago with the military and continues today with hospitals, hospices, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies.1 Despite their increasing prevalence, the exact roles that chaplains fulfill vary from one organization to another. Some individuals consider the lack of a single role as a weakness in the agency’s use of chaplains. However, one of the greatest strengths of a chaplaincy program is the ability to offer a variety of services to achieve the greatest satisfaction.2 Sixty years ago chaplaincy was in its infancy due to role conflicts, such as military officer versus clergy and religious beliefs versus participation in war.3 Over time chaplains developed and improved their abilities to assist organizations by identifying unmet needs. To maximize chaplains’ effectiveness, law enforcement agencies should specifically define their roles. Police departments benefit immensely from chaplains’ services.4 Chaplains improve the overall functioning of law enforcement through involvement in correctional facilities, community-police relations, line-of-duty death notification and burial service facilitation, crisis intervention, and officer and department well-being
In T.J. LeDuc (Chairperson), Surviving the Fire Service: A National Memorial Conference
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 2018
Although they are technically the first responders on most critical incidents, emergency dispatch... more Although they are technically the first responders on most critical incidents, emergency dispatchers have received a modicum of attention from researchers and clinicians. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate job-related stress, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress resiliency, and posttraumatic growth in this high-risk group. These areas were evaluated via an assessment battery administered to 90 emergency dispatchers working in a law enforcement agency. Results showed that dispatchers experienced an average amount of occupational stress, with 24% of the current sample reporting significant job stress. Between 13.34 and 15.56% reported symptoms consistent with a PTSD diagnosis, and 16.67% indicated sub-threshold PTSD symptomatology. The findings revealed that, overall, dispatchers experience occupational stress, psychological distress, and sub-threshold PTSD at similar or higher rates compared to police officers. Further, dispatchers reported posttraumatic growth at an average rate, also similar to that reported by police officers. Clinical implications of the results are discussed. Suggestions for directions that future research might take are offered.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2015
Use of chaplains to improve functioning of organizations began centuries ago with the military an... more Use of chaplains to improve functioning of organizations began centuries ago with the military and continues today with hospitals, hospices, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies.1 Despite their increasing prevalence, the exact roles that chaplains fulfill vary from one organization to another. Some individuals consider the lack of a single role as a weakness in the agency’s use of chaplains. However, one of the greatest strengths of a chaplaincy program is the ability to offer a variety of services to achieve the greatest satisfaction.2 Sixty years ago chaplaincy was in its infancy due to role conflicts, such as military officer versus clergy and religious beliefs versus participation in war.3 Over time chaplains developed and improved their abilities to assist organizations by identifying unmet needs. To maximize chaplains’ effectiveness, law enforcement agencies should specifically define their roles. Police departments benefit immensely from chaplains’ services.4 Chaplains improve the overall functioning of law enforcement through involvement in correctional facilities, community-police relations, line-of-duty death notification and burial service facilitation, crisis intervention, and officer and department well-being
In T.J. LeDuc (Chairperson), Surviving the Fire Service: A National Memorial Conference
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 2018
Although they are technically the first responders on most critical incidents, emergency dispatch... more Although they are technically the first responders on most critical incidents, emergency dispatchers have received a modicum of attention from researchers and clinicians. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate job-related stress, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress resiliency, and posttraumatic growth in this high-risk group. These areas were evaluated via an assessment battery administered to 90 emergency dispatchers working in a law enforcement agency. Results showed that dispatchers experienced an average amount of occupational stress, with 24% of the current sample reporting significant job stress. Between 13.34 and 15.56% reported symptoms consistent with a PTSD diagnosis, and 16.67% indicated sub-threshold PTSD symptomatology. The findings revealed that, overall, dispatchers experience occupational stress, psychological distress, and sub-threshold PTSD at similar or higher rates compared to police officers. Further, dispatchers reported posttraumatic growth at an average rate, also similar to that reported by police officers. Clinical implications of the results are discussed. Suggestions for directions that future research might take are offered.
Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2015