ABPPSP: Wellness Visits: Practice Considerations for Clinicians and Public Safety Agencies
Presented by: Nancy Panza, PhD, ABPP
2 Hours / 2 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Wellness Visits: Practice Considerations for Clinicians and Public Safety Agencies is presented by Nancy Panza, PhD, ABPP, in partnership with the American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP).
A Wellness Visit can be defined as a periodic (often annual), scheduled visit with a qualified mental health professional for the purpose of providing support and improving one's well-being. There has been significant confusion about this service, with little professional guidance or empirical literature available to provide clarity.
This program provides insights for clinicians and agencies who are offering (or planning to offer) this service to public safety employees. A review of existing literature and legal mandates is provided, along with an overview of common practices of clinicians across the United States. Important issues, such as record keeping, confidentiality, the use of testing, and ethical issues related to providing other services within the same agency are discussed. Participants leave the program with an understanding of the current state of research and practice related to Wellness Visits.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe the key components of a Wellness Visit and how it differs from a mental health evaluation
- 2 Describe the barriers to public safety professionals seeking mental health treatment with the purpose of a Wellness Visit
- 3 Describe the published empirical literature, practice guidelines, and legal statutes that relate to Wellness Visits
- 4 Describe common practices of clinicians conducting Wellness Visits and agencies offering them to their public safety employees
Presented By
Nancy Panza, PhD, ABPP, Director of Clinical Research and Development; First Responder Wellness
Dr. Nancy Ryba Panza is a Board-Certified Police and Public Safety Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with first responders. Her educational background includes BS and MA degrees from Towson University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Psychology and Law from the University of Alabama. Dr. Panza spent four years as an Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and 16 years as a Professor at California State University, Fullerton. After 20 years in academia, Dr. Panza moved into the private sector as Director of Clinical Research and Development for the family of companies that includes First Responder Wellness, The Counseling Team International, and Shift Wellness. Dr. Panza’s clinical work and research has focused on criminal forensic assessment and police and public safety psychology. Dr. Panza has worked within county, state, and federal correctional facilities, providing clinical and forensic services for juvenile and adult offenders and has provided clinical and consulting services for public safety agencies across the US and internationally. She has a great passion for promoting modern policing practices and supporting the health and well-being of all first responders.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
-
Defining the Wellness Visit
-Periodic, scheduled mental health check-ins
-Purpose: support and well-being
-Lack of clear professional or empirical guidance -
Current Context and Need
-Confusion surrounding the service
-Limited literature and standardization -
Overview of Research and Legal Framework
-Review of existing empirical literature
-Summary of applicable legal mandates -
Common Clinical Practices Nationwide
-How clinicians are implementing Wellness Visits across the U.S.
-Emerging trends and models -
Key Clinical and Ethical Considerations
-Record keeping and confidentiality
-Use of psychological testing
-Ethical concerns related to dual roles within the same agency -
Implications for Practice
-Understanding the current landscape
-Practical takeaways for clinicians and agencies
We are proud to partner with
American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP)
We are proud to partner with The American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP) for this training. ABPPSP became a fully affiliated specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) on October 21, 2011. Police and Public Safety Psychology is concerned with assisting law enforcement and other public safety personnel and agencies in carrying out their missions and societal functions with optimal effectiveness, safety, health, and conformity to laws and ethics. It consists of the application of the science and profession of psychology in four primary domains of practice: assessment, clinical intervention, operational support, and organizational consultation.
CE Sponsorship Information
Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).
Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.