Dr. Jana Price-Sharps, Interim Program Director of Center for Forensics, Receives Citizens Award from Fresno-Madera Police Chief's Foundation

Fresno – October 9, 2006 -- Dr. Jana Price-Sharps, Interim Program Director of the Forensic Psychology Programs in Fresno and Los Angeles, was awarded the prestigious Citizen’s Award by the Fresno/Madera Police Chief’s Foundation at the Fresno City Council Chambers on September 21st, 2006. 

During her five years as lead psychologist for the Fresno Police Department, Dr. Price-Sharps has worked extensively in the development and implementation of numerous training opportunities intended to bring the worlds of police work and psychology more closely together. These have included joint training between SWAT officers and police hostage negotiators; Continuing Education Training for licensed therapists who wish to work with law enforcement personnel; and training for police officers on stress and on a variety of related issues. 

In 2005, Dr. Price-Sharps assisted Deputy Chief Robert Nevarez in developing the Employee Intervention Program, a unique program that provides an umbrella of mental health services to police officers.  She presented this service model internationally at the 2005 meeting of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology in Rome, Italy, and more recently was invited to address and to participate in an international undercover policing closed summit in Orvieto, Italy, in July, 2006. 

Dr. Price-Sharps provides psychological services for police officers who have been involved in critical incidents, or who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, and is a consultant for the Fresno Police Department Hostage Negotiation Team. She has also co-written a number of reports requested by Fresno Police Department staff, including a paper on incident-related officer stress and supervises numerous Fresno Campus students who participate in Alliant’s CFS research practica at the Fresno Police Department.

Many of the hours that Dr. Price-Sharps spends working with the Fresno Police Department are donated pro bono by her as a community service.