Psychologist

MEDICAL STAFF
Psychologist	Difficulty: Easy Requirements: None Access: Medical Extended Access: Chemistry, Maintenance Supervisors: Chief Medical Officer Subordinates: None Duties: Advocate sanity, self-esteem, and teamwork in a station staffed with headcases. Guides: Medical

The Psychologist is a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a friend to all. You are tasked with diffusing disputes and seeing to the psychological well-being of all the crew.

You are not another Doctor, your job is to help mentally, not physically. This is largely a roleplay-based role - whether you have fun with it is largely tied to how much effort you and your patients put into it, as it is not tied to game mechanics at all.

Psychology and You

You are now in charge of the mental well-being of the entire station! Nanotrasen has entrusted you with the task of keeping everyone around you stable or contain them, if they are beyond your help. It is worth noting that much of the crew would deem themselves to be perfectly sane, and it is up to you to determine the psychological status of those around you (especially those in command roles).

First, it is a good idea to start 'advertising' around the station for anybody who could use some psychological care, and make sure to check the Brig, Medbay, or even places such as the Bar for any potential patient that could need some help. Being the nice, helpful person everyone wants to meet in their life can definitely help. Keeping track of the current events unfolding on station can be useful, too - who knows when an Assistant will need help with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they acquired after seeing the Chef brutally murder and butcher a friendly Moth.

Treatment

You have found someone in need of help, and managed to convince them to come to your office. Now, the fun begins! There is no strict, "correct" way of treating people, as it is all roleplay-based. This means that you and your personal ideas are in the spotlight! Talking to your patient is always a great idea, and many great RP moments come from doing so - ask them about their problems, their feelings, perhaps even take notes and write a report on what you have found.

After ascertaining the issues plaguing the poor crewmember, you may commence treatment. Perhaps their issue is wholly possible to solve with just psychotherapy, and perhaps, medication. Communicate with the Chemist or Botanist if you plan to use medication extensively. A quick look at the Chemical list might give you some ideas about what experimental drugs to use. Paperwork helps with making your treatment seem more legitimate, and a formal prescription will save your patient some trouble with requesting the medication. Keep in mind, however, that forcing medication on people can be a crime, and hurting people as a non-antagonist might even break server rules.

Demoting

Should you deem someone unfit for their duties, and beyond treatment, it is in your power to suggest their demotion. Because you are technically not powerful enough to demote someone by yourself, you have to contact your boss the Chief Medical Officer and explain the situation so they can act upon it, if they agree with your diagnosis. This, of course, should be the last recourse. Having to go that far means that your treatment has failed. Again, paperwork helps - a well-written report is harder to ignore, and will seem much more legitimate than word of mouth.

Security and You

It's possible you might eventually bump heads with Security. After all, many criminals are mentally impaired and many of our less stable friends turn to a life of crime. Now, before you write a report damning the security department, there are a few options to consider. The first thing you should do is ask the Head of Personnel and Head of Security for access. If you have reason to believe you need access, they might grant you brig access to treat those insane convicts. Otherwise, don't mention it unless you REALLY need to get in there. You could also ask the Captain. If they are not busy, they may help you. Remember - matters of Security are ultimately more important than yours, and thus your requests might simply be ignored.