Substance Abuse, Stress Awareness, and Officer Wellness
What the candidate must know
Officers encounter impairment daily and must recognize signs: slurred speech, unsteady gait, odor, bloodshot eyes, poor coordination, mood swings, and impaired judgment. Know the difference between tolerance, dependence, and addiction, and understand that alcohol is the most common substance in security settings. Know your role: observe, document, do not diagnose, and follow policy on removal, medical assistance, and reporting. On the wellness side, understand acute stress, cumulative stress, and critical incident stress, and the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue. Know the resources - EAP, peer support, critical incident stress debriefing, and the value of sleep, exercise, and boundaries. Recognize warning signs in colleagues (withdrawal, irritability, absenteeism, substance use) and the duty to report per policy.
Traps
Questions test whether you diagnose (wrong) versus observe and refer (right). Another trap: assuming a person is intoxicated when the cause is medical (diabetes, stroke, head injury) - the safe answer is to treat as a medical emergency until proven otherwise. Watch for questions where the officer is offered a drink after shift by a client - decline per policy.
Rule of thumb
Observe, document, refer - don't diagnose. And when in doubt about a person's condition, call EMS.