Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Frederica Hendricks-Noble

Abstract

Emergency dispatchers experience duty-related trauma exposure that can lead to reduced work engagement, compromised employee health, and increased organizational costs. Leadership is crucial in providing guidance and support to first responders following traumatic events. This study’s purpose was to understand how one public service organization’s (PSO) leaders influence emergency dispatchers’ access to trauma-recovery resources. The Baldrige Excellence Framework provided the framework for this qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews with the public service organization partner site (PSOPS) leaders were conducted and archival data and documents were reviewed and analyzed to gain a clearer picture of PSOPS leaders’ personal perspectives of and knowledge about these resources and their workforce’s access to them. Results indicate the PSOPS leaders agree there are gaps in their knowledge of resources available to their workforce. The study also found the PSOPS workforce would benefit from resources and improvements could be made by the leadership in connecting their workforce to trauma-recovery resources. It was further discovered the PSOPS has several initiatives being considered to expand accessibility to resources. Study recommendations include providing emergency call outcomes to dispatchers, bi-annual surveys to evaluate workforce needs, and continuing the PSOPS leaders’ endeavors to expand available resources to meet their workforce’s needs. Social change contribution includes potential for PSO leaders to more effectively influence emergency dispatchers’ access to available departmental trauma recovery resources, and thus employ a workforce that is best able to fulfill their job duties to their organization and community.

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