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Stress Reduction with CBD for Police Officers
Get PDFPresident Trump signed the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, known as the 2018 Farm Bill, into law in December 2018. This Farm Bill changed the definition of marijuana, excluding hemp from it (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2018). Cannabis with less than 0.3 percent THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid, is legally classified as “hemp” by the federal government. Law enforcement agencies will need to make modifications to screen each candidate with the increase in America’s use of CBD. According to research, police officers are at an increased risk for higher levels of stress, insomnia, high blood pressure, PTSD, depression, and even suicide because of the demands of being in law enforcement. Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, contains impressive benefits that make it ideal for police officers. CBD can help police officers with the demands of their duties; therefore, law enforcement agencies should allow police officers to use CBD to reduce stress and anxiety, relieve pain, and enhance sleep.LEMI
Predictive Species Distribution Modeling of Molluscan Agricultural Pests to Assess the Probability of Future Invasions in the United States
Get PDFAs a result of the explosive increase in the globalization of the world’s economy, travel, and trade, the introduction of non-native invasive species, made either intentionally or accidentally, is a well-documented phenomenon. Industries such as the horticulture, pet, and live-food trades are all major culprits in the dispersal of non-native alien species around the globe. Invasive terrestrial gastropods pose a significant and understudied threat to United States agriculture, native biodiversity, and public health. Thus, the objective of this research is to make use of publicly available occurrence data sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to generate a suite of correlative and mechanistic predictive species distribution models including the General Additive Model (GAM), Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), Boosted Regression Trees (BRT), CLIMEX, and weighted consensus ensemble forecasts to better identify areas of potentially suitable habitat for high-risk invasive terrestrial mollusk species in the continental US under both current and future climatic conditions. The results of this study have been used to generate a series of ranked species threat assessments which can ultimately be used to better inform domestic pest quarantine measures, long-term pest monitoring projects, and integrative pest-management strategies to further aid in the prevention and early detection of the successful establishment of high-risk invasive terrestrial gastropods here in the US as the global climate continues to change
Scholarly Innovation Summit - Poster Presentation
Get PDFPoster and Abstract presented at the Scholarly Innovation Summit at Sam Houston State UniversityThe Pitcairn Islands Research Station (PIRS) functions as a portal for our studies involving the mutiny on the HMAV Bounty (April 28, 1789) and its aftermath. Our affiliate investigators include Donald Albert (Department of Environmental & Geosciences), Susan Elkins (Newton Gresham Library), Matthew Purifoy (Geography Major), and Mason Solomon (History Major). The purpose of PIRS is to disseminate our studies (abstracts, posters, magazine and journal articles) online through Scholarly Works @ SHSU to Bounty/Pitcairn enthusiasts worldwide.Environmental & GeosciencesPitcairn Islands Research Statio
Decentralized Command within Law Enforcement Agencies
Get PDFLaw enforcement has always been a profession that is marred by the micromanagement and underdevelopment of the lower tier officers. This is a common reason for the lack of leadership prospects that an agency must choose from, along with decreased officer morale. Agency leadership must understand that controlled delegation, instead of micromanagement, creates an environment of trust, growth, and flexibility. To promote better development and work environments, law enforcement agencies should implement decentralized command within their organizational structure. This allows for a more streamlined decision-making process, more efficiency for the front-line level, an increase in the professional development of the first-line supervisors and aids in the overall strategic planning model of the agency. Law enforcement agencies can create a more efficient management system that empowers its lower-level supervision, so that they can be developed into upper-level management, while effecting better change in the present.LEMI
Recommended Budget for the fiscal year beginning September 01, 2023
Get PDFA report detailing the recommendations for the annual budget of Sam Houston State University for the fiscal year. All Educational and General, Auxiliary and Designated funds of the University are included. The report is presented to the Texas State University System Board of Regents for approval
Reality Based Training
Get PDFLaw enforcement officers answer a variety of calls and face a variety of situations
during their day-to-day activities. To prepare for this, officers are required to receive the
minimum standard of training in their basic peace officer course. In many cases, there
are no minimum standards for training other than a few required courses to obtain
specific certificates as well as hours to maintain licensure. It is therefore incumbent on
the law enforcement agencies to provide appropriate training to their personnel to
ensure positive outcomes in these variety of situations. The Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center believes “law enforcement training should strive to provide stressful
encounters that replicate challenging, real-life situations and environments” (2011, p.2-
3). This can be accomplished through reality-based training (RBT), which the Reality
Based Training Association defines as “any manner of training that utilizes tools,
techniques, or methodologies to approximate in a training setting any situation that
might occur in an operational setting” (2017, para. 2).
