Blog post by Chloe Wilson
Blog edited by Rebecca Brossoit
March 2023
Q: How did you learn about the field of Occupational Health Psychology?
A: I was fortunate to go to a university that had faculty who specialized in OHP which allowed me to take introductory OHP courses and join an OHP research lab. I give all my credit to Dr. Gwen Fisher for encouraging me to participate in lab meetings, assist with research projects and take graduate level OHP courses, she opened my eyes to the broad application of OHP and I have been hooked ever since!
Q: Please describe your educational background. Where did you earn your degree(s)? Did you receive OHP-specific training during graduate school?
A: I received my Bachelor’s degree at Colorado State University, where I majored in psychology with a concentration in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I earned my Masters and Doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Clemson University. I received an additional OHP certification from Clemson by taking specific credit hours involving OHP topics and having a dissertation focused on OHP related issues.
Q: Where do you currently work and what is your job title?
A: I am a research psychologist at the Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ODNI). I work in the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) whose mission is to integrate government, academia, and industry on issues on protecting U.S. National Security. My specific department focuses on applying behavioral science principles to issues relating to personnel security and insider threat.
Q: What was the application process like for this job?
A: The longest and most time intensive application you will ever apply to…but extremely worth it! You have to apply for the job, pass the initial interview and screening tests, complete the lengthy Standard Form-86 (SF-86) that details everything about your personal and work history, and pass a thorough background investigation that can take anywhere from 6 months to a few years (although there is active progress on trying to reduce this length of time). You must be willing to go through additional interviews, health checks, polygraphs, family/friend interviews, credit checks, and more. However, at the end of this process, you will earn eligibility for a Top Security (TS/SCI) clearance allowing you to work in the highest levels of government.
Q: Please describe how you use OHP in your work. How does your role contribute to improving employees’ health, safety, and/or well-being?
A: My role is to understand and mitigate the factors that could impact personnel security. On the surface it may not scream OHP, however, consider the reasons why people leak classified information or engage in sabotage? These behaviors are severe forms of counterproductive work behaviors! Why do people engage in counterproductive work behaviors? Because they often are disengaged, disgruntled or feel like their organization doesn’t value them, thus they seek ways to “get back at” the organization or just don’t feel loyal or committed to the organization anymore. OHP addresses ways to improve employee’s wellbeing to not only seek out beneficial outcomes for the individual and organization but to minimize the likelihood that individuals experience things like stress, burnout, or poor organizational relationships. Research has demonstrated the link between those constructs and engaging in counterproductive work behaviors. So, I view my job as being an advocate for the importance of OHP; promoting the idea that if we seek to improve employee’s health and wellbeing through various programs and policies, we can prevent security issues from occurring as a form of positive deterrence. My role allows me to consult, conduct research, and provide guidance on workplace policies, programs, or messaging that serves as a positive deterrence for insider threat.
Q: What does a “typical day” in your job look like?
A: There are aspects of my job that are very similar to other researchers in the field and other aspects that are very specific to the nature of my work in the intelligence community. My job is unique in the restricted nature of how I conduct work; I can’t bring any personal electronics into the building (e.g., cellphones, Fitbits/Apple watches, headphones, etc.), since I access classified systems, my work computer has restricted access to the typical internet or applications that many of you use on a regular basis and I have to go into the office most days (although there is a recent push to allow some forms of telework!). I also have to get pre-publication approval on all documents that go out to the public (e.g., my LinkedIn bio, journal submissions, and even this blog post!) to ensure I am not disclosing sensitive information.
