3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Fitness for Duty and Return to Work is presented by Brianne Layden, PhD in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

Fitness for Duty (FFD) and Return to Work (RTW) evaluations related to mental health or conduct problems may be required to determine if an employee can perform essential job functions without risking harm to themselves or co-workers.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe relevant legal issues pertaining to FFD and RTW evaluations
  • 2 Describe practical issues for organizations when preparing for and proceeding with these evaluations
  • 3 Describe practical solutions for organizations related to policies and procedures
  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for clinicians and allied professionals seeking to understand Fitness for Duty (FFD) and Return to Work (RTW) evaluations related to mental health or behavioral concerns. It is intended for those who specialize in occupational or forensic populations, focusing on assessing employees’ capacity to safely perform job functions and managing risk.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Social Workers
    • Occupational Health Specialists
    • Counselors
    • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Providers
  • Experience Level

    This CE training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with Fitness for Duty (FFD) and Return to Work (RTW) evaluations.

    • Beginner: Participants new to FFD and RTW evaluations who seek foundational knowledge of legal, ethical, and practical considerations in occupational and forensic settings.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in workplace mental health or behavioral evaluations who wish to deepen their understanding of evaluation processes, risk management, and collaboration with organizational stakeholders.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience conducting FFD and RTW evaluations who are looking to refine their expertise in complex cases, policy development, and advanced risk mitigation strategies.
  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice in occupational, corporate, public-sector, and forensic environments where organizations require objective evaluations for mental health or conduct concerns affecting job performance. They perform Fitness for Duty and Return to Work assessments to determine whether employees can safely carry out essential functions without risking harm, collaborating with HR, legal, risk management, and supervisory stakeholders.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Occupational health clinics in hospitals/health systems
    • Corporate or government HR and risk management units
    • Employee Assistance Programs (internal or contracted)
    • Forensic and independent psychological/medical evaluation practices
    • Public safety agencies (law enforcement, fire, corrections, transportation)
    • Healthcare workforce and academic medical centers
    • Union or labor-management programs
    • Legal/insurance and workers’ compensation panels

Presented By

Brianne Layden, PhD Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc.

Dr. Brianne Layden obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at Simon Fraser University. She is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of risk for violence toward the self and others. She works as a Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc., is a contract psychologist with Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and is the associate editor of Intelligence, an e-newsletter that keeps professionals up to date about recent advances in threat assessment around the globe. She also serves as a Member-at-Large for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. Her expertise involves the assessment and management of self-directed violence and personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder, and intersecting risks (e.g., general and self-directed violence). She has provided training workshops and invited presentations for forensic mental health, law enforcement, corrections, security, victim services and higher education, and has co-authored over 50 articles and conference presentations. She is currently in the process of developing structured professional judgment tools for the assessment and management of self-directed violence.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Brianne Layden, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction to Fitness for Duty (FFD) and Return to Work (RTW)
    -Purpose of FFD and RTW evaluations in occupational and forensic settings
    -Importance of assessing employees' capacity to safely perform job functions

  • Mental Health and Behavioral Concerns in Workplace Evaluations
    -Impact of mental health and behavioral issues on job performance
    -Managing risk in workplace and organizational settings

  • Role of Clinicians and Allied Professionals
    -Responsibilities of clinicians conducting FFD and RTW evaluations
    -Collaboration with employers, legal professionals, and organizational leaders

  • FFD and RTW Evaluation Processes
    -Key elements of an effective FFD evaluation
    -Procedures for assessing the return to work and determining fitness
    -Ethical considerations in evaluation and decision-making

  • Managing Risk in Organizational and Forensic Settings
    -Identifying and mitigating risks in workplace environments
    -Role of clinicians in ensuring safe work practices for employees with mental health or behavioral concerns

We are proud to partner with

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

We are proud to partner with Protect International Risk and Safety Services for this training. Protect International's threat assessment professionals are internationally recognized experts that have developed some of the world's most widely used and best-validated threat assessment tools. Protect International provides services and products related to violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management. Protect International services and products include threat assessment training and support, case assessment and management, legal consultation, policy review and development, and program evaluation and research; along with threat assessment manuals, worksheets, licenses, and software applications for those tools.

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. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. 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.