Congratulations to Master of Public Administration student, Claudia Cormier, for winning the San Marcos campus Systems Thinking Award at this year’s Graduate Student Research Conference for her research project “Gradual Return to Duty Program: An Integral Process for Officers and Civilian Staff of a Law Enforcement Agency.” After experiencing a traumatic incident and losing her right leg while on duty, Claudia was determined to return to full duty as a law enforcement officer. She noted that “Throughout the process, I found myself trying to heal mentally, physically, and psychologically, but also wondering how I could go back to work and once again and expose myself to the same dangers of my career.”
All these questions influenced her focus on creating a program that could provide a gradual return to work, emotional support, physical training, and mental wellness resources for other officers that have experienced a critical or traumatic incident. Most importantly, she wanted the non-sworn staff of the department to know they were not forgotten. Law enforcement officers know that the “civilian staff experience similar levels of trauma when they come to our aid.” Since then, Claudia notes “I have focused my time in the MPA program to learn about the best practices to return to work after a life changing incident.” She did not consider her experience as an isolated, individual level experience but used it to conceptualize systemic changes across various departments that have the potential to ensure a normal return to duty for law enforcement officials and non-sworn staff who experience a critical traumatic incident.