RBT has historically revolved around active shooter or shoot versus do not shoot
situations, though it should also incorporate rapidly evolving situations that also address
interpersonal skills, the articulation of policy and procedures, and weapon system
failures. Research will address the number of active shooter events versus the number
of daily contacts is not proportional to the type of training that is given. The cost of
failing to do the training whether it be the cost of litigation, the loss of employment or
freedom by the officer, or the loss of life for anyone involved is too great to accept state
set minimum standards. Law enforcement agencies should incorporate a variety of
reality-based training into their training programs.LEMI
Modern Day Slavery: Identifying Risk and Protective Factors for PTSD Symptoms in Individuals at Risk for Human Trafficking
Get PDFThe United States (U.S.) is one of the top 10 destinations for human trafficking, with tens of thousands of individuals being trafficked into the nation (Hepburn & Simon, 2010). Human trafficking is a highly profitable, organized crime industry in which perpetrators inflict significant mental and emotional abuse, as well as physical and sexual violence on their victims (Busch-Armendariz et al., 2014; Hepburn & Simon, 2010). As a result, trafficking victims may experience adverse mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; Hopper & Gonzalez, 2018, Hossain et al., 2010; Ottisova et al., 2016). Against this backdrop, and using the risk-protective model as a guide (Cardoso & Thompson, 2010; Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005), the present study examined risk and protective factors for PTSS in a sample of individuals at risk of human trafficking victims. Factors such as discrimination, poor social support, and familism may influence the risk of PTSS in trafficked populations. Therefore, discrimination was examined as a potential risk factor, while familism (i.e., a cultural value emphasizing the family over the self) and social support were examined as potential protective factors and moderators in the relationship between discrimination and PTSS in a moderated-moderation analysis. Participants were recruited online from shelters, hospitals, and anti-human trafficking organizations, and were eligible for the study if they were adults, lived in the U.S., and were either 1) Made or forced to work against their will, or 2) Made or forced to perform sex acts against their will. All participants (n = 73; 83.6% female) were adults (18 to 61 years old; M = 35.32; SD = 10.18) and indicated either a history of trafficking or being at risk of being trafficked. Overall, results indicated that discrimination was associated with PTSS; however, neither familism nor perceived social support emerged as moderators in the relationship between discrimination and PTSS. Findings, limitations, and strengths of the study, as well as policy and clinical implications, are discussed. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to examine the relationship between discrimination, familism, perceived social support, and PTSS in a U.S. adult sample of individuals at risk of being trafficked
Your Online Personal Brand
No full textDiscover how to create your personal brand by digging deep into what makes you different and how you bring value to your community by building your personal brand. This session will talk about your virtual presence and how you show up in the online space
Secondary Traumatic Stress: An Officer’s Nightmare
Get PDFThis paper will examine the effects burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS) has on police officers and investigators, and the degree to which police department leadership should reexamine the amount of time spent in one particular specialized unit. Studies have found that: (1) police officers in the same specialized unit for a long-term position were positively affected with secondary traumatic stress; (2) Common signs and signals of stressors affecting officers were fatigue, burnout, headaches, anxiety, guilt, anger, fear, withdrawal, and depression; and (3) the lack of leadership support was negatively related to burnout and STS. Only specific sources of social support (supervisory support and family support), however, could positively change the effects of STS and job-related burnout in police departments. Results highlight the need for police leadership to better understand the after effects of officers being exposed to traumatic situations will lead to stress that will possibly deleterious effects of their work and future retention of the officers.LEMI
The Rise of Workplace Violence: Addressing Healthcare's Greatest Threat
Get PDFWorkplace violence (WPV), specifically Patient-Generated Violence (PGV) committed in healthcare
facilities represents a significant threat to not only caregivers, but to access to quality healthcare and
patient outcomes. PGV is the most common form of violence in the healthcare setting, occurring in
emergency departments, inpatient units, behavioral health units, and home health settings. Current
research has identified staff, environmental, and patient risk factors as the major precursors of WPV
committed by patients. Healthcare workers experience significant physical and psychological
consequences as a result of PGV. A review of the evidence, alongside interviews with industry thought
leaders, was conducted to identify current evidence-based interventions that can help healthcare
organizations eliminate or reduce incidents of PGV