Biography     

Larry Thompson is a Courtesy Associate Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute. Dr. Thompson teaches in the undergraduate and graduate programs of the University and coordinates a wide array of training initiatives for governmental and not-for-profit behavioral healthcare agencies. He writes and consults on ethics, professional preparation, professionalism, and law enforcement emergency response systems.

A 28-year veteran CEO of community mental health and substance abuse treatment programs in West Virginia and in Florida, Dr. Thompson has served as president of two state provider networks and has functioned as a site reviewer for federal funded community mental health centers. He continues a long involvement in the enhancement of standards, educational preparation and professional identity of master's level practitioners.
Dr. Thompson consults with many communities throughout Florida on law enforcement response to individuals in behavioral health crises.  He has established a certification program, coordinates train-the-trainer and regional training events and evaluates the implementation of emergency response programs.  His work has included an evaluation of the Los Angeles Police Department's training program and use-of-force incidences.

He has developed a new undergraduate minor in behavioral healthcare for students interested in pursuing careers in the field of behavioral healthcare in conjunction with any undergraduate major. The minor complements majors in health and social services, such as Psychology, School Counseling, Social Work, Criminology, and Gerontology. It would also be valuable for any career direction that may overlap with these human and societal issues, such as Human Resources, Public Administration, Education, Sociology, and Anthropology.

Recent Publications

Thompson, Larry E. and Randy Borum (2006).  Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT): Considerations for Knowledge Transfer.  Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 6 (3), 25 – 36.

Zalaquett, Carlos and Larry Thompson (2004).  Credentialing, Privileging and Quality Assurance: Counselors in Managed Care.  The Journal for The Professional Counselor, 19 (1), 59-74.

Thompson, Larry E. and Edward Bryant (2003).  Law Enforcement First Responder Training: A Toolkit and Resource Guide for Behavioral Healthcare Communities.  Tampa, FL:  University of South Florida.

Thompson, Larry E., et. al. (2003).  Manual: Depression Disease Management: A Training for Hillsborough County Health and Social Services.  Tampa, FL:  University of South Florida.