Tom J. Fagan

Thomas J. Fagan, Ph.D., is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Division of Social and Behavioral Science at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For 23 years h was a psychology practitioner and administrator with the Federal Bureau of Prisons where he was an active participant in developing correctional mental health programs, creating mental health policies and procedures, and training professional, paraprofessional, and correctional staff. Dr. Fagan was also the Bureau’s Chief hostage negotiator and coordinator of its crisis negotiation training program. Over the years, he has served as a consultant to numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the areas of crisis negotiation, critical incident stress debriefing, and management of correctional mental health services and programs.

Dr. Fagan has published regularly in correctional and psychological journals, has authored several book chapters, and co-edited two books with Robert K. Ax, Ph.D. -Correctional Mental Health Handbook (2003) and Corrections, Mental Health, and Social Policy: International Perspectives (2007). He also published a book on crisis negotiation in correctional settings - Negotiating Correctional Incidents: A Practical Guide (2003).

Since 1997, Dr. Fagan has served as the American Psychological Association (APA)’s representative on the Board of Directors of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) – a national organization dedicated to insuring quality health and mental health care to incarcerated individuals. He served as NCCHC’s Board Chair from 2002 - 2003. He is a Fellow in APA’s Divisions 12 and 18. Division 18 recognized his work in correctional mental health with a special achievement award in 1993 and he received APA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Practice in the Public Sector in 2006. He received is Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his Master’s and Doctoral Degrees from Virginia Tech.