First Responder Psychological Evaluations in Greenville & Upstate South Carolina
Pre-employment psychological screenings and fitness-for-duty evaluations for police, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers.
Dr. Matthew McKeithan, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked extensively with trauma for 15 years. He is also a veteran and former VA Police Officer, so he understands the job from both sides of the badge. Your Kind of Happy LLC provides objective, job-related, and timely psychological evaluations for public safety agencies across the Upstate, from our office in Simpsonville, SC.
Pre-Employment Psychological Evaluations
A pre-employment psychological evaluation helps your agency hire candidates who are emotionally and behaviorally ready for the demands of public safety work. Each evaluation is conducted after a conditional offer of employment, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and follows professional guidelines for public safety screening. Every evaluation includes:
Validated psychological testing: the MCMI-IV and/or the PAI, depending on your department's requirements (the MCMI-IV alone is often sufficient)
A personal history questionnaire and review of background information
A structured, face-to-face clinical interview
A clear written report with a job-related recommendation (acceptable, acceptable with reservations, or not recommended)
Read the full guide to pre-employment psychological evaluations »
Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations (FFDE)
When an officer, firefighter, or medic shows signs that something may be interfering with safe job performance, a psychological fitness-for-duty evaluation gives your agency an independent, objective answer. Evaluations focus on one question: can this employee safely and effectively perform the essential functions of the job, and if not, what would help them return to duty? Every FFDE includes:
Review of the referral question and relevant records
Psychological testing with the MCMI-IV and/or PAI
An in-depth clinical interview and, when authorized, collateral information
A written fitness opinion with practical recommendations, including return-to-duty and treatment planning when appropriate
Common reasons for referral include critical incidents, officer-involved shootings, uncharacteristic anger or complaints, concerns about substance use, and return to work after extended leave.
Read the full guide to fitness-for-duty evaluations »
Who We Serve
Police departments and sheriff's offices
Fire departments and fire districts (career and volunteer)
EMS agencies, EMTs, and paramedics
911 communications centers and dispatchers
Detention and corrections facilities
Campus, hospital, and airport police, and private security employers
Why Agencies Choose Us
Licensed clinical psychologist with 15 years of experience working with trauma
Veteran and former VA Police Officer who understands public safety culture
Flexible testing built around your department's policy: MCMI-IV, PAI, or both
Objective, defensible reports focused on job-related functioning
Clear role boundaries: evaluations are kept separate from treatment
Responsive scheduling for agencies with hiring deadlines
Serving All of Upstate South Carolina
We provide first responder psychological evaluations for agencies in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Simpsonville, Greer, Mauldin, Fountain Inn, Easley, Taylors, Travelers Rest, Piedmont, Powdersville, Pickens, Clemson, Central, Seneca, Walhalla, Laurens, Clinton, Gaffney, Boiling Springs, Duncan, Lyman, Inman, Woodruff, Union, Belton, Williamston, Honea Path, Greenwood, and Abbeville, and throughout Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Cherokee, Union, Greenwood, and Abbeville counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a pre-employment psychological evaluation happen?
After a conditional offer of employment. Under the ADA, psychological evaluations that can identify mental health conditions are medical examinations and should not be conducted before a conditional offer.
Do you use the MCMI-IV or the PAI?
Either or both, based on your department's requirements. The MCMI-IV is often enough; the PAI is added when an agency's policy requires it or when public safety comparison norms are needed.
Can a responder's own therapist do a fitness-for-duty evaluation?
Professional guidelines recommend against it. The evaluator should be independent of the employee's treatment so the opinion is objective and the therapy relationship stays protected.
Where are evaluations conducted?
At our office in Simpsonville, SC, convenient to Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and the rest of the Upstate.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Whether you are a chief, sheriff, HR director, or EMS director setting up a hiring process or facing a fitness-for-duty question, we are glad to talk it through.
Dr. Matthew McKeithan, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist | Your Kind of Happy LLC
Simpsonville, South Carolina
Phone: (864) 400-1469
Email: drmatt@yourkindofhappy.org