#FacesOfCalian: Dr. Nina Fusco

We are profiling employees across Calian so you can learn more about our team and the exciting work done across our company every day. Faces of Calian profiles will be posted on an ongoing basis—so stay tuned! And be sure to check out our social channels as we share these profiles with our growing online community.

In time for Psychology Month, meet Dr. Nina Fusco, Calian’s Chief Psychologist.

Tell us about your background.

I was born and raised in Montreal. From a young age, I was always interested in the intersection of law and psychology. We have several police officers in my family, and I have always been very interested in this field. I even applied to policing for college at the same time I applied to psychology, in the hopes of one day becoming a criminal profiler. I have been lucky to have a career that has allowed me to work in many different settings and with many different people involved in the justice system - crime victims, accused, offenders, and with law enforcement.

I started my career in the greater Vancouver area in British Columbia as a forensic psychologist, doing diagnostic and risk assessments for the courts. Next, I moved to Ottawa to be closer to family, and worked in the provincial correctional system. I mostly conducted suicide assessments and worked with people in mental health crisis while working at the provincial detention centre in Ottawa. From there, I worked in inpatient forensics at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. My role was primarily to provide treatment for individuals found not criminally responsible for their crimes due to a mental disorder, and I also did comprehensive psychological assessments and risk assessments while working on interdisciplinary teams. I was then given an opportunity to work for the police, so I went to work full-time in a role where I supported police officers and civilians. As part of this role, I helped develop and implement a psychological services program; I went on ride-alongs, provided psychological support for people working in high-risk roles, developed leadership training, and offered support to individuals and groups following major critical incidents.

In my different roles, I've also been actively involved in supervising students and trainees. I've really had a fun and interesting career that has allowed me to meet and interact with so many fascinating, courageous, resilient, and inspiring people.  

What is your role at Calian? Tell us about the type of work you do.

I started as Chief Psychologist for the Health business unit this past September. My role is to provide clinical oversight and help develop the Psychological Services division. Each year, we conduct thousands of psychological suitability assessments for various law enforcement agencies across Canada.

Part of my time is devoted to conducting assessments myself. Candidates complete two psychological tests and are then interviewed by a psychologist, who prepares a recommendation for the client. The other parts of my time are devoted to supporting our national network of psychologists conducting the assessments, meeting with our customers to ensure satisfaction and resolve any issues, and developing and expanding the psychological services we offer to law enforcement. 

What do you like most about working for Calian?

Working with people and for an organization that are truly committed to helping people lead safe and healthy lives.

Psychological services–assessment, training, support—are crucial for people working in law enforcement, but how to offer and access those services is not always obvious. I like that we provide a wide variety of important and impactful services to law enforcement agencies across the country. The people at Calian come together to find creative solutions to whatever problems they face. The level of dedication and commitment to providing services in a timely and professional manner has been inspiring.  

I have really enjoyed getting to connect with psychologists across the country, people working in law enforcement in different capacities (protecting our borders, keeping our prisons and communities safe, and police officers of all ranks who are willing to risk their lives to keep us safe), as well as our very hard-working team at Calian. I am really motivated to help make sure we are doing our best to have the right fit with the people we are choosing to work in law enforcement and making sure they stay healthy and safe from the day they are hired until the day they retire, and beyond. It is an honour to help support those people and organizations that are willing to step up to help keep us all safe. 

Do you have a favorite story from your time at Calian?

I’ll use this question as a chance to mention that Dr. William "Bill" Barker recently retired. His company Priority One was acquired by Calian a few years ago, and is the foundation of the Psychological Services division. He devoted his life to building this business. It is a privilege to have met him and an honour to carry the torch on his behalf moving forward.

What keeps you busy outside of work?   

I try to lead a pretty active life. I work out at home daily, but also enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing in the winter, and cycling in the summer. I've played soccer since I was a kid, and now coach my daughter's team in the summer. I love listening to music and attending live concerts and Broadway shows. I enjoy reading and watching football. I also love trying new recipes and discovering new foods, and I love to travel so I can learn about cultures (and try new foods!) around the world.

About the Authors: Dr. Nina Fusco is chief psychologist and Dr. Jennifer Short is a psychologist at Calian. They work closely with law enforcement clients providing psychological services to address their unique needs from suitability assessments and candidate selection to resilience training and mental wellness. Click here to learn more about Calian Psychological Services.