4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Navigating the Complexities of Ethics in Police & Public Safety Psychology is presented by Jeni McCutcheon, PsyD, ABPP, and Jocelyn E. Roland, PhD in partnership with the American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP).

This program offers a unique opportunity to engage in the hands-on practice of resolving relevant ethical dilemmas and processing the challenges in police and public safety psychology. This program improves your ability to identify and navigate ethical dilemmas in Police and Public Safety Psychology (PPSP). Dilemmas are inclusive of intervention, assessment, and consultation work within Police and Public Safety Psychology (PPSP), as well as address various relevant practice-related issues. Drs. McCutcheon and Roland used breakout rooms for cases to promote discussion with peers practicing in the same specialty area.

This program elevates your understanding and proficiency, making it an invaluable asset when applying for board certification in PPSP through the American Board of Professional Psychology. The knowledge you acquire paves the path for a robust foundation in handling ethical issues, ensuring a meaningful impact in your chosen practice area.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe distinctive ethical dilemmas inherent to work in police and public safety psychology
  • 2 Demonstrate sound ethical decision-making through active case discussion relevant to everyday practice
  • 3 Describe how diversity factors (e.g., gender, race, culture, sexual orientation) are relevant in resolving ethical dilemmas
  • 4 Describe strategies to manage client needs with the ethical requirements and demands of one’s profession

Training Instructors:

Jeni McCutcheon, Psy.D, ABPP

Jeni McCutcheon, Psy.D., M.S.C.P., ABPP is a licensed psychologist in Arizona and Washington and double board-certified in Clinical Psychology and Police and Public Safety Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. She has worked continuously in the field of police and public safety psychology for the last 24 years. In multiple settings, within agency and in independent practice, she has formed teams and systems for psychological service provision in this psychology specialization area.

Jocelyn E. Roland, PhD, ABPP

Dr. Jocelyn E. Roland received her B.A. in Psychology from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut in 1988, and her Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology-Los Angeles in 1992. She has been a licensed psychologist in both Arizona and California since 1994. In June 2011 she was awarded board certification as a Specialist in Police and Public Safety Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for psychologists, mental health professionals, counselors, and psychiatrists who work with, or are interested in working with, police and public safety populations. It is suitable for those practicing in Police and Public Safety Psychology (PPSP) and those seeking to expand their expertise in supporting law enforcement and public safety personnel.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Psychologists
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Counselors
    • Psychiatrists
  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience in Police and Public Safety Psychology (PPSP).

    • Beginner: Participants are new to PPSP or ethical decision-making in this context and seek foundational knowledge about common ethical dilemmas and relevant diversity considerations.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience in PPSP and are looking to deepen their skills in ethical analysis, case discussion, and integrating diversity factors into ethical decision-making.

    • Advanced: Participants are experienced in PPSP, regularly encounter complex ethical dilemmas, and seek to refine their expertise in nuanced case consultation and preparation for board certification.
  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice within public safety systems in mission-critical, 24/7 environments, balancing clinical care, assessment, and organizational consultation for law enforcement and public safety personnel. Work often occurs in embedded or consultative roles, navigating complex ethical dilemmas across intervention, assessment, and consultation in high-stress operational contexts.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Police departments and sheriff’s offices
    • Fire/EMS agencies and first responder wellness units
    • 911/dispatch and emergency communications centers
    • Public safety training academies
    • Correctional facilities and probation/parole services
    • Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) serving public safety agencies
    • Fitness-for-duty and pre-employment evaluation services
    • Critical incident response teams and emergency operations centers
We are proud to partner with

American Board of Police and Public Safety Psychology (ABPPSP)

<center>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. 

  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).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

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), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #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. Palo Alto University 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. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by 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.