Outside of the security restrictions that I have to work around, my day-to-day is similar to many other applied researchers. I read current research and news articles relating to workplace issues, I develop proposals for research projects, I brief agencies within the Executive Branch on project proposals to gain their interest in collaboration, I collect and analyze data, write reports and journal submissions, and brief findings to stakeholders. I work on a small team of researchers, but my day-to-day responsibilities are really up to me. I get a lot of autonomy on what projects I work on and how I go about the research process.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: To be honest, I landed my dream job, so I have many favorite aspects. The workplace benefits are great (flexible work schedules, telework opportunities, and 3 hours of my work week can be at the gym!), I get to interact with really impressive people (I met the current Director of National Intelligence within my first year there!), and participating in trainings and professional development is encouraged. I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work in the Intelligence Community which is such a unique and interesting domain – I learn something new every day about U.S. capabilities, unique jobs, and foreign relations. In addition, I am fortunate to have a supervisor who trusts and respects my subject matter expertise to allow me to independently pursue projects that I feel passionate about. I have a lot of freedom in how I conduct my work and what projects I take on, which is really rewarding. Also, I feel like I am able to contribute and bring value to my team since I am the only Occupational Health Psychologist, providing a unique perspective.
Q: Which skills are the most important to succeeding in your current role (e.g., communicating with clients, data analytics, etc.) and why?
A: Creative thinking. While other research and analytical skills are obviously required to do the job, creative thinking is crucial. Like I said in a previous answer, there are a lot of challenges to working in the Intelligence Community. Sometimes, I don’t have the same ease of access to information, systems, or people that the “outside world” does. Some people can be deterred by this, but overcoming these challenges just requires creative thinking. For example, I was working with a community partner who has a completely different classified computer system than we did – collecting data was almost impossible without the same internet. I had to think creatively about how to overcome this and actually discovered a new, easier way of collecting data without special programs, internet, or manual labor. Also, creative thinking is important in terms of understanding who you are talking to. I brief my research to a variety of different audiences, so I have to be creative and think from the stakeholder’s perspective what is in it for them and how my solution, research, etc. would be the best choice. Thinking creatively has not only allowed me to overcome obstacles in facilitating research but also allowed me to gain the buy-in of individuals or groups who are unfamiliar with the importance of OHP.
Q: What advice do you have for graduate students interested in OHP careers?
A: Think outside of the box – and think big picture. I would have never imagined applying OHP to national security, but it is extremely important and related! How we take care of our employees is how our employees will treat us (the company), and if we don’t want employees leaking secrets, conducting sabotage, or engaging in espionage – then we need to take care of the wellbeing of our workforce! Apply to organizations that interest you – OHP is so valuable because it can be applied anywhere. Find somewhere that challenges and motivates you to learn more every day and apply your skillset to improving it!
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
A: I would not have my dream job if it wasn’t for Dr. Gwen Fisher and Dr. Tori Crain, encouraging me to explore the field of OHP so early, Dr. Becca Brossoit for being a crucial asset and friend in helping me get into grad school, Dr. Tom Britt for teaching me so much about the dynamics of research and also fostered my first research project with the Intelligence Community, and lastly Dr. Deb Loftis, my current supervisor, for being a champion for me getting on board and supporting my ideas every day!
Dr. Chloe Wilson is a research psychologist at the Office of The Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Chloe graduated from Clemson University with her Doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a certification in Occupational Health Psychology. Chloe’s research focuses on high-risk occupations, moral suffering, emotional labor, and meaningful work. Chloe has applied research experience on interdisciplinary teams in the Intelligence Community, military, and healthcare, on projects such as organizational justice training, the impact unit climate has on willingness to seek treatment for PTSD, stress management training for clinicians experiencing burnout, the impact of stress on fertility for female physicians and the assessment of fatigue and meaningful work in the emergency department.
You can learn more about Dr. Wilson’s current work in her article: “Exposing the Cracks: Impact of the COVID19 Pandemic on Organizational Justice In The Intelligence Community.”
Chloe personally practices OHP principles by setting strict boundaries between work and home, uses a wellness app that reminds her to move and drink water throughout the day, and uses her office gym to let off steam and exercise at the end of the day!
Contact information: chloe.a.wilson@odni.gov