Biomaterial Database

The psychologist's role in hostage negotiations. 2004

Caren R DeBernardo

Forensic and Law Enforcement Services, Dulaney Station Inc., Sheppard Pratt Health System, Timonium, MD, USA. cdebernardo@dulaneystation.org

The purpose of this article is to examine the proper role of the psychologist who serves as a consultant to a hostage negotiation team. Mental health consultants can be beneficial to law enforcement during these times of crisis if they are aware of the appropriate role they play. This article discusses preferred characteristics of a mental health professional serving in this capacity and focuses on the various tasks required of a psychologist on the scene of a barricade.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008605	Mental Health Services	Organized services to provide mental health care.	Mental Hygiene Services,Health Services, Mental,Services, Mental Health,Services, Mental Hygiene,Health Service, Mental,Hygiene Service, Mental,Hygiene Services, Mental,Mental Health Service,Mental Hygiene Service,Service, Mental Health,Service, Mental Hygiene
D011329	Prisoners	Persons deprived of their liberty; those held is against their will, or who are kept in confinement or custody.	Detained Persons,Hostages,Imprisoned Individuals,Incarcerated Individuals,Inmates,Detained Person,Hostage,Imprisoned Individual,Incarcerated Individual,Individual, Imprisoned,Individual, Incarcerated,Inmate,Person, Detained,Prisoner
D012017	Referral and Consultation	The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.	Consultation,Gatekeepers, Health Service,Hospital Referral,Second Opinion,Consultation and Referral,Health Service Gatekeepers,Hospital Referrals,Referral,Referral, Hospital,Referrals, Hospital,Consultations,Gatekeeper, Health Service,Health Service Gatekeeper,Opinion, Second,Opinions, Second,Referrals,Second Opinions
D003419	Crisis Intervention	Brief therapeutic approach which is ameliorative rather than curative of acute psychiatric emergencies. Used in contexts such as emergency rooms of psychiatric or general hospitals, or in the home or place of crisis occurrence, this treatment approach focuses on interpersonal and intrapsychic factors and environmental modification. (APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 7th ed)	Brief Advice,Brief Interventions,Brief Treatment,Critical Incident Stress Debriefing,Screening and Brief Intervention,Advice, Brief,Brief Intervention,Brief Treatments,Crisis Interventions,Intervention, Brief,Intervention, Crisis,Treatment, Brief
D006282	Health Personnel	Men and women working in the provision of health services, whether as individual practitioners or employees of health institutions and programs, whether or not professionally trained, and whether or not subject to public regulation. (From A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976)	Health Care Professionals,Health Care Providers,Healthcare Providers,Healthcare Workers,Health Care Professional,Health Care Provider,Healthcare Provider,Healthcare Worker,Personnel, Health,Professional, Health Care,Provider, Health Care,Provider, Healthcare
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012380	Role	The expected and characteristic pattern of behavior exhibited by an individual as a member of a particular social group.	Role Concept,Concept, Role,Concepts, Role,Role Concepts,Roles
D017008	Negotiating	The process of bargaining in order to arrive at an agreement or compromise on a matter of importance to the parties involved. It also applies to the hearing and determination of a case by a third party chosen by the parties in controversy, as well as the interposing of a third party to reconcile the parties in controversy.	Arbitrating,Mediating,Arbitration,Conflict Resolution,Mediation,Negotiation,Conflict Resolutions,Negotiations,Resolution, Conflict