Drawn from his many years of experience with officer-involved shootings, line-of-duty deaths, and “everyday traumas,” Dr. McDougall will provide the audience with the day-to-day incidents that can cause cumulative trauma and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. McDougall will share clinical scenarios that reveal the numerous ways in which officers’ professional and personal lives are impacted by cumulative trauma.
Unlike PTSD, which is often caused by a single traumatic event, cumulative trauma can be more covert but can often be the primary factor behind officer burnout, substance abuse, depression, and even suicide. The presenter will provide suggested guidelines and procedures for agencies, strategies to identify cumulative trauma and at-risk employees, and ways to prevent or reduce the risk of cumulative trauma.
Presenter:
Dr. Grant McDougall is a licensed mental health counselor and a national board-certified counselor. He owns Southeastern Counseling and Consultation in Gainesville, Florida, which is a private organization that specializes in serving first responders and law enforcement agencies.
He is a current board member of the National Sheriff’s Association’s Psychological Section and the provider of psychological services for numerous law enforcement agencies within Florida.
Dr. McDougall is a former faculty member at the University of Florida, an Expert Witness for the State of Florida Department of Health, and a member of the Examining Committee for the State of Florida’s Eighth Judicial Circuit.
He is a recognized speaker at national and international conferences and has provided onsite training at local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. He has been an instructor at law enforcement academies and worked directly with specialized units such as hostage negotiations and tactical response teams.
Dr. McDougall regularly provides in-service training for sworn officers, pre-employment screenings, critical incident debriefings, fitness-for-duty evaluations, and private counseling services. He also serves as an on-scene advisor during critical incidents and works with officers and administrators in the aftermath of tragedies.