Peace Officer Psychological Evaluators

Experience and Education Requirements:

A psychologist who conducts peace officer screening evaluations must meet Government Code Section 1031(f)(2) requirements, which consist of being licensed by the California Board of Psychology and experience that is "at least the equivalent of five full-time years ... in the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders, including the equivalent of three full-time years accrued postdoctorate. The ... psychologist shall also have met any applicable education and training procedures set forth by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) designed for the conduct of preemployment psychological screening of peace officers."

POST requirements for psychological evaluators are outlined in Commission Regulation 1955. These requirements include an initial continuing professional education (CPE) training requirement of 6 hours followed by 12 hours of CPE every two years coinciding with the evaluator's license renewal cycle. CPE hours are prorated at .5 hours/month based on the license renewal date. 

NOTE: POST does not "approve" or "certify" psychological evaluators; however, the last column in the list (below) indicates if the evaluator has met the POST CPE requirements. 

• The following psychological evaluators have submitted their profile information to POST.
• You can view each evaluator's details, including specific CPE courses completed, CV, and contact information.
• Information in the columns can be sorted by clicking the heading of the relevant column.
• If you are a peace officer psychological screening evaluator, you can log in to your existing profile or create a profile to be added to this list. 

Agency Considerations for Selecting Screening Psychologists:

When seeking the services of a screening psychologist, agencies should take into consideration the psychologist's experience and depth and breadth of education and training. Chapter 3 of the POST Peace Officer Psychological Screening Manual provides information on selecting a screening psychologist and Appendix A provides a sample questionnaire for that purpose